Policewoman once praised for confronting anti-lockdown protestors suspended after posting inflammatory social media messages and being in contact with suspect Jihadist in Syria
A policewoman who received praise for confronting lockdown protestors has been suspended after apparently posting inflammatory social media messages and being in contact with a suspected Jihadist in Syria.
In August 2021, the Metropolitan Police launched an urgent investigation into Ruby Begum, 26, who joined the Metropolitan Police in 2016 and inspired others as a young officer wearing a hijab on the frontline of police work.
However, it was alleged that she posted social media messages in 2014 comparing Israel to Nazis, in breach of the International Definition of Antisemitism, and referred to non-Muslims as “kuffars”.
The officer from the Met’s Taskforce, a unit which deals with public order, is alleged to have written on Twitter in January 2015: “It’s alright when Israel does it #HolocaustRemembranceDay,” as well as “Zionists have no hearts! They’ll get what’s coming to them subhanallah [glory be to God]” and “Dirty Zionist. Jahannam [hell] is awaiting.”
In 2014, on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, she allegedly wrote: “Must be stupid if you think I’m gonna do 2mins silence for 9/11.” On the 2019 anniversary, by which time she was working in the Met, she is claimed to have written: “Omg it’s 9/11 today? Jokes, I only noticed.”
Ms Begum has also reportedly written, “Kuffar lips have been all over my mug there is no way I’m using that thing again” and is claimed to have described Pakistanis as “p***s”.
She is further believed to have communicated for many months with a woman thought to have left Europe for the ISIS caliphate in Syria in 2014, and Ms Begum also reportedly disclosed without explanation that her own passport had been confiscated for a month, raising serious questions about the Met’s vetting processes. It is understood that there is no indication that Ms Begum ever tried to join ISIS or travel to Syria herself, and that some of her tweets express disgust at the terrorist group’s activities.
Ms Begum’s suspension comes after The Independent Office for Police Conduct launched an investigation once The Mail on Sunday drew attention to the case, with Ms Begum initially being placed on “restricted duties”.Recently, the Metropolitan Police saw one of its own convicted for far-right terrorism.