Muslim detained at UK airport 'for having name similar to Shamima Begum'

A British Muslim woman says she was detained by the police because her name is similar to Shamima Begum, the London woman who left the country as a teenager to join Isis in Syria.

- NADINE WHITE

Shamina Begum, 37, was returning from holiday in Turkey with her partner at Manchester airport when she was told to seek assistance at the e-gate machines.

Ms Begum said a member of the Border Force admitted her name seemed to be the problem, in that it was similar to "someone of interest". Ms Begum made her way through towards baggage reclaim but said five officers then raced towards them and detained her under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, advising that she shared the same name as someone "wanted".

"They said, 'Your name's been picked up on the data system'. I said to them, 'I can't be Shamima Begum ... and I'm not being funny but she's skinny, I'm curvy"," Ms Begum said.

Her bag and phone were seized and the traveller has claimed she was subjected to three hours of questioning about the origins of her name, why she is a Muslim, her family history, details of her mortgage payments, whether she "thinks bombing is OK" and more.

Ms Begum, who was eventually released by the police with no further action, said she felt "humiliated" and has since had to access medication from her GP as a result of the ordeal. Prior to going on holiday, both her parents had died.