Europe’s fascination with Muslim women, their bodies and their clothing choices – as seen in the passing of discriminatory face covering bans in several countries – shows no sign of abating. Throughout the western world, Muslim women have become expendable commodities, with offensive tropes dominating news coverage on a regular basis. In recent years in the UK, the most high profile victim of such rhetoric has arguably been Shamima Begum.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled Begum could not challenge the government’s decision to revoke her citizenship in 2019. As a result she would not be allowed to return to the UK from Syria, where she had travelled to in 2015.