<p>A lawyer for the family of Shamima Begum, who was stripped of her citizenship after joining the Islamic State group, on Monday accused Britain of racism over her treatment, calling her a "tragic scapegoat".</p>.<p>Begum was just 15 when she and two other schoolgirls from east London travelled to Syria to join the jihadists, and was later tracked down in a refugee camp.</p>.<p>She had her citizenship revoked in 2019 on national security grounds, after an outcry led by right-wing newspapers.</p>.<p>But the UK's highest court last month ruled she could not return to Britain to appeal the decision.</p>.<p>Begum's family lawyer, Tasnime Akunjee, and the sculptor Anish Kapoor said she was "the tragic scapegoat of a punitive unforgiving government intent on harsh retribution".</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/uk-supreme-court-says-shamima-begum-who-fled-to-syria-to-join-islamic-state-cannot-return-to-britain-955624.html" target="_blank">UK Supreme Court says Shamima Begum, who fled to Syria to join Islamic State, cannot return to Britain</a></strong></p>.<p>"What happened to Christian forgiveness? Does it not apply to a woman -- and a dark-skinned one at that? It seems that different rules apply," they said in a joint statement.</p>.<p>"Is it perhaps that some of us are more British than others of us? Shamima is of Bangladeshi descent, does that change her right to British nationality?</p>.<p>"I am tempted to think it does especially in the light of the Supreme Court's judgment."</p>.<p>Kapoor, best known for his conceptual art installations, and Akunjee called the government's stance "a disgraceful indictment of our national conscience".</p>.<p>They suggested "four young white schoolgirls" from a less ethnically diverse area outside London would "no doubt" be treated differently.</p>.<p>"This is 'divide and rule', the horror that sustained the British Empire for 200 years. Have we regressed to now practising this on home turf?" they asked.</p>.<p>Begum married a Dutch IS fighter shortly after crossing into the militant group's territory from Turkey. She had three children, but they all died.</p>.<p>The Sunday Telegraph last weekend published pictures of Begum wearing Western clothing -- sunglasses, a T-shirt and a zip-up sweater -- at the Al Roj camp where she has been for the last two years.</p>.<p>She has previously been seen in a black niqab mandated by IS.</p>.<p>She agreed to being photographed, but she and others who came from Britain detained in the camp declined to be interviewed on the basis of legal advice, the weekly said.</p>
<p>A lawyer for the family of Shamima Begum, who was stripped of her citizenship after joining the Islamic State group, on Monday accused Britain of racism over her treatment, calling her a "tragic scapegoat".</p>.<p>Begum was just 15 when she and two other schoolgirls from east London travelled to Syria to join the jihadists, and was later tracked down in a refugee camp.</p>.<p>She had her citizenship revoked in 2019 on national security grounds, after an outcry led by right-wing newspapers.</p>.<p>But the UK's highest court last month ruled she could not return to Britain to appeal the decision.</p>.<p>Begum's family lawyer, Tasnime Akunjee, and the sculptor Anish Kapoor said she was "the tragic scapegoat of a punitive unforgiving government intent on harsh retribution".</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/uk-supreme-court-says-shamima-begum-who-fled-to-syria-to-join-islamic-state-cannot-return-to-britain-955624.html" target="_blank">UK Supreme Court says Shamima Begum, who fled to Syria to join Islamic State, cannot return to Britain</a></strong></p>.<p>"What happened to Christian forgiveness? Does it not apply to a woman -- and a dark-skinned one at that? It seems that different rules apply," they said in a joint statement.</p>.<p>"Is it perhaps that some of us are more British than others of us? Shamima is of Bangladeshi descent, does that change her right to British nationality?</p>.<p>"I am tempted to think it does especially in the light of the Supreme Court's judgment."</p>.<p>Kapoor, best known for his conceptual art installations, and Akunjee called the government's stance "a disgraceful indictment of our national conscience".</p>.<p>They suggested "four young white schoolgirls" from a less ethnically diverse area outside London would "no doubt" be treated differently.</p>.<p>"This is 'divide and rule', the horror that sustained the British Empire for 200 years. Have we regressed to now practising this on home turf?" they asked.</p>.<p>Begum married a Dutch IS fighter shortly after crossing into the militant group's territory from Turkey. She had three children, but they all died.</p>.<p>The Sunday Telegraph last weekend published pictures of Begum wearing Western clothing -- sunglasses, a T-shirt and a zip-up sweater -- at the Al Roj camp where she has been for the last two years.</p>.<p>She has previously been seen in a black niqab mandated by IS.</p>.<p>She agreed to being photographed, but she and others who came from Britain detained in the camp declined to be interviewed on the basis of legal advice, the weekly said.</p>