Muslim police officer faces sack over alleged links to female jihadist

Pc Ruby Begum at anti-lockdown protest in 2020
Pc Ruby Begum was praised following a 2020 anti-lockdown protest in central London - Dave Rushen/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

A hijab-wearing Muslim police officer who was hailed as a role model for confronting anti-lockdown protesters faces being sacked from Scotland Yard over her alleged links to a female jihadist in Syria.

Pc Ruby Begum, 29, is also accused of posting offensive messages on Twitter where she insulted Jews and mocked the 9/11 terror attacks.

She is alleged to have made the comments before joining the Metropolitan Police in 2016 but chose not to delete them after becoming a special constable.

Pc Begum, who faces a misconduct hearing, is alleged to have failed during the force’s vetting process “to disclose her association with a female jihadi living inside the Islamic State caliphate in Syria”.

She is also said to have an “interest in the teachings of extremist preachers”.

The officer, who serves with the Met’s territorial support group, a unit which specialises in public order policing, was praised by colleagues and the public in 2020 after a photograph of her confronting a mob of anti-lockdown protesters in London went viral on social media.

She was seen wearing a hijab on the front line against the baying crowd.

Offensive term

The Metropolitan Police has said the offensive and discriminatory comments were made between 2013 and 2019.

One of the posts, from July 30 2014, first exposed in an investigation by the Mail on Sunday, reads: “Israel have no limits. Scumbags. I can’t wait for the day they get severely punished.”

She is also said to have used the offensive term “kuffar” to describe non-believers, writing: “Kuffar lips have been all over my mug there is no way I’m using that thing again.”

Another tweet two months later read: “Must be stupid if you think I’m gonna do 2 mins silence for 9/11.”

‘Robust action’

The suspected Isis female who Pc Begum is said to have communicated with used the online name Muslimah4Life, according to the Mail on Sunday.

In one post, Muslimah4Life said she was using a Yazidi slave as a maid: “My maid (slave) taught me how to bake a Syrian bread, finally I made one on my own today. Alhamdulilah [praise be to God].”

The Met Police said in an earlier statement: “There is no place within the Met for any racist, homophobic or otherwise hateful attitudes and officers and staff can expect robust action should they be found to hold or express such views.”

A three-day misconduct hearing starts on Oct 21.