Letter of Complaint to Suella Braverman

Screenshot from Telegraph

At Get The Trolls Out, we strive to challenge harmful narratives and advocate for respectful, inclusive discourse in the media. In response to an article by Suella Braverman published in The Telegraph on December 13, 2024, titled “For the sake of British values, Shamima Begum must never be allowed back”, we have issued the following letter. The article, while addressing a sensitive topic, risks perpetuating harmful stereotypes about Muslims and extremism, further dividing communities. Through this letter, we express our concerns and call for a more responsible approach to discussing such complex issues, emphasising the importance of understanding and nuance over generalisations that fuel hate.

We wrote to her personal email address found on her website. Below is the letter wrote:

Dear Suella Braverman,  

We are writing to you to express our concerns about the article “For the sake of British values, Shamima Begum must never be allowed back” published on The Telegraph’s website on December 13, 2024. The link to the article can be found below.    

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/12/13/for-the-sake-of-british-values-shamima-begum-must-stay/ 

In the article, you call for Shamima Begum to be permanently excluded from the UK, framing her as a traitor who should forfeit her British citizenship for her decision to join ISIL as a teenager. While we do not condone Begum’s actions, the tone and narrative of your piece dangerously veer into reinforcing harmful, anti-Muslim tropes that fuel division and hate. You frame her not just as an individual who made misguided choices, but as a representation of a broader threat, one that equates Muslims with terrorism and extremism. 

By focusing on Begum as the face of terrorism, you ignore the complicated issues around radicalization and fail to consider the factors that lead young people, especially those from vulnerable backgrounds, to make such extreme choices. Instead, your article paints all Muslims with the same brush, playing into harmful generalisations that contribute to Islamophobia and division. 

In your use of tragic examples like the deaths of David Haines and Alan Henning, you seem to exploit these emotional stories to further justify excluding Begum. While these tragedies are deeply painful, linking them to her case only fuels hate and alienation, rather than focusing on how society can address radicalization and support those who’ve made mistakes. This kind of rhetoric only deepens the divide between communities and feeds harmful stereotypes that continue to harm the Muslim community. 

We urge you to reconsider the approach you’ve taken in this article and avoid promoting harmful views that divide us. It’s important to address sensitive topics like this with care and understanding, rather than furthering negative stereotypes. 

We ask that you issue a correction or clarification to address the impact of your article, and that future coverage of similar issues is handled with greater responsibility. 

Please feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss any of the points we’ve raised. 

Sincerely, 

Get The Trolls Out Team