A UK body language expert has claimed that Runaway ISIS bride Shamima Begum’s gestures and expressions in interviews filmed just two years ago belie her real feelings about the terror organisation. 

A new discovery+ programme, Shamima Begum: A Faking It Special, examines in forensic detail the schoolgirl-turned-terrorist’s reaction to the news in 2019 that she would be stripped of her UK citizenship by the British Government.  

Cliff Lansley is a body language expert and claims the 22 year-old read the letter from Home Secretary to show her loyalty. She also showed pity about the news. 

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Discovery+ programme Shamima Begum: A Faking It Special analyses the ISIS bride's body language during 2019 interviews in which she appears sad at losing UK citizenship - with body language expert Dr Cliff Lansley claiming micro facial expressions - including repeatedly closing her eyes (pictured) suggest she was 'probably lying'

Discovery+ program Shamima Begum: Faking It Special analyzes the ISIS bride’s body language in 2019 interviews. She appears to be sad about losing her UK citizenship. Dr Cliff Lansley, body language expert claims that she used micro facial expressions (pictured), which included repeatedly closing her eyes. This suggests she was ‘probably lying. 

Analysing footage from a series of 2019 interviews, Dr Langsley says key micro facial expressions including a twitching nose (pictured) could suggest that Begum wasn't being genuine while being interviewed by TV journalists

After analysing video footage of a number of 2019, Dr Langsley discovered that key facial expressions, including the twitching and squinting noses (pictured), could have suggested Begum wasn’t genuine when she was interviewed by TV reporters.

A mouth shrug can be interpreted as having 'no confidence' in what you're saying, says the body language expert, suggesting Begum was protesting her alignment with ISIS was over but that her subtle facial features show otherwise

The body language expert says a smile or a mouth slap can indicate that there is no confidence in what you are saying. It could also be an indication that Begum protested her affiliation with ISIS, however her subtle facial features would suggest otherwise.

A thumb peeping up - a hand shrug - in the footage is also indicative of no confidence, he claims

The footage shows a thumb touching up, or a shrug. This is also an indication of his lack of confidence.

The schoolgirl fled London in February 2015 as a 15-year-old, travelling to Syria with two friends, Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana, to become a jihadi bride but now claims she no longer supports ISIS and wants to return to the UK. 

Tomorrow’s episode of the program will air. Dr Lansley looks at footage Begum was given during interviews in 2019. Begum claimed that she is no longer affiliated with ISIS. However, he claims her subtle movements and micro-expressions betray these claims, and suggest she was lying to the cameras.

An analysis of a frame in which Begums claimed she was not threatening the UK is done frame-by–frame. 

She’s heard saying: ‘I’m just a 19-year-old girl with a new-born baby, I don’t have any weapons, I don’t want to hurt anyone.’ 

However, Dr Lansley argues that Begum is simply exercising ‘image management’ here. 

He explains: ‘She’s building an image that she’s harmless. She begins her advertisement by promoting herself. But, just before that she does so we see two contradictory body language signals. 

Body language expert Dr Cliff Lansley tells the programme that Begum's micro facial expressions suggest what she's saying in the interviews isn't genuine

Cliff Lansley is a body language expert and says that Begum’s micro-facial expressions indicate she doesn’t believe what she’s saying.

The schoolgirl fled London in February 2015 as a 15-year-old, travelling to Syria with two friends, Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana, to become a jihadi bride - but now claims she no longer supports ISIS and wants to return to the UK

As a 15 year-old girl, the schoolgirl fled London to escape ISIS. She traveled to Syria to marry a jihadi bride with her two best friends Amira Abase (15 years old) and Kadiza Sultana (14 years).

The body language expert analysed the 2019 video interviews in close-up and frame by frame

Body language expert Analyzed 2019 Video Interviews in Close-up and Frame by Frame

“The first one is a smile and a nod. So, you’ll see from her face that her mouth is arched at this point. She’s pushed the chin boss vertically upwards to create an arch mouth. 

‘This is one of the combination features that we see when people have no confidence in what they’re saying.’

His suggestion that she might be hiding behind her shoulders is a clue that the words she is saying are not genuine is also supported by a slight thumb roll seen at the bottom.  

‘Second is the shoulders will raise slightly, and third we’ll get the mouth arching, sometimes with the brow raised. If we glance at the bottom, you can see that there is a tiny thumb peeking up.

‘She’s doing the hand shrug also. We’ve got a combination, which is corroboration, of “no confidence in what I am about to tell you.”‘ 

Last month Shamima Begum, looking different in Western clothes, says she believes she will be killed in her prison camp and is 'living in fear constantly' as she continues her fight to return to Britain

Shamima Begum was different wearing Western clothes last month and stated that she is afraid she would be murdered in her cell.

In her most recent interview, she added she and her Dutch friend Hafida Haddouch are being targeted by arsonists in the Al Roj camp (pictured) in Syria because they are seen as more Westernised than their campmates

Her most recent interview revealed that Hafida and Hafida, her Dutch friend Hafida haddouch were being targetted by Syrian arsonists at the Al Roj Camp (pictured), in Syria. They are perceived as Westernized more than their campmates.

He claims that Begum also uses eye-blocking, which means she closes her eyes continuously while speaking. This is something he believes undermines her words. 

Dr Langsley says, “What we have is the eyes closed for around 15 frames. This is about half a second. 

‘If I make a claim that I don’t want to hurt anyone, I’ll connect myself with that statement; I’ll say I don’t want to hurt anyone. But if I say I don’t want to hurt anyone and close my eyes while I’m using those words, we see that as a contradiction. It’s a deception indicator. 

Cliff continues: “We get a half-second eye closure which blocks herself from making that statement. The third thing is we get the hand roll, so you’ll see right at the bottom of the screen here the hand rotating. 

‘When we get three indicators across the communication channels inside seven seconds, we have a high degree of confidence that this is lacking credibility and she’s probably lying.’ 

Begum currently resides with a British contingent comprising 50 women and children. The encampment houses approximately 800 families.

Begum said last month that she fears she’ll be murdered in her cell by arsonists who target ‘Westernised and less Muslim’ women. She continues to fight for her return to Britain, despite living in constant fear. 

Begum is an ISIS bride. She claims she has aided terrorists. The decision to remove her citizenship, and that she was a victim of the terror group.

Shamima Begum was 15 when she ran away with two other schoolgirls to Syria to marry a Dutch jihadi in 2015. She is accused of trying to recruit others to join before she left - and doing evil jobs for ISIS

Shamima Begum was just 15 years old when she fled to Syria with two other schoolgirls in order to marry a Dutch terrorist. Her charges include trying to recruit other people to ISIS before she fled, and performing evil tasks for ISIS.

She claims that she made suicide vests for jihadis.

I’m ready to stand before the court to refute those claims.

“These claims are made to make me look even worse, because the government don’t have any information on me. It is impossible to prove that anything ever took place. 

On asking for forgiveness 

“It’s difficult for British people not to be sorry, they’ve lived with fear and loss of loved ones from IS. However, I’ve also experienced fear and also lost dear ones due IS. So I understand their feelings.

“It is difficult for people to forgive me, but I truly regret ever having offended anybody by coming here or by any of the words I spoke.”

Message to the PM

“I feel I could help you with your fight against terrorist because you don’t clearly know what’s going on.”

She continued, “I want them (the British people) to consider me an asset instead of a threat to their safety.”

Why she traveled to Syria  

Begum stated that she arrived in Syria to marry, have children, and live a “pure, Islamic” life.

“I came to Syria not because of violent motives.” “I didn’t know that it (the so-called Islamic State), was a death sect. I assumed it was an Islamic group I was signing.  It was a great way to get information from people.  

On justifying  the Manchester Arena bombing

She stated that she did not believe one evil is better than another. I do not believe that children or women should be killed because of the motives of others. 

“I didn’t know anything about the Manchester Bombing,” I replied. It was not something I knew about, but I didn’t know it caused deaths and that children and women were injured.

Begum claimed that killing innocent people for the sake of religion was not justified. 

Which is worse, a criminal or terrorist? 

She explained that she thought the worst crime was to have been stupid enough to go to Isis. But even that is a refutation because I was only 15 years old when I went. And you don’t judge 15-year-olds for making mistakes which they quickly regret.

If you believe I really did do it, bring me back to the dock and have me stand trial.

“If that is what you truly believe, then don’t think you should just go to prison for it.

“The fact you believe I should be rotted here instead of facing trial…the democracy you live in says everyone has the right to a fair trial.”

The new western style of her. 

Begum claimed that she made the decision to remove the hijab for her own good and denies it was an ill-advised publicity stunt.

According to her, she said that hijab has been off for a while. Because I felt so restricted in my hijab I decided to remove it for myself.

“It makes me feel happy to wear the hijab. It’s not something I do for anybody but me.

“I had many chances to have people photograph me without my hijab, but I didn’t.” 

The decision to cancel her citizenship 

Begum answered a question about what she would tell Sajid Javid (Home Secretary) when Begum’s British citizenship was stripped. Begum stated that while she understood why Begum had taken her citizenship away, it was his responsibility to consider the UK’s interests first.

“What he saw in the media wasn’t the real me.” “If he had to see me, I think he’d change his mind regarding my citizenship.

Begum stated that she was groomed to believe she would find an Islamic paradise.

She stated, “People I spoke to online just created this image of me over paradise, which is an Islamic paradise.”

“They made me feel very pressured into signing up. They made me feel guilty for wanting to remain in the UK. They took advantage of me, knowing that I was young.

Begum stated that Hafida Haddouch and Begum could be among the victims after a string of campfires in Al Roj, Syria. They are less religious than the campmates.

She also claimed that she has never made suicide vests for bombers, and she is able to help British security forces combat extremists.

Begum, after removing her veil, said that she wore a low-cut pink top, black baseball cap, and leggings.

“In the last few months, they have done more than in the previous few years.” 

She said that she believes she could now contribute to the UK Government.

Begum answered “Yes” when asked whether she has the experience and skills to stop children being lured into terrorist activities.

Boris Johnson made an astonishing offer that she had never heard of. She said: “You clearly struggle with extremism in your country. You don’t clearly know what you are doing and I’d be glad to assist you.

“I want them to view me as an asset and not a threat to their security.”

Shamima Begum: Watch a Faking It Special on Discovery+ starting Saturday, 11 December.