My Son The Jihadi
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Synopsis
The true story of how a British teenager turned to terrorism

My Son the Jihadi premiered on Channel 4 (UK) in October 2015  with viewing figures of 1.4 million, 6.6% share, winning the slot among the younger audience, this one-off exposé tells the shocking story of an ordinary British family whose eldest son, Thomas, left their home in Buckinghamshire in 2011 for Somalia to join deadly jihadi terrorist group, Al Shabaab – an Al Qaeda affiliate. At just 21, Thomas joined the terrorist group behind multiple atrocities in Kenya, including the Westgate shopping attack in which nearly 70 people were killed and 175 injured. Thomas became the only known white British man to join the terror group.

This powerful film documents the daily struggle mother Sally and her youngest son, Micheal face as they try to reconcile the Thomas they knew - a loving mild-mannered ‘normal teenage lad’ with Abdul Hakim, the jihad-preaching Islamist he has become.

Micheal, who had always been close to his big brother is furious with Thomas and often refuses to speak to him when he calls but Sally, despite being horrified by his views and sickened by the atrocities carried out by his group, refuses to give up on him and seeks the help of a de-radicalisation expert from a Muslim charity, The Active Change Foundation.

Mike Jervis has helped rescue the sons of 37 other families and starts by exploring Thomas’ childhood and early adult years pinpointing the pivotal moments which made him vulnerable to recruitment by extremists in order to formulate a strategy to help Sally draw him back to the UK.

Every news report of both Al Shabaab’s victories and defeats brings extra torment for Sally. “If he died, in one way I suppose…oh God forgive me, it would be easier because then I know that he couldn’t hurt anybody else. But no, it wouldn’t be easier because my son would be gone. But then I guess my son has gone anyway.”

When Thomas sets off on an undisclosed Al Shabaab mission, Sally starts to build a relationship with his 14 year old child bride, Sudea.  She discovers that Sudea’s parents opposed the match.  Sally manages to contact Sudea’s mother, who has fled Somalia and now lives in Sweden with the rest of the family.  Sally is shocked to hear about the violence that Sudea’s mother suffered at the hands of Al Shabaab, and the  two women establish a profound bond:-

“You are my sister, we are both victims on this situation. Somalia is in flames, you are hurt, I am hurt…We share the same thing that we’re both heartbroken by our children and their choices. And I’m really sorry for that."

Filmed over a pivotal nine month period with privileged access to the lives of both Micheal and Sally – the film captures the shocking events that unfold and their first-hand reactions as they learn more about Thomas’ exact involvement in Al-Shabaab activity.With stories continuing to break of Brits travelling abroad to fight alongside Islamist terrorists, My Son The Jihadi explores the story of how one young ordinary man became radicalised in Britain and abandoned his family and country with devastating consequences for all of them.

The Times - "This unforgettable documentary was near perfect television"

 

The Telegraph - "This masterful piece of television was urgent and essential viewing”

Duration
1 x 60'
Definition
HD
Genre
Factual
Subgenre
Current Affairs
Producer
TRUE VISION PRODUCTIONS LTD
Production Year
2015
Awards

BAFTA 2016 winner: Best Factual Series 

My Son the Jihadi has also been shortlisted in the Grierson Awards for ‘Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme – Domestic'

International Emmy Nominated