New undercover investigation into British women supporting Isis

Next week Channel 4 will broadcast a 12-month extensive undercover investigation into the British women who are supporting Isis – right here in the UK. The 1 x 60 film, ISIS: The British Women Supporters Unveiled, will air on Monday 23rd November at 9pm on Channel 4.

Penetrating their secret world, this programme comes face-to-face with the British women glorifying jihadis and promoting an ideology that is supportive of the Islamic State. Investigating their activities on social media and infiltrating their clandestine meetings, the undercover reporter discovers the identities of some of the leading female Islamic State sympathisers in Britain who are urging Muslims to abandon democracy and travel to Syria to join Isis.

Preaching messages of hatred and segregation, these women play a part in promoting extremism and furthering the ideological cause of the Islamic State – telling young Muslim women Britain is waging a war against them. Whilst careful not to incite acts of violence, the ideology propagated by the women is considered ‘extremely dangerous’ by legal and counter-terrorism experts.

Dispatches Editor and Deputy Head of News & Current Affairs Daniel Pearl commissioned the film from Hardcash Productions. Pearl says: “This extraordinary and unique film is testament to the perseverance and commitment of the whole production team. It provides crucial new insight into this network of women who play such a pivotal role in furthering the cause of Isis here in the UK.”

Presenting the film is Poppy Begum, the producer/director is Jo Potts and David Henshaw is the executive producer. Henshaw says: "This investigation has taken us more than a year, and has involved very careful preparation. The online world of ISIS supporters is sophisticated, complex, and alert to infiltration. It has required great skill as well as courage for the undercover reporter to penetrate that world. The results on camera are genuinely revealing."