The sudden death of one of Britain's most respected deradicalisation experts has sent shockwaves through counter-terrorism circles and government departments. Hadiya Masieh, who dedicated her life to turning young women away from Islamist extremism, died unexpectedly at just 48 years old after suffering a blood aneurysm.
A Sudden and Tragic Loss
Friends and colleagues of Ms Masieh were left devastated when what began as a severe headache rapidly escalated into a life-threatening medical emergency. The 48-year-old was rushed to hospital but tragically died two days later after her life-support was switched off, leaving a profound void in Britain's counter-extremism efforts.
Decades of Vital Prevent Work
Although she largely avoided media attention, Ms Masieh was deeply respected within government and among terrorism experts for her remarkable success in deradicalising women who were either planning terrorist acts or preparing to flee to conflict zones like Syria to join ISIS. Her work spanned decades as a Prevent practitioner, with her interventions preventing numerous potential tragedies.
Among her most significant cases were five friends of Shamima Begum, the East London schoolgirl who famously fled to Syria with three classmates from Bethnal Green Academy in 2015. While Begum remains in a Syrian detention camp after losing her British citizenship and subsequent legal battles, Ms Masieh successfully turned her five friends away from extremism.
'Had Hadiya not helped them, these girls would have found a way to Syria, and may have been dead by now or in a detention camp like Shamima,' one friend revealed, highlighting the life-saving nature of her work. All five women are now reportedly leading normal, productive lives.
Transforming Returning 'Jihadi Brides'
Ms Masieh's expertise extended to working with female jihadis who returned from Syria and were mandated to undergo deradicalisation through the Prevent programme to avoid imprisonment. One notable case was Samia Hussein, a 32-year-old British-Somali woman who fled to live under ISIS in 2015 but returned to the UK in 2020.
Hussein, who lost her left arm during a bombing raid in Raqqa (ISIS's former de facto capital), received NHS treatment including a prosthetic limb before undergoing successful deradicalisation with Ms Masieh's help. Friends confirm she has now been completely weaned off extremism and is rebuilding her life in West London.
From Extremist to Anti-Extremism Pioneer
Remarkably, Ms Masieh's profound understanding of radicalisation stemmed from her own decade-long involvement with Islamic extremism. Born into a middle-class Hindu family in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, she was educated at boarding school before attending Brunel University in the late 1990s.
It was during her university years that she joined Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HT), an Islamic extremist group seeking to establish a global caliphate. Despite the group being banned from campuses, it operated through front organisations, and Ms Masieh rose to become a leading officer in its female wing for ten years.
Her perspective changed dramatically following the 7/7 London transport attacks in 2005, which claimed 52 lives. 'The 7/7 bombers and the people I knew at HT were two sides of the same coin,' she later told the Observer. 'HT says it does not believe in violence, but the violence was never condemned; they just didn't think it would achieve anything.'
Building a Legacy Against Extremism
This awakening prompted Ms Masieh to dedicate herself completely to anti-extremism work. She became a founding member of the groundbreaking Quilliam Foundation think-tank, which worked closely with government to counter Islamist ideology. More recently, she established Groundswell, an organisation tackling extremism at community level.
Ghaffar Hussain, a former Prevent director and colleague, paid tribute to her exceptional contribution: 'She was one of the finest intervention providers in her profession. So many girls are now leading normal lives thanks to Hadiya. Her death has left a huge void in our lives.'
The proscription of Hizb-ut-Tahrir by the government in January 2024, following its involvement in inflammatory protests after the October 7th attacks on Israel, underscores the continuing relevance of Ms Masieh's work in a landscape where extremist ideologies persist.
Her unique journey from radicalisation to becoming one of Britain's most effective deradicalisers represents an extraordinary personal transformation that saved countless lives and protected communities from the devastating consequences of extremism.
