The father of a Scottish woman who fled to join Islamic State has denied she was involved in recruiting three London schoolgirls believed to have travelled to Syria. Aqsa Mahmood, 20, left her home in Glasgow in November 2013 and married an IS militant the following February. Today, her parents told ITV News she had been in contact with them to deny recent reports that she had encouraged Bethnal Green Academy students Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16 and Amira Abase, 15, to join the radical Islamist group. Scroll down for video . The father of jihadi bride Aqsa Mahmood (pictured left and right) denies she was involved in recruiting three London schoolgirls believed to have travelled to Syria to join Islamic State . Muzaffar Mahmood said his daughter had claimed she didn't even know the names of the girls, and he added that he believed her. 'She texted when this was going on,' he said. 'She was never in contact with them and I believe her. 'A lot of press - everything happening is Aqsa Mahmood.' But after the girls went missing last month, it emerged that Shamima had messaged a Twitter account belonging to Mahmood asking her to follow her. She did so, opening a private line of communication. At the time, the family expressed their horror that she may have been involved in recruiting the girls and branded her a 'disgrace'. Muzaffar Mahmood said his daughter had contacted the family to insist she didn't know the names of the missing London schoolgirls, and he said he believed her . Aqsa's mother Khalida Mahmood also called for her daughter to leave Syria and return to Britain . Shamima Begum, 15, sent an open message (pictured) to Aqsa Mahmood, 20, who had fled to Syria from Glasgow to be a 'jihadi bride' in 2013, asking her to open a private line of communication . But today, Mr Mahmood said: 'They are making her…everything happening is Aqsa Mahmood. 'Security services…if they know anything they should come out with it. 'She was very angry with me that 'why are you not standing up for me? I wasn't in contact. I don't even know their names. 'That's what she told us. We feel really bad when we hear in the press that she recruited them. 'We regret what she is doing and we condemn what's going on over there but she hasn't been in touch with them [the runaway girls] at all. It's very painful.' The former diagnostic radiography student had been educated at a top private school in the city, but after joining the terror group, began tweeting under the nom de guerre Umm Layth. She posted a series of radical messages, including a call for others to copy the shocking murder of soldier Lee Rigby, the Boston Marathon bombing and the massacre at the Fort Hood US Army base in Texas. Kadiza Sultana, 16 (left), Amira Abase, 15 (centre) and Shamima Begum, 15 (right), all pupils at Bethnal Green Academy in east London, are believed to have travelled to Syria as jihadi brides . Clutching their luggage, the three teenage friends were pictured preparing to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey . Mahmood has also posted a series of blog posts entitled 'Diary of a Muhajirah' instructing young women on how to prepare for life in Syria and what to do expect there. She also wrote a guide on how to be a war widow in January, sparking rumours her extremist husband has been killed. After the former student's identity was revealed in the media last September, her family branded her a 'bedroom radical' and condemned her actions. Sharmeena Begum was named as the first of four Bethnal Green Academy schoolgirls to have fled home to join IS . At a press conference, they said: ‘We still love you Aqsa but we now have to put your family, your brother and sisters first as you have betrayed us, our community and the people of Scotland when you took this step. ‘All parents want to be proud of their children but sadly we feel nothing but sorrow and shame for Aqsa. 'Aqsa you have torn the heart out of our family and changed our lives forever, please come home.’ Her family said Mahmood was ‘brainwashed and deluded’ but maintained there was no individual to be blamed for her radicalisation. But today, when asked if there was anything that pointed to her being radicalised, Mr Mahmood said: 'This is something we want to know. She did pray and wore a scarf. 'Freedom of expression and she's allowed to do that. There's nothing wrong with that, we never see she's going that far. 'That's something we're still trying to find out. Who are these people radicalising all the children here and why is something not happening to them? Where are people going all the time? 'There are people here who are doing this. And police and security services? We've not had any answers yet.' Mr Mahmood pointed the finger at intelligence services for failing to discover who was 'radicalising our children', and claimed he and his wife had simply given their daughter freedoms afforded in any 'normal' family. He also criticised British police for not doing more to 'save our daughter' when she initially made the journey. His comments come after the families of the three London schoolgirls appeared before appeared before the House of Commons home affairs committee this week. And the country’s top police officer was forced to apologise to their families over a misplaced letter relating to a fourth girl’s disappearance, who was identified this week as Sharmeena Begum. The report will air on ITV News at 6.30pm and Ten and can be found online at itv.com/news . Khadiza's cousin Fahmida Aziz (left), Shamima's sister Sahima Begum (centre) and Amira's father Hussen Abase (right), appeared before the House of Commons home affairs committee this week . Bethnal Green Academy student Shamima Begum, 15, sent an open message to Aqsa Mahmood, 20, who had fled to Syria from Glasgow to be a 'jihadi bride' in 2013, asking her to open a private line of communication. Four days later, the teenager flew from Gatwick Airport to Turkey with friends Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15. Last month, a lawyer for Mahmood's family said they were 'full of horror and anger' that she was being allowed by Twitter to 'recruit and encourage' others to travel to Syria. 'You are a disgrace': The family of Aqsa Mahmood (pictured) said they are 'incredulous' that her messages are not being checked and her victims' families did not get a 'knock at the door' Aamer Anwar said they were 'incredulous' that her messages were not being checked and her victims' families did not get a 'knock at the door'. He said the grooming of children through Twitter by terrorists was 'tantamount to child abuse'. The family's statement in full: . 'The family of Aqsa Mahmood are full of horror and anger that their daughter may have had a role to play in the recruitment of these young girls to ISIS. They are not sure how much more misery that Aqsa can inflict on her own family but the fact that she is now accused of destroying other families is beyond the pale. However the Security Services have serious questions to answer- Aqsa's social media has been monitored since she disappeared over a year ago, yet despite alleged contact between the girls and Aqsa, they failed to stop them from leaving the UK to Turkey a staging post for Syria. Sadly despite all the Government's rhetoric on ISIS, if they can't even take basic steps to stop children leaving to join ISIS, what is the point of any new laws? As for Aqsa- you are a disgrace to your family and the people of Scotland, your actions are a perverted and evil distortion of Islam. You are killing your family every day with your actions, they are begging you stop if you ever loved them.'
Aqsa Mahmood left Glasgow in November 2013 and married an IS militant . 20-year-old is believed to have lured three London schoolgirls to Syria . But her father Muzaffar says she contacted family to deny any involvement . He said she contacted family to insist she 'was never in contact with them'
But one of the girls contacted Mahmood asking for private communication .