It has to be said that the quoted remarks of
Shamima Begum have done little to promote
reasoned debate about her case and its’
implications.
She shows neither remorse, nor any sense of
guilt in her actions – perhaps she feels none
– but she has certainly done nothing to ease
her path back to the UK.
The legal position is clear, the UK is obliged
to accept the return of jihadists and their
supporters who otherwise would be
stateless.
Further, her weeks-old child, again a UK
citizen, is guilty of no crime so why should he be punished?
No one would, I imagine, advocate killing the fatted calf for Shamima, but
neither can we abrogate responsibility for one who is legally a citizen of the
UK and morally a responsibility of the state since she was, undeniably, a
child herself when she committed to an ideology of hate and a lifestyle of
sacrifice.
If she can be shown to be guilty of any crimes then she should be held
accountable in a court of law, not the court of public opinion, but to do that,
she needs to be allowed to return to this country and to bring with her her
innocent child, the only one of her three children to survive.
To deny the fundamental right to a judicial process and to persecute a baby
is hardly the way to demonstrate that the underlying principles of our society
are far superior to those of regimes we perceive as less than civilised.
Anon
INSPIRES ONLINE
For news of activities and events across the seven dioceses of the Scottish
Episcopal Church, check out the diocesan websites:
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Moray, Ross & Caithness www.morayepiscopalchurch.scott
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