Shamima Begum, one of three pupils from Bethnal Green who ran away from London aged 15 to join Islamic State in Syria, has been found by The Times in a refugee camp after escaping the jihadists’ final showdown. She is pregnant and has indicated that she wishes to return to the UK.
Anyonewho believes in and understands basic human rights principles will have no problem in allowing this British citizen to return to her country of birth. She will correctly be subject to any legal implications of her past actions and may have to suffer the lawful consequences. That is only right.
And on the other hand her child (when born) has human rights too. The right to family life, education and full rights as a British Citizen.
It seems that rather than lawful action and processes, too many people, including our Home Secretary, stuggle with these basic principles which underpin our common humanity and British law and wish to introduce trial by mob, based purely on animal hatred and impulses. In this lies potentially the collapse of democracy and anything pertaining to a decent society. Ironically this is what ISIS and fascists want too. Decent people should stand for something very different.
Paul Crofts
February 16th 2019
These views are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of NREC.
Northamptonshire Rights and Equality Council 