No soft option in the fight against terror, says ANN WIDDECOMBE
HORDES of barbarians. There is no other way to describe the terrible forces of Islamic State, who beheaded and crucified, raped and slaughtered thousands of innocent souls who happened to be in their path.
They tore down historic monuments, having as little respect for beauty or wonder as they did for man, woman and beast. The movement grew out of Al Qaeda which attacked the twin towers in America, killing nearly 3,000 people and injuring 6,000 others. Killers such as Jihadi John gloried in videos showing him cutting off the heads of aid workers with a knife. In more than 1,400 years since Islam began these terrorists have not progressed an inch in anything except technology.
Shamima Begum insists she’s not a ‘threat’ to the UK
They are as savage as their furthest ancestors, as lacking in humanity as wild beasts, unable to appreciate literature, music, art or love.
Many of them will have grown up knowing no other norm and that is quite bad enough but their numbers also include those educated and brought up in civilised parts of the world with a quite different philosophy.
For them there can be no excuse and that group includes Shamima Begum, who ran off to become a jihadi bride and now whinges that she wants to return to Britain despite showing no repentance for the murderous ways to which she allied herself.
She knew before she went what IS did: the beheadings, the atrocities, the merciless persecution of dissenters, the throwing of homosexuals from high buildings, the use of women and children as human shields.
Incredibly she says she was "OK with that" because it was consistent with the teachings of Islam.
Britain should not raise a finger to help her.
She managed to get out there on her own and it is only right she will not be allowed back in after being stripped of her British citizenship.
She is not fit to be loose in society, let alone bring up a child.
The way we treat her will send a signal to others, who went to give succour to Islamic State.
A tough message may persuade others they do not want to come back but a soft one would have been merely an invitation to further atrocities and radicalisation.