When we first heard of Shamima it was the story of a 15 year old school girl going missing and then as the story unfolded it became the story of a very foolish girl and her two friends going to join ISIS to become a Jihadi bride.
During her time away she had three children all of whom have died, she married a Jihadi fighter and became involved in some pretty beastly goings on out in Syria, I seem to remember her talking of watching the beheadings and seeing the heads fall into a bucket.
Finally she turned up some years later and lacking her two friends who had been killed and asking to be able to return to the UK and my initial reaction was to say firmly, no for you have made your bed and now you have to lay in it.
However, some time has now passed and I am changing my mind, as I now believe she was groomed before she went and once there I imagine it was very hard to turn back.
What will happen if she is not allowed back, will she become radicalised again and the next time she turns up on British soil she is wearing a suicide vest, or if she is brought home to stand trial and is sent to prison will the same thing happen, viewed like that it’s a bit of a catch 22 situation.
So we either believe her and she is genuinely remorseful and take pity on a someone who as a young naïve school girl was groomed or an even more strange angle that she is extremely clever and is trying to pull the wool over our eyes and is just pretending to have regrets about her actions.
My initial reaction was to say, let her rot in hell but I have changed my mind and I think we should give her the benefit of the doubt, bring her home and after she is tried in a court of law and if found guilty be given a fairly long prison sentence, obviously making sure she is kept well away from any chance of being radicalised when in prison.
Assuming she was a naïve schoolgirl who was groomed what a sad story this is.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
About The Diary of a Country Bumpkin
I am a retired actor, although to be honest I only retired because I wasn't getting any work due to losing my agent when I became a full time carer to my mother who had dementia. and the option of becoming an unemployed actor/waiter at my age was ludicrous, especially as my waiting skills are non-existent.
Having said I’m retired, I don’t think there really is such a thing as a retired actor for I am still available for work, I just don’t have an agent or any connections with regards to obtaining any worthwhile work.
I have over the years done student films when there is nothing else available, always low paid (if at all) the only incentive was always the promised copy of the finished film for your show reel which nine times out of ten always failed to materialise.
I spent many years looking after my aged mother and shortly after her death I was lucky enough to run into an ex-girlfriend of many years ago and our romance blossomed once again, resulting in us getting married in 2013.
My move to the countryside inspired me to write The Diary of a Country Bumpkin which tells of my continuing dilemmas in dealing with the rigors of the countryside from the unexpectedly large number of pollens, fungal moulds and hay products waiting to attack the unsuspecting townie.
I enjoy writing, see my play Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori on The Wireless Theatre Company, The Plays Wot I Wrote and The Battle of Barking Creek both available on Amazon.co.uk and am very fond of classic cars so my ideal occupation would be acting in a film I had written set in the 1930s/40s, we live in hopes.
I am delighted to say that since venturing to the countryside where space is not quite the premium it is in town, I have due to the availability of two double garages acquired more classic cars to form a small collection the pride of which are a 1947 Bentley Mk VI and a 2000 Bentley Arnage.
My various blogs and websites are continually evolving and I’m sure that by following the appropriate links you will find something which will edify or amuse.
I have written a number of different books all available on Amazon, so don't be shy should you feel the urge to purchase. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mr-Joe-Wells/e/B06XKWFQHT/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
The Diary of a Country Bumpkin 
I, too, have changed my mind and think she should be brought back here. There are, apparently, 64,000 women and children being administered by the Kurds, in Syria. They are all stuck in limbo with their original countries all refusing to take them back. No doubt there will be radicals amongst them but the current situation should not be allowed to continue. I do not have an answer and, it seems, no one does!
What’s the expression about keeping your friends close but your enemies closer, bring them back for trial then we can keep an eye on them.
I tend to think of these young girls as victims, groomed, influenced and eventually hardened.
I don’t know what the answer is either, maybe she should be allowed to return home.
If they are tried here at least we can keep an eye on them and perhaps their experience may be enough to put others off from doing the same silly thing.