Better Off Out

I cannot be the only one who feels a little bit sick every time I read yet another one of these treacly articles in the media, asking us to feel sympathy and concern for those who leave this country to join the evil death cult of Islamic State.

On this occasion it's the husbands of three UK sisters feared to have travelled to Syria with their nine children to wage jihad. There have been other high-profile examples in the recent past as well.

There are two reasons for the sour taste in my mouth every time I read articles like this:

1) Those who travel to join Islamic State must know about all the beheading, live immolation, throwing gays from rooftops, sexual enslavement of unbelieving women, and general barbarity that this organisation has been responsible for. And yet, they still go to join it. That is simply monstrous, and I therefore do not want them to come back to this country. Ever. I hope they die without ever setting foot upon the shores of this nation again. That is what all who value life and freedom should want and hope for. If I was religious, I would pray that any children involved are returned safely and given to non-Muslim foster parents who can reverse the brainwashing before it becomes too ingrained. But for over-16's, there should be NO return, and NO exceptions. Ever.

2) The media never, EVER questions whether the family members who cry crocodile tears at these press conferences are actually being sincere in their "shock and despair", despite the long track record suggesting that Western jihadis are frequently radicalised by their own families. It has already been revealed this year that the father of one of the three schoolgirls who went to Syria to be "jihadi brides" had previously attended an Islamic supremacist hate rally led by Anjem Choudary and attended by Michael Adebowale, one of the killers of Lee Rigby. The video shows Abase Hussen marching at the front of the demonstrators, behind a banner reading: "The followers of Mohammed will conquer America". He was filmed chanting "Allahu Akbar" amid dozens of protesters and standing just yards away as the American flag is burned. The BBC article about the new case of the three sisters also mentions that their brother is understood to be waging jihad in Syria, as well. How is it that an entire family of siblings - who, given their marriages, presumably all live apart - could become "radicalised" and the rest of the family know nothing about it? Why is no one asking this question?