Irascible Insights

Jihadi Brides 

The Case of Shamima Begum

There has been considerable coverage in all the main stream media in recent days concerning the stated wish of Shamima Begum to be allowed to return to the U.K. from her camp in Syria.

This ex Bethnal Green Academy schoolgirl fled to Syria at age fifteen with two fellow pupils to join ISIL and become part of the Caliphate committed to waging total war to spread its version of Islam throughout the world.

There has been much media comment about whether or not she should be allowed to return home and what kind of risk she might pose if allowed to do so. 

However, the aspect of all this media interest and moral soul searching over the rights and wrongs of her particular case which most concerns me has been largely absent from the discussion. There has been an almost total lack of journalistic comprehension or comment regarding the true motivation for her original decision to flee home, family and country to seek a new life as a Jihadi bride.

The unwillingness of all the main stream media to address the true causes of Islamic fundamentalism represents on their part a lamentable failure of courage, integrity and intelligence. It is crystal clear to anyone with a functioning mind and a reading age above seven that the major causes of Islamic fundamentalism are the fundamentals of Islam. 

The almost total refusal by both journalists and politicians to acknowledge and confront this issue has led them to concentrate upon everything, but the one thing which truly matters.

By refusing to seriously discuss and challenge the clear commands and exhortations of Islamic scripture and teaching, they consistently miss the opportunity to engage with the true causes of radicalisation, thus allowing by default, young minds to be corrupted and influenced by religious texts of such medieval barbarism that any individual infected with their message will have no chance of a fruitful, or worthwhile life.

Given the potentially deadly consequences of confronting the religiously motivated teachings and actions of Muslim fundamentalism it is hardly surprising that many in public life tread very cautiously when discussing these issues and steer well clear of saying anything publicly which may be interpreted as racist, or Islamophobic.

However, we will not as a society, even begin to seriously confront the problem of the true causes of Islamic inspired thoughts and actions, unless and until we abandon our moral and cultural relativism. We must somehow summon up the courage, honesty and integrity to start questioning the truth and validity of Islamic doctrines and squarely face up to our responsibility to assert and defend the superiority of western civilised values.