to think they should charge the Syria girls

[adsy]

If they are indeed with terrorists in Syria then when a small chink of sense comes back to them and they want to come home, I hope they will be charged.

At least one national newspaper is reporting Turkish intelligence sources as saying they reached the border on Friday and have already crossed into the IS controlled town of Tal Abya.

Though unless there is word from the girls, I've no idea what sort of proof of whereabouts is possible now.

I've got a DD just a little bit older than these girls.
She and her friends are gorgeous, intelligent, diligent straight A students who exhibit poise, confidence and emotional intelligence ....80% of the time. The other 20% of their lives is spent in a state that we affectionately (and far too indulgently) have labelled as 'having an attack of the dramaticals'.

Whatever

If they've gone out to join an aid convey then evidence of this will likely emerge, there's been so much publicity so I'd imagine that anyone on the border involved in legitimate humanitarian work will realise how old they are and inform the Turkish authorities, if there is evidence of that then I can't see them facing any charges. However they had been in contact with IS members and I think them going over to support that terrorist group is the most likely scenario behind their departure. I can understand the parents desperately hoping that isn't the case though.

Weebirdie, you are making serious allegations against the parents, without an ounce of proof.

This whole thread is assuming the girls are proven guilty without a trial. I wonder if people would have assumed the same if the girls were white, not Muslims and didn't wear hijab?

Sunabroad, I'll take your word for it regarding my serous allegations.

Oh and for what its worth - Im a white Muslim, with loads of Muslim children and grandchildren brought up outside of the Uk.

Now. Anything else?

Whoops posted before complete .. But I was going to say that they get worked up with a passion about something and for that 20% of the time they're consumed with irrational and ill conceived plans and ideas.

The most radical group that have had influence on them is the body fascism brigade. And sadly one of my DD friends won't be taking her exams with them this year as she is in the grips of anorexia. The rest of us parents are in the grips of a group 'There but for the grace of God go I'.

As the parent of teenage DD I do have some sympathy for these girls and can empathise with the stress their parents must be under.

I don't think the discourse around radicalisation is taking place in a rational space. We need less emotion and more clear thinking if we're to address what is a problem for us all, whatever our backgrounds.

I find it strange the way people aren't 'allowed' to feel sorry for people as there are others in bad / worse situations too. It's like sympathy or pity is a finite resource that must not be 'squandered' or used too liberally. Very odd.

Feeling sad for the parents doesn't mean taking away anything from others. It also doesn't mean agreeing with them or saying they're 'the goodies' of the piece.

If the girls were white they would be criticised appropriately. Remember the two girls who tried to smuggle drugs from Peru? They were vilified for their stupidity and criminality

Who here isn't allowed to feel sorry for people because there are others in bad or worse situations?

Yes. I would make the same assumptions about anyone travelling to meet terrorists, regardless of age, sex or any other personal quality. I do not believe that white people, middle class people, or any other kind of people somehow cannot be terrorists, nor do I believe anyone should be exempt from the law.

For any radicalised person who returns here could kill, or facilitate other killers. And that is why IS became a proscribed organisation, and why dealings with them at all is a crime.

I can still hope that the Turkish intelligence reports are wrong, and that these girls are retrieved before they cross over (much as I would hope any crime, committed by anyone can be averted).

FWIW: I do not think this whole thread is about assuming that guilt is proven without a trial. Both the title and the opening post refer to the girls being charged and that's pretty much what happens to all returnees from those areas. I do not think there should be special treatment exempting some from that.

(Nor am I planning to vote Green, because I think the regime of proscribing organisations works and is being used appropriately).

They are stupid, expensive idiots.

sun do you really think they are over there on holiday? If so, why didn't they tell anyone? Do you think they are in a legitimite aid organisation? If so, why didn't they tell anyone?
They were questioned by police last year after their close friend from the same school rabn off to become a jihad bride. Do you think there may be a link?
All these points have sod all to do with what they choose to put on their head.

"Assad is an evil bastard who used chemical weapons on his own people - can you not see why an intelligent passionate young girl might want to fight the regime"

" 'ISIS behead people so they are bad' ".

They're just bad, are they in relation to other people being evil?

What does it take to be called an evil bastard. ISIS are as much evil bastards as any regime on earth and much more so than many. Maybe these people who want to join them think they are the right kind of herrenvolk and won't be on the wrong side of the brutality, burning alive etc. They won't be the Yazidi slaves, they will be in charge of them. Don't know if they have much concern for the suffering of the victims of ISIS. In fact ISIS have murdered people who went to Syria for humanitarian purposes.

Assad isn't in Iraq.

Having said that, of course I don't know if these particular girls are going to join them.

But I don't think anyone can do a credible whitewash job on ISIS. They don't stand for anyone's rights. Just their own power.

Where is Assad?

It is my opinion that ISIS are murdering evil bastards. It is my opinion that Assad is a murdering evil bastard. (Although actually, I shouldn't really use evil at all - not an appropriate term - was trying to imagine how a 15 year old feels) I can still remember being a passionate teenager and while I do think they should be charged if they return I do not see why so many people cannot understand, just a little, why they went.

I agree with Loki. These young girls are British, they grew up in Britain. Therefore we have to take a good look at what it is in our sociopolitical environment that has contributed to their actions.

Syria.

Assad's seen from time to time in Damascus. But I don't think these girls can be travelling to get to the areas controlled by him, because they appear to be on the most direct route to IS-controlled territory (which straddles Syria and Iraq, but is less likely to be reachable from the Iraqi side).

half but even YOU don't know why they went!! Lol just cos you felt like that as a teen doesn't mean these 3 do!

I feel sorry for them as human beings. However if they have been lured over with promise of Paradise then they are stupid beyond belief.

I never understand the pack mentality - like the Chelsea hoologans on the metro - not one piped up "hang on guys, this us just wrong'?

I wonder if the weegie-jihadi-groupie lass is actually doing this of her own free will - is she that brainwashed, or being forced to lure girls over? Or are her tweets and posts by a third party - malicious troll or IS tech - to lure the stupid, idealist, desperate, suicidal over there.

"Help" people of Syria? Do people really believe that a group of schoolgirls nelievevthey can help in a war zone? Are they doctors, nurses, negotiators? My Syrian friends stuck in the UK wish people like them would just keep the hell away and stop meddling in a foreign country's misery.

I am also interested in why we don't have UK citizens tripping off to Nigeria to join boko haram. Are their aims not similar?

"I do think they should be charged if they return I do not see why so many people cannot understand, just a little, why they went."

Exactly. Because they're not mutually exclusive options, are they?

And seeking to understand how radicalisation occurs does not mean the law should not be followed when people appear to have committed an offence.

We need to understand why they went to prevent it happening again.

No, 26, of course I don't know exactly why they went! But I have enough empathy to guess, rather than revelling in their perceived stupidity and comparing their decisions to those of the the 7/7 bombers who were ADULTS.
Thank you Farahilda.

On a very practical level, surely the first question to be asked from the 'why didn't someone stop them?' list is why did the airline let unaccompanied minors board a plane? I would have thought that under 18s wouldn't be able to do this. Or did they have forged paperwork with them?