Although not sharing Rory Stewart’s Conservative politics, I have always had a lot of respect for him. So I am appalled by his advocacy of killing British Islamic State fighters in Syria “in almost every case” (Report, 23 October), “as the only way of dealing with them”. What happened to the rule of law, to the right to a fair trial, to the absence of the death penalty in the UK and in most democratic countries? Indeed, to the human values that we are supposed to be defending? Hateful though their mindset, and horrific their crimes, may be, these are still human beings, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights still applies to them. Arbitrarily killing them can only leave a further legacy of hatred in those left behind, and enhance their status as “martyrs”.
The most urgent need is to stop the killing on all sides. Then the long-term work to remove the root causes of conflict, to change hearts and minds away from violence and killing, and to rebuild Syrian society can start.
Frank Jackson
Former co-chair, World Disarmament Campaign
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