Show clememcy to Jihadi bride

SO, Shamima Begum is to have her citizenship revoked (“Jihadi bride told her UK citizenship is to be revoked”, The Herald February 20). In Monday’s Herald Theresa May and her husband Philip were pictured attending church (“May ‘might not reopen EU deal’”, The Herald, February 18). Perhaps Mrs May might care to reflect on this Sunday’s lectionary reading from Luke 6 and commend it to her

Home Secretary: “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.”

In Matthew’s account of this teaching it is preceded by “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But now I tell you .... ” During the civil rights campaign in America, Martin Luther King refused to respond to hatred with hatred, saying “When you live by the rule ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’, you end up with a nation of blind and toothless people”. Yes, an idealistic, misguided, young, Muslim teenage girl was persuaded to join the Islamic State. If she committed a crime in doing so, she is now prepared to face the consequences, and if she constitutes a threat, we have the resources to monitor her. Ultimately, doing good to those who hate us is the only way to undermine their hatred and prevent it from growing and spreading. For the love of Christ, let us welcome Shamima and her new baby.

Rev David A Collins,

Ballinard Gardens, Dundee.

„ Reader Raymond Mcmillan writes: In the recent deep freeze Loch an Eilein froze solid but the thaw was also spectacular. I like the graphic shapes and textures when this classic view is converted to black and white. We welcome submissions for Picture of the Day. Email picoftheday@theherald.co.uk