‘PEAS AND RICE’, in your SATURDAY SUN Question Time column of May 27, had the temerity to ask Suleiman Bulbulia, the usual spokesman for the Muslim community, five questions relating to Islam, recent atrocities and the responses to them of that community.
They were questions which many must have asked themselves. All were capable of yes or no answers, albeit with a possible element of confession and avoidance, and all would be generally understood. At their heart, the questions reduce to this:
“Did the proved jihadist, Salman Abedi, in the Manchester bombing – and, for good measure, let’s add the jihadists in the two London Bridge attacks – in what they murderously did, truthfully give expression to the dictates of Allah and his Prophet, and so accurately represent an aspect of Islam to the world, or not? If they did not, will you please say so and condemn them to the world?”
The question is simple enough. Sadly, in his response (Research Key To Truth About Islam – DAILY NATION, Monday, June 5), Mr Bulbulia fails to answer. Rather, he imperiously dodges and weaves, deflects, fudges and indulges in irrelevance.
If we wished to be unkind, and I’m sure we don’t, we’d say it was a primitive exercise in taqiyyah or kitman for simpletons.
The graffiti omens don’t seem propitious, do they? Accordingly, perhaps Mr Bulbulia will now treat us seriously and seriously address the concerns of “Peas and Rice”, which I’m sure are also ours, and so, from his perspective at least, give us something of the “truth about Islam”. He can rest assured it would be very welcome.
– (REV.) CLIFFORD HALL
