Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Suspect

I'd completely forgotten that Professor Ramadan (author of the first book on my list for fasting month) found himself denied entry to the United States for a good (or bad) six years, on the grounds that he had made donations to charities with links to Hamas. (This from a nation some of whose citizens went a long way to funding the IRA in the 1970's!) The fact that he made the donations in the period before the US government itself was aware of the links between the charities and Hamas and was wholly unaware of such links was, somehow or other, not seen to be a reasonable point.

Fortunately the government of this little island clearly thinks it's a good idea to accept visitors who consistently support tolerance and understanding between religious faiths, which is why he was in these parts doing just that only recently.

But now I've recalled his checkered history let me reassure all from the land of the free that I'll take great care when reading the professor not to be unduly influenced by any radically extreme ideas about being a good Muslim that I come across. Just as I'm extra cautious when listening to Yusuf Islam (another doubtful donor) in case he slips something insidious in those suspiciously innocent lyrics about Peace Trains and the like.

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