News from The Hebrides
Will strains from Mendelson’s Fingal’s Caves yield to the muezzin’s calls to the faithful? Is the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides going to be blessed by the appearance of a mosque, or is it to be defaced?
According to a census in 2011, the island had a population of 20,452 Christians and 61 Muslims, but a small influx of Syrian refugees have swelled the latter number slightly.
A Muslim businessman from Leeds raised money to buy and renovate a derelict property with the aim of changing it into a mosque.
Not unexpectedly, this has not gone down well with some Hebrideans. The Presbyterian Free Church is invoking the help of God to ensure that this never happens. Prayers have been offered to that end.
“Islam will be able to promote itself in our midst through public worship, despite its beliefs and practices being alien to the religious convictions of the vast majority of our community”
He also adds: “The oppression of Christians and the reduced status of women under Islam are well-known, as is the willingness of some of its followers to spread its influence by violent means.”
The oppression of which the Elder speaks is very much in the past, and was no worse that the oppression of the Jews by Christians, but no one will deny the statement about the status of women in Islam. I would like to underline the “some”, in the phrase … the willingness of some of its followers to spread its influence…
My belief is that a small community deserves a place of worship if they feel they need one. With a potentially hostile environment, a place where they can meet and socialise cannot be a bad thing.
