What Religion is That?

Christianity of Course

A murderer has been arrested in Glasgow.  Police Scotland has labelled the murder a "religiously prejudiced" attack.  We have never heard that term used before, so please excuse our ignorance.  What religion, may we ask?  

The poor victim was Islamic.  Does the term "religious prejudice" indicate that the victim was a prejudiced man, and someone took umbrage and killed him.  Was the perpetrator, then, a Hindu, or a Christian or a Buddhist?

A 32-year-old man has been arrested after a Glasgow shopkeeper was killed in what Police Scotland are treating as a "religiously prejudiced" attack.  Asad Shah, 40, was found seriously injured in Minard Road, Shawlands, at about 21:05 GMT on Thursday. He died in hospital.

The incident happened hours after he apparently posted social media messages wishing his customers a happy Easter.  Police said both Mr Shah and the arrested man were Muslims.  [BBC News. Emphasis, ours.]

A few comments appear to be in order.  The perpetrator was a Muslim.  The victim was a Muslim.  So, it would appear to be a spat between a Sunni and a Shi'ite?  No, nothing like that, it would appear.  Not sectarian violence between rival denominations within the tent of Islam.

It seems that the "religiously prejudiced" attack took place after the murdered man, Asad Shah expressed good wishes to Christians at Easter.

A post on Thursday from an account that appears to be Mr Shah's said: "Good Friday and very happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nation x!"

Residents told BBC Scotland they were shocked and saddened by Mr Shah's death and described the shopkeeper as a "gentleman".  Brothers Qaiser and Omar Khan said they knew Mr Shah well and had repaired his cars in the past. They described him as "a humble, sweet person".  Omar Khan added: "I've known him since I was a wee boy so this is shocking news.  "He was a very straight-forward, humble person who was very good with his customers. He cared about his family a lot."

Robert Maitland, said: "He was very friendly. Every morning we shook hands and said 'have a nice day'. He was just a pleasant, lovely lad."  Isabella Graham, 64, said Mr Shah employed her daughter at the shop when she was younger.  "He was an amazing, wonderful man, he couldn't do enough for you," she said.  "He wouldn't hurt anybody. Nobody in Shawlands would have a bad word to say about him. I can't believe he's gone." 

Secondly, we are duty-bound to genuflect before the feet of our inestimable betters, our political leaders, our governors who consistently upbraid us and hector us about our religious prejudice against Islam.   The West's Theologian-in-Chief, Pressie Obama has repeatedly lectured us to the effect that of the two Muslims involved in this horrific murder, only one would be a genuine Muslim--Mr Shah, the victim.  The murderer was definitely not Muslim.  No Muslim would do that.   Mr Pressie wants us to understand the Scottish police have it all wrong.  The murder was not "religiously prejudiced": the murderer was not religious.  Mr Obama knows such things.  He is the Leader of the Free World (whatever that might mean) and his pay grade is way above ours.

Now, we are neither alarmed nor discombobulated by the murder of Mr Shah.  We know that the UK government, for its part, will have the thing in hand.  It has set up government commissions to root out religious prejudice from the land.  It will redouble its assiduous efforts to monitor the population.  It will close religiously prejudiced Christian schools.  It will survey the curricula of Christian Sunday Schools.  It will require the official state register of Christian teachers be updated and made current by the day.  Moreover, we are relieved to see that the government has acted quickly to extend the register of proscribed hate speech.  From this day forth, no-one shall convey greetings or best wishes or blessings upon Christians or Christian activities.  Clearly, such sentiments as those posted by Mr Shah are provocative and they anger (at least some) Muslims.  Such sentiments must be condemned as hate speech in our Orwellian world.

In this way, all "religiously prejudiced" attacks will be driven from the land.  As for what happened to Mr Shah, it's unfortunate, sad, lamentable even--but, rest assured, our increased vigilance  over Christians and Christian sentiments will remove all such evils from our country.  We will rip them out, root and branch.  No more religiously prejudiced attacks shall we see.