I seldom read other local media reports, normally because I don’t have the time, but I was quite frankly wondering what to write about today so I went on a search.

I have, of course, known there is some anti-Islamic rhetoric going on here over the appointment of Cayman’s new Muslim governor, Anwar Bokth Choudhury, who will take over from Helen Kilpatrick in March 2018.

I am not surprised there would be some protests being made about the appointment and expected there would be a petition and letters being written to the FCO about it. I have been proved right.

With every day it seems some madmen claiming to be Islamists try to and succeed in blowing up buildings and killing and maiming people, it is no wonder non Islamists view this religion with suspicion and even hate.

However, does this label all Islamists in the world as madmen and terrorists?

Are all white people slavers?

Are all black people savages?

Are all Christians practising the teachings of Jesus Christ?

Are all Jews to be blamed for killing Jesus (actually it was the Romans).

I could go on and on with this labeling but you get my drift?

What has shocked me, however, is the claim in the article on CNS under the heading “Imam knocked back on interfaith efforts” that Christian leaders here turned their back on a visiting imam from the Ahmadiyya Community in Canada, who came here on a mission of goodwill.

The article says imam Aizaz Khan who belongs to a sect of Islam dedicated to peace and interfaith cooperation, “offered to explain Islam over a coffee to anyone in Cayman interested in understanding why the vast majority of the world’s Muslims are not terrorists.”

“But Aizaz Khan received a less than warm welcome by local Christians during his short visit. Khan arrived on vacation a few weeks ago and offered to answer any questions anyone had about Islam. Hoping to meet with local Christian leaders to begin building bridges, he instead was met with insults and derision.”

He said that “his offer to discuss the issue of religion, and Islam in particular, was largely rejected by the local Christian community”.

I don’t believe it. He certainly wasn’t talking to Christians I associate with and join. I incidentally worship at both the Anglican and the United Church communities.

Khan said he was called “scum” by some Christians!

“CNS contacted a number of local Christian leaders but none of them would speak on the record about the idea of interfaith communication, with some being hostile about the notion and others dismissing it as something that Cayman did not need.”

CNS has never been afraid at naming anyone they contact yet here we have no idea who they contacted. Therefore I can dismiss that statement out of hand.

What Khan should have done was written to the local churches before he visited. Then I am positive he would have got a different response.

Unfortunately he is now labeling the majority of Christians, I didn’t even know he was here, as being un-Christian to the extreme.

NO PRACTISING CHRISTIAN WOULD EVER CALL HIM SCUM!!! They could never be called Christian if they did.

If you want to read the whole article as you should go to: https://caymannewsservice.com/2017/08/imam-knocked-back-on-inter-faith-efforts/

At least he found “younger people and some less conservative Christians, as well as those from the Filipino Christian community, were in some cases happy to engage.”

If he had found me he would have had a very old conservative Christian to chat with him over a cup of coffee. And some of my old Conservative friends, too.