September 7, 2011
Is he offensive or merely thought-provoking?
We’ve been getting several comments at The Daily News website lately from one Muhammad Abdul Qaadir, who wears his Islamic faith on his sleeve.
For example, in a article about a drug offence, he advocates tougher sentences and a renewed war on drugs. In an article about drunk driving, he quotes the Koran to encourage people not to drink. He has said that Islam will one day be accepted by all.
He’s also managed to get a few people’s backs up. They find his comments offensive and feel The Daily News should edit or delete them. They say he shouldn’t be allowed to preach and they say his words are insensitive in light of the upcoming 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
I have to reply, though, that if anything I find the comments directed at Mr. Qaadir to be more offensive. His religion has been called evil. His prophet has been called deranged. His response to these attacks has been remarkably restrained — simply throwing in a few quotes from the Koran.
Also, if Islam were taken out of the equation, I’m certain he would have a lot of supporters. There must be many people in Kamloops who agree with tough-on-crime statements. After all, the Conservative party advocates much the same thing and easily won this riding in the last federal election.
I prefer to think of Mr. Qaadir’s comments as thought-provoking rather than offensive. He might be going a little overboard with the frequency of his comments, but I can think of a few others who do the same. And, of course, those who disagree are free to put in their two cents.