Unsent Letter

Wallahi, Merv Bendle of Inverloch, Victoria, gets himself into a right royal mess with his letter of 11/5/13:

"Abdullah Saeed makes two contradictory assertions in his article ('Being Muslim does not equate with being violent', 10/5). First, that Islam is not an inherently violent religion... Apart from being contradictory, these assertions are not supported by the evidence..." (The Australian)

What then does he propose we do to combat this inherently violent religion?

"What is required is a courageous stance by leading Muslim scholars and intellectuals, firmly denouncing Muslim fundamentalism and the violence it promotes."

Now hang on, Merv... if Islam is inherently violent, why expect Muslim scholars and intellectuals to denounce Muslim fundamentalist violence? I mean, these guys have Islam coming out of their ears, right? So wouldn't its inherently violent nature also drive them to promote violence?

Not that Merv has anything much to worry about in his little seaside nook down in Inverloch. I seriously doubt any of the scimitar-waving hordes have ever penetrated that far south. Still, you never know. It doesn't hurt to take precautions. What about a little speedboat at the ready for a quick Andrew Bolt across Bass Strait to Tasmania just in case?