You're a stereotype, I'm not - or is it the other way round?

Yesterday, I saw the first headline report of the brutal murder of Mr. Asad Shah, a Muslim shopkeeper in Glasgow.  He was stabbed and then the killer stamped on his head.  Ah well, I thought, the perp was probably just another 'Glasgie' thug, the tartan equivalent of the thugs that inhabit every city, or small town, in 'this our septic Isle'.  But not so!  It transpires that the perp was actually another Muslim.  The motive is not yet clear but it may be that he was maddened by Mr. Shah's determined efforts to spread a message of love and conciliation between Muslims and Christians.  The latest of his efforts was an Easter message to his Christian neighbours published on Facebook:

According to The Telegraph report, Mr. Shah's good nature was not limited to Facebook declarations, he practiced what he preached:

Resident Isabella Graham, 64, said Mr Shah had previously employed her daughter at the shop. She said: "He was an amazing, wonderful man, he couldn't do enough for you. He wouldn't hurt anybody. Nobody in Shawlands would have a bad word to say about him. I can't believe he's gone."

Brothers Qaiser and Omar Khan told BBC Scotland 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."

Another local resident, 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."

So, in a world where stereotypes dominate, not least because it saves us all from the effort of tedious thinking, what are we to make of this tragedy?  Not much, I suppose, except to try and avoid jumping to conclusions as I did on first reading the news, and also to try to remember 'our Will's' wise words in one of his greatest tragedies:

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

In the meantime, let's just spare a few seconds to raise a thought, or a glass, to the memory of Mr. Asad Shah, a good man who smashed stereotypes.

Comments

[Loz]

Hear, hear.

SoD

[Antisthenes]

There could be a darker side to this if the perpetrator did it because of the victims tolerance to a religion other than Islam. If the victims was the exception and the perp very much the rule which I believe is the case. Then we have every right to be wary of the Muslim community amongst us. If most of them mean us no direct harm they will certainly give succour and support to those who do. A point I have consistently been making. On the face of it this proves I am right to do so.

[Dom]

According to the guardian, someone was arrested. All they give is the man's age, 32. I'm in the habit of reading between the lines, so I'm guessing he's Muslim. If he weren't they would have said so.

[David Duff]

Now look here, SoD, I can't have you coming on here agreeing with me, it's very unsettling!

My advice, Antis, is to follow my lead and be more or less wary of everybody particularly if they are younger than you and there are more of them than you! It's people, innit?!

[David Duff]

Dom, yes it was a Muslim but the motive isn't absolutely clear yet. By the way, stop reading 'The Graun', it's bad for you and I might have to ban you! Just stick to The Telegraph where the best people go!

[Antisthenes]

I am wary of everyone DD I trust no one and dislike nearly everyone. I tried trust and being nice but it always came back and bit me in the bum. No my advice is follow my lead and become a misanthrope like me. Telegraph poles are much better companions (they listen to every word I say and never answer back or contradict me) despite the splinters.

[Backofanenvelope]

The victim was an Amadi muslim. Like apostates they should be killed.

[David Duff]

I assume - hope? - BOE that your last sentence is informative rather than prescriptive!

[jimmy glesga]

David this mans shop is not far from my house and I pass it regularly on my way to my friends. I walked past the shop today and there where many people laying flowers.
In Glasgow the Central Mosque is embroiled in controversy and the police have been called on a couple of occasions. Apparanty there is a battle going on with the old guard Pakistani brigade and the reformers. There have been allegations of threatening and intimidation. Several years ago a young lad called Kriss Donald was abducted in Glasgow he was tortured set on fire and murdered. The young Asian perpetrators fled to Pakistan but MP Moh Sarwar had them returned for trial and they are banged up. This poor young lad had the audacity to befriend an AsIan girl. So no surprise for me.

[Malcolm Pollack]

I'm sure that BOE meant that informatively.

While Islam's goal is always the same -- a global Ummah that subsumes all of humanity -- the Ahmadi sect believes that this can be accomplished entirely through love, persuasion and example. To a fire-breathing militant Islamist type, I imagine an Ahmadi must seem like a bell-bottomed, kumbayah-singing, Utopian hippie peacenik with acute toxoplasmosis.

[David Duff]

Thanks, Jimmy, for the report from the front line, so to speak!

Also thanks to you, Malcolm, although I had to look up "toxoplasmosis". One explanation read as follows: "Uncontrollable, explosive bouts of anger such as road rage might be the result of an earlier brain infection from the toxoplasmosis parasite, an organism found in cat faeces, a new study finds".

So that would explain, given that I have owned cats for 40 years, my habit of hurling foul-mouthed abuse at little old ladies who take too long tottering across pedestrian crossings. (Mind you, always from the safety of the interior of my car, you can't be too careful with some of these old ladies!)