I was watching the televised inquest into the circumstances of the death of the late activist Ahmed Timol. Among the people testifying was former minister Essop Pahad, who was a friend of the deceased and refused outright to accept the security branch’s testimony that Timol committed suicide, because he was a devout Muslim and as such, he was not allowed to commit suicide in terms of the Islamic tenets. I wonder: all these suicide bombers that we read about daily, blowing themselves up and creating mayhem around the world — are they not devout Muslims? Don’t they commit suicide by blowing themselves up? And are their last words not Allahu Akbar (God is great)? His reasoning would have been laughable if the events that led to his friend’s death were not so tragic. JM BouvierBryanston
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.