Who will Condemn the Murder of Vittorio Arrigoni?

Horrific news from Gaza that Vittorio Arrigoni has been brutally murdered by his captors, a radical Islamist group with a bone to pick with Hamas.  This cowardly act was perpetrated under the banner of and in the name of Islam.

Take a look at his Facebook profile picture.  It’s not just about him, is it?  His last post on Facebook was on Wednesday and it was about 4 Palestinians killed in a Gaza tunnel.

His murderers are supposed salafis, people who espouse taking Muslim societies to what they were during the days of Muhammad, going back in time almost 15 centuries.

I wonder how many condemnations of his murder there were today at the Friday prayer sermons all over the Islamic world.

Not many, I hazard to guess.  And in that lies a portion of this part of the world’s problems.

I don’t know what happens after death but Vittorio deserves peace.  He sailed across the sea to show solidarity and lend a hand.  The gratitude I am certain he was met with by the long-suffering civilian population of Gaza will now forever be shamefully overshadowed by this despicable murder committed by homicidal fanatics.

by Omar al-Issawi

Omar al-Issawi is a journalist based in the Gulf.

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