It is perhaps worth pointing out that this was written long before the 'War on Terror', and yet the awful warning of the demonisation of the muslim community has much more relevance today, and not just for muslims in foreign parts, but those living under a blanket of suspicion at home in the UK.

As Northern Ireland slowly comes back down to everyday life, so it fades from the news and other issues of public concern rise to the surface. Muslims seem to be fairly newsworthy at the moment, often apparently living up to their demonic stereotypes. A British family has been kidnapped in Yemen, and three families have been slaughtered by suspected “muslim militants” in Prankote, Northern India. Though in the latter case it seems that the trek to find the stereotype was all of eight hours on foot, to reach the village that is the scene of a crime that would not be news in any global political context were it not for it’s religious dimension. Strange times.

News closer to Tony Blair’s mind, I am sure, is the Palestinian killing of Israeli settlers south of Hebron. For the Middle East is not Northern Ireland, and Mr. Blair is not yet familiar with the subtleties of this more distant cultural conflict sorely in need of resolution, and he will need to exercise fine judgement. Clearly, conflicts can be resolved, but only when both sides agree that the solution can be seen to offer justice. “Whenever you judge between people you should judge with justice”, says the Qur’an

Mr. Blair may well remember that he was once portrayed with demonic eyes, and as he tries to pick his way through the relevant claims to justice in the Middle East let us hope that he is sensitive to old preconceptions and the historical ironies of the situation. Let us hope that when he stood at Yad Vashem he saw the warnings in that memorial - not to atrocities committed by muslims, but the results of a European demonising of a community by the label of their religion.

Indeed there are some injustices that can only be repayed by the Justice of the Afterlife.

Qur’an says: “We indeed created man in the fairest stature, then We abased him to be the lowest of the low – except those who believe and do righteous deeds, they shall have a reward unfailing. So after this, who can cry you lies as to the coming Judgement? Is not God the Justest of Judges?