BY Amanda Connelly | February 23 | 
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Muslim minister’s Lent support for Catholic aid charity
Scottish Government minister Humza Yousaf has joined Christians as they enter the season of Lent to raise money for a leading Christian aid charity.
The Scottish Government’s minister for transport and the islands and MSP for Glasgow Pollok took to Twitter to announce he would give up a Irn Bru this year, donating the money he’d normally used to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in line with the traditional fasting and almsgiving done during Lent.
“Think I’ll join Christian friends doing Lent this year,” he said on February 13. “Any money saved from not consuming my vice will go @ACN_Scotland who support persecuted Christians across the world. So tweeps gimme a hand, what should I give up for the next 40 days? I mean how hard can it be—I do Ramadan?”
Mr Yousaf asked followers to take part in an online poll, voting whether he should give up chocolate, crisps, chips or Irn Bru for six weeks.
Scotland’s ‘other national drink’ came out on top, with 44 per cent of the almost 2,500 voters encouraging the MSP to ditch the sugary drink during Lent.
He also explained in a second Tweet why ACN was the charity he chose to support, saying: “Should explain the reason I’m supporting @ACN_Scotland is because the persecution of Christians worldwide in some Muslim majority countries is something that deeply saddens me, and most Muslims. Those who commit such heinous acts against humankind insult name of Islam.”
He jokingly added on Ash Wednesday that he apologised ‘in advance to Barrs for the dip in sales you are about to experience.’
Mr Yousaf has been a supporter of ACN in the past, having been one of the speakers the charity’s 2016 youth rally in Carfin Grotto.
He told those gathered that he accepted the charity’s invitation to speak at the rally because ‘for me, as a Muslim, I wouldn’t be able to be a Muslim actually if it wasn’t for the kindness of Christians.’
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