I'm sorry to see that Scottish Media Monitor is closing for good, it will be sadly missed. Thanks for many a good read.

Sorry to hear that you're putting the SMM to bed. I've usually had to read it in installments because if I digest too much in one go, I fear I'll be setting up in a sniper's nest with a telescopic site and a large box of ammo. I'll wish you bon voyage with a quote from my fellow Scottish crime writer Denise Mina. We were on a panel together discussing the contrast between the ideals we like to imagine a future Scotland as having, and the medeival atavism that keeps rearing its head. Denise said that while we liked to think of ourselves as groovy pseudo-Scandinavian liberals, the Section 28 fiasco taught us that in fact we are "angry villagers". Here's hoping we can boot a few idiots out of the village.

I think the article about gay couples trying to adopt is disgusting.I have no objection to gay's themselves,but i do object to them wanting to adopt as the poor child would be so confused and would end up with problem,s.If couples want children they should be married,man to woman which is the normal way since time began.We have enough people with aids as it is and should be promoting healthy living maybe then we can save the planet after all.

Garry - Good luck for the future.

Well done Garry. 10 fabulous years. Well done - Peter

Thank's for all the columns. SMM will be missed.

hi there, can you find out for me if prince william ever visited Kenmore in scotland the hotel kenmore hotel perthshire scotland. but please dont let them know i asked.

Hello I need help. First let me say I am not gay nor an I part of any gay organisation but I am a Geordie and Geordies and Jocks have always had a mutual affection together with o good working relationship. The purpose of my writing is to see if you can help me get the home and email addresses of Brian Souter and the other members of the Stagecoach Group. Brian Souters is the one I'm most after. The story behind this request is that I am part of a very small residential group in Newcastle who have within the last 14 days had a bus service imposed on us at the rate of 1088 buses per week. Although the service has operated very successfully for over 50 years it has been re-routed past our houses for the sole purpose of providing a pick up and drop off point for Stagecoach drivers. The new route is longer than the old and so uses more fuel and takes more time to operate and there is not a public demand on the re-routed section. The purpose of my writing to Brian Souter is to try and get the service returned to it's original route but I want send my letter to his home, his work and his email addresses in the hope that he may get to read one of them personally. Myself and the other residents have already tried to resolve this issue with the Managing Director of Stagecoach North East but to date he has not replied to any of our letters. If you can help I'm quite prepared to let you have more in formation on the problem together with copies of my correspondence. It will damage Stagecoach Groups claims to care for the Community and the Environment.

just heard you're moving on Gary, thanks for bringing to attention what was wrong in our country with regards to sexuality and helping bring about all the positive changes we've seen over the past 10 years. Enjoy your new life knowing you've made a big difference!

If Islam is the one true religion and all good Muslims will be rewarded in Paradise, then where does that leave the followers of other religions? Will they go to Hell because they are practicing the “wrong” religion? What would happen to a really great man who was born in a very Catholic country

the Qur’an gives a clear answer in the following verses that mean :

1- {Surely Allah does not do injustice to the weight of an atom, and if it is a good deed He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.}* (An-Nisaa’ 4:40) 2- *{These are the communications of Allah which We recite to you with truth, and Allah does not desire any injustice to the creatures.}* (Aal `Imran 3:108) 3- *{Then how will it be when We shall gather them together on a day about which there is no doubt, and every soul shall be fully paid what it has earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly?}*( Aal `Imran 3: 25) 4- *{Surely We have revealed to you the Book with the truth for the sake of men; so whoever follows the right way, it is for his own soul and whoever errs, he errs only to its detriment; and you are not a custodian over them.}* (Az-Zumar 39:41) 5- *{Whoever goes aright, for his own soul does he go aright; and whoever goes astray, to its detriment only does he go astray: nor can the bearer of a burden bear the burden of another, nor do We chastise until We raise a messenger.}* (Al-Israa’ 17:15 )

From the foregoing, we can understand the following about Divine Judgment: God does not do the least bit of injustice to anyone. He is All-Merciful and so He doubles the reward of those who do good, out of the bounty of His mercy.

The duty of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)—or of those who follow in his footsteps—is to invite people to the true guidance of God revealed to the Prophet. Anyone who follows that guidance benefits himself or herself; and anyone who rejects that guidance harms himself or herself. No one can take away the reward of another; nor can a person bear the punishment due to another. And there is no question of God punishing anybody without first sending a warner to them: That is to say, it is only after people have been informed of the true guidance and they have knowingly rejected it, that they are held accountable and judged to be deserving of punishment.

Unlike Christianity, Islam emphasizes personal responsibility and accountability. In other words, the core of Islamic ethics is justice and freedom of choice. That is why the doctrine of vicarious atonement is abhorrent to Islam; and for the same reason sinners cannot be “saved” by punishing the innocent.

From the Islamic point of view, the judgment of an action is dependent, first and foremost, upon the motive derived from the faith of the person. Only God can be the True Judge of our actions, as other humans cannot know the real motive and the impelling faith or philosophy behind it. Suppose a Catholic heard the message of Islam, but did not care to examine it even when he was aware of the chance of it being the truth: he is certainly guilty of rejecting the Truth. The same is true of an atheist or anybody else. For that reason, such people are held accountable for their actions based on the questionable beliefs they hold.

But imagine someone in a remote area (or anywhere) who knows nothing of Islam: He cannot be held accountable for not following Islam. God will judge him by the standard of his conscience or of whatever morality he has imbibed from his native religion or culture. Because there cannot be injustice in the ultimate judgment of God. And for us humans, it is basically a question of our sincerity in seeking the truth and following it.