From Mr Ian Yearsley

Sir, — How good to see Huw Spanner referring to the Islamic Al Rayan Bank as a viable option for non-Muslims seeking ethical banking (Features, 16 October).

Ten years ago, when I was seeking just such an option, I opened an account with Al Rayan’s predecessor, the Islamic Bank of Britain. I did so not to match sharia imperative in the Qur’an, Surah 2.275, but the long-held and often forgotten Christian tradition in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy.

Whether, like Aristotle, you see interest on loans as merely nonsense, or, with Aquinas, you see it as a forbidden nonsense, the Islamic Bank offers a way to avoid it, through profit-sharing.

My experience throughout has been good, and I would be willing to share it with anyone interested.

IAN YEARSLEY
170 Huntingfield Road
London SW15 5ES