EDINBURGH – Scottish Government minister Humza Yousaf has joined Christians in observing the season of Lent to raise funds for a Christian aid charity.

“Think I’ll join Christian friends doing Lent this year,” Yousaf said, Scottish Catholic Observer reported.

The Scottish Government’s minister for transport and the islands and MSP for Glasgow Pollok made the announcement on Twitter saying he wanted to support Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in line with the traditional fasting and almsgiving done during Lent.

He asked his followers to offer him help on how to perform the Christian ritual.

“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?” he wrote.

Yousaf also asked followers to take part in an online poll, voting whether he should give up chocolate, crisps, chips or Irn Bru (a sugary Scottish national drink) for six weeks.

He also explained in a second Tweet why ACN was the charity he chose to support.

“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 said.

This is not the first time for the Scottish Muslim minister to support ACN.

In 2016, he was one of the speakers at the charity’s 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.”