BILAL Atkinson (HAS, Jun 17) says the holy Qu'ran does not call Muslims to holy war. I borrowed this book, an English translation, and was shocked to read verses 66 and 67 in Al-Anfa which quite plainly urges Muslims to holy war and adds that "a few can overcome many", words not conducive to this being a struggle with oneself.

I also acquired the Holy Qu'ran, English translation, printed in Lahore, Pakistan. This one had footnotes explaining the meaning of the text. The footnote under these two verses said: "This is to punish the unbelievers and establish the true religion of Islam."

In addition, bin Laden was not "struggling with oneself" when he declared holy war on America and subsequently saw to it that two aircraft loaded with passengers and thousands of gallons of aviation fuel crashed into the Twin Towers, an act of war since no warning was given to clear the buildings.

Anyone can read these verses by borrowing this book from public libraries and come to their own conclusions. - T Morrison, Middlesbrough.

BILAL Atkinson (HAS, Jun 17) and others insist that Islam is a peaceful religion and Muslims are peaceful people.

Is this the same religion that burst out of the desert to enslave the North African coast, that crossed the Mediterranean to conquer Spain and invade France?

They were finally stopped at Tours and it took the Spaniards 400 years to evict them.

Twice they besieged Vienna and, wherever they go, they take over the shrines and other faiths and attempt to force their religion on other people.

Recently, they have committed atrocities and terrorist acts in Bosnia, Serbia, Israel, Afghanistan and Kashmir.

Finally, who can forget the Twin Towers? - Raymond M Kelly, Chester-le-Street.

GERALD Leadbetter (HAS, Jun 10) accuses me of blaming the West for Islamic fundamentalism.

What I have tried to say is that Islamic extremism is symptomatic of a deep-seated hostility between the West and the Arab world which has many complex causes.

The anger of Islamic militants is also directed against other Muslims and against their own governments, which they perceive as corrupt.

For years, I have written to The Northern Echo calling for understanding, tolerance and peace between different nations, cultures and religions. For this, I am regularly vilified and misrepresented by other correspondents.

He claims to have read the Qur'an, but clearly interprets it in a way most Muslims do not.

To this person and others who are unable to distinguish between Islam and the political violence of a few religious fanatics, I would like to recommend a little book called Introducing Islam by Ziauddin Sardar. - Peter Winstanley, Durham.

MODERN BRITAIN

FACT: You are more likely to be killed by serious crime than you are to win the National Lottery. FACT: You are more likely to be violently mugged than you are to win one of the larger prizes.

My heart bleeds for this country. - Aled Jones, Bridlington.

EUROPEAN UNION

THE UK Independence Party argues (HAS, June 15) that megalomaniac Tony Blair wishes to become a future president of the European Union. They can also argue for alien abductions and the earth being flat. All very entertaining.

Reality is so much more boring. Power is spread, in Europe, between the Council of Ministers, Parliament and Commission. Recently, the Commission has been losing power to the elected Parliament. The main power, though, is held by the Council of Ministers representing national governments. Tony Blair attends as our Prime Minister. The chair of this rotates every six months. The nation states that make up the European Union have no plans to replace themselves with an elected president or otherwise abolish their various forms of representative democracy. It is a shame that the UK Independence Party prefers to tilt at windmills rather than engage in a serious debate about our engagement with realities of the world's biggest trading bloc.

Labour under Tony Blair has won two General Elections. Despite what the UK Independence Party wish to believe, he shows every sign of wanting to stick with the job the British people have elected him to - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. - Stuart Hill, Darlington.

SEX SHOP

MY wife and I attended the Licensing Committee Council meeting at Darlington Town Hall this week. Even though the committee was aware that there had been over 100 written objections to the application, we were dismayed and disappointed to be told that the request for yet another sex shop in the town had been approved.

The committee's decision means that Darlington now enjoys (if that is the right word) the sobriquet of Sex Shop Capital of the North-East, having almost more licensed sex shops than Newcastle, Middlesborough, Sunderland and Durham combined.

What a horrible advertisement for poor Darlington, and what an eye opener for someone like ourselves, who were naive enough to think that a committee of supposedly family-orientated people would boot the application out .

The committee chairman went to great lengths to inform objectors that, in law, they could do nothing but grant the request, and objections on the grounds of morality could not be considered, but I say that if the council isn't the public's moral as well as legal guardians in applications of this sort, what can the public do other than object in the way they did?

It seems to me that the committee was more concerned about the rights of the applicant than the wishes of its constituents, who I hope will remember this dismal failure come election time. - John Robinson, Darlington.