Jihadism

This policy will have helped the spread of their religion centuries ago but surely is not relevant today.

This can only be done by moderate clerics in their heirachy.

Common sense and experience tells us that no family, community, business or country can function effectively where hate, not love and harmony exist.

Common sense would also tell us that a wise creator God would not instruct his creation to tear each other to pieces.

To quote the popular idiom: “Love rules without a sword, Love binds without a word”

William Mawston, Rushyford

AS I am the veterans officer of the British Veterans’ Group (BVG) I attended the anti-Islamist demonstration last Saturday in Newcastle city centre (Echo, May 27).

The march was in support of Drummer Lee Rigby and all our Armed Forces personnel, many of whom would have liked to have been there, but were not allowed.

One of the BVG’s policies is opposing the Islamification of Britain.

There were mothers of servicemen there who had decided to protest because of what the Islamists did in Woolwich.

One had even lost a son in Afghanistan a few years back and felt she had to be there for him.

No one can condone the throwing of bottles at others.

However, the actions of trade unions turning out to protest against veterans and military familes cannot be condoned either.

Pete Molloy, Spennymoor

WHEN Peter Mullen writes about holy war (Echo, May 28) his words are miles away from a proportionate response to violent extremism and the preaching of hatred.

When he does not elicit the support of Muslims in confronting misguided worshippers in mosques his words suggesta degree opf Islamophobia to me.

I looked in vain for the rationality in his attitude.

When he uses terms such as sentimentality, political correctness and appeasement I recognise them as terms that have been used to criticise people like me.

I am not hurt by them but recognise them as deriving from an outlook far from me on the political spectrum.

We should condemn acts of criminality and give our moral support to the relatives and friends of the off-duty soldier on the streets of London but we should always keep open the channels of dialogue with all communities in this country and work for good community relations.

I occasionally meet Muslims and feel sometimes that they need to be less puritanical in their approach.

They need sometimes to live outside what seem to be ghettos.

There is need for more dialogue but to me holy war, crusade and jihad are concepts which are outdated.

There is a debate about the effectiveness of our intelligence services, getting the balance right between civil liberties and security.

It should be conducted calmly and without calculated insults against someone taking a contrary view.

G Bulmer, Billingham