LETTERS

Not in my name

as a Muslim, I am ashamed and outraged by the continual terrorist attacks on our fellow human beings. I am sick of Islamic extremists.

I call for mass marches in London and worldwide, long overdue, by thousands of Muslims — just like the ‘ not in our name’ protests against the Iraq/afghan wars by English and Christians.

We Muslims must do the same and condemn, in the strongest terms, such disgusting acts, which are being carried out in the name of Islam by Islamists.

I am sick of our imams as a whole who do not denounce and condemn these atrocious murders unequivocally and as being against the salaam peace we are supposed to live by.

Dissociate Islam from such beliefs. Many of our young are being radicalised by warped infiltrators and even by some ‘imams’.

Those who foolishly attack the Government’s Prevent strategy have blood on their hands. We must stop our young being radicalised, or we will have more of these atrocities.

Why don’t our Muslim leaders, including the Mayor of London, condemn Islamism, as opposed to merely saying ‘we will prevail’ and blaming a few lone extremists? We were defiant after the Westminster attack and where has this got us?

Vigils alone, sadly, get us nowhere. They must condemn this evil ideology which, sadly, is not due to ‘lone, unbalanced’ people, but is a result of perpetration, belief and influence.

We will never deal with such murders if we continue only to apologise and not tackle and, importantly, name the root cause.

Unfortunately, such attacks are on the rise because they are not being condemned, identified and dealt with from their source.

Please bring this to the widest possible attention.

Mariam YUSUF, address supplied. Monday night’s atrocity in Manchester marked a divergence in terrorist targeting, at least in Britain, from indiscriminate to discriminate.

We have, of course, seen discriminating attacks in Paris against Charlie Hebdo and the Bataclan heavy metal concert — now here, the target was apparently young girls.

It’s quite likely the bomber was hitting out at what they perceived as immodestly dressed girls singing and dancing along to american girlpower songs when, in their view, they should be hidden away at home in hijabs.

It is a sad fact that this appalling act is not, as is often said, the product of a warped ideology, but rather an assertion of a different set of mysogynistic, repressive values.

In an increasingly liberalised and secular Europe, sections of Islam are offering a hardline, sharia alternative. If these terrorist acts aren’t to become the norm, the West must take a more proactive stance to nip this cruel ideology in the bud. PAUL FISH, West Ealing, London.

Bravo, Martin

I Have long admired Martin samuel for his views on sport in general and football in particular.

as a proud Mancunian and Manchester United supporter, l read his piece (Mail) with thoughtfulness and admiration. The sadness of what occurred at the Manchester arena was superbly described.

Martin so often understands the attitude of ordinary people, but articulates it in such a way that is almost uncanny.

ALAN FARR, address supplied.

IRA’s human targets

Jack Straw, interviewed on radio 5 Live about the Manchester attack, drew some kind of comparison between this terrorist target and targets selected by the Ira.

He implied that the Ira did not deliberately target to maim and kill.

Has he forgotten Warrington, Enniskillen and the Guildford and Birmingham pubs, to name a few?

Alan Wright, Sunderland.

Known threat

After every terrorist attack, I hear: ‘The terrorist was known to the intelligence agencies.’ If these people are known suspects, why on earth are they allowed to roam around freely to plot and murder us?

T. Williams, Solihull, West Mids.

Love conquers hate

I Was born in the late fifties and brought up with no emotional love from either of my parents, no hugs and no kisses. I’ve never had longterm relationships, and so I should hardly know what love is.

But in the aftermath of the bombing of the Manchester arena, I saw the love extended to all those people involved in that terrible night.

The stories of brave people risking their lives for others, the kindness shown by taxi drivers and hoteliers.

But above all, pictures of those mums, dads, uncles, aunties and families who had been reunited with their loved ones, knowing they were safe. Those pictures poured out a billion words of total, unconditional love. I never cry, but I did this week.

But there was a reason the strength of these people from all walks of life, different creeds and colours was united ultimately by love.

Love can never be destroyed, no matter what these terrorists try to do to us. I know it sounds a cliché, but it is true: love will conquer all.

name supplied, Hull.

We must strike first

thinking back to May 6, 1988, when sas troopers shot dead three Ira members in Gibraltar

who were planning an attack on a military band, why don’t we use such pre- emptive tactics on Islamist nutters? It would save innocent lives.

The SaS soldiers were cleared of murder in Gibraltar — and not pursued through the courts as now appears to be the norm. name supplied, darlington, co durham.

Line of fire

LeT us hope the armed troops in London and other cities have not got ammunition.

They should leave the shooting to the police, who can get away with it — or they may end up in the same position as Marine a or the elderly men being hounded for their alleged actions in Ulster.

J. Luxon, Weston-super-Mare, somerset.

State traitors

anyone from the UK who goes abroad to fight for ISIS or any other enemies of this country should be charged with treason and dealt with accordingly if they have the nerve to return here. David A. Barnes,

goffs oak, Herts.

Look after our own

a Mail comment piece this week notes the Local Government association has stated that, by 2020, there will be a £5.8 billion funding gap for social care.

Did anyone else read that figure, then consider the overseas aid budget — £13 billion plus? Those billions are given away to foreign governments to spend on questionable schemes, yet people who have paid taxes all their lives have to fund their own care in old age. Isn’t it time we looked after our own?

P. ingHAM, yorkshire.

Solar eyesore

When an elderly relative was having a house built, the local authority argued for months over the shape and colour of its roof, claiming that it had to be compatible with the rest of the neighbourhood! now, thanks to the green lobby, the authorities turn a blind eye as thousands of beautifully designed dwellings are defaced with solar panels.

Didn’t anyone consider putting them in an attractive framework and balancing other sections of the roofs with dummy panels?

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder — well, it isn’t in the eye of hapless local authorities or their sandalclad eco-lobbyists! Brian Christley,

Abergele, conwy.