World better off with no religion

Regarding the article about Ramadan and the reaction to it on last week’s letters page, I have no doubt whatsoever that the vast majority of Muslims are kind peace-loving people. But I have no doubt either that the world would be a much more peaceful place without Islam or, indeed, any other religion.

Consider all the slaughter that took place during the partition of India in the late forties. Were it not for religion, India would still be one big country following independence as it was before instead of being split into a land for Hindus and one for Muslims. And there is still friction between the two stirred up by fanatics of both persuasions.

Consider as well the Middle East where Sunnis and Shias are at each