Scruton traduced

SIR – There was nothing incorrect in what Sir Roger Scruton said in his interview with the New Statesman, and certainly nothing which ought to be deemed unsayable (Leading Article, April 12).

It is astonishing that he is accused of anti-semitism, since in the original statement he was in fact sharing his concerns about anti-semitic currents in Hungary. It is worth noting that Rabbi Lord Sacks, a cultural champion against anti-semitism, was once Sir Roger’s student.

Perhaps even more bizarre is the accusation of “Islamophobia”, since Sir Roger is one of the few philosophers well versed enough in Islam to engage in fruitful dialogue with Islamic scholars, as he did last year at Zaytuna College with Imam Hamza Yusuf. Sir Roger is currently supervising the doctoral research of a Muslim scholar and former senior adviser to Tony Blair on Islamic issues.

The Conservative Party’s failure to defend Sir Roger tooth and nail only illustrates its moral bankruptcy. I stand with Sir Roger, who has supervised me for all my postgraduate studies, and who is among the best teachers I have ever had. I feel shame over my own Tory membership. Sebastian Morello

Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

SIR – The call to unknight one of our country’s greatest thinkers because the empirical evidence constrained him to speak the truth should warn us of the grave danger that freedom and civilisation face when free rein is allowed to such totalitarian tactics. Rev R C Paget

Brenchley, Kent