When the IRA bombed London were Italian Catholics lectured on the "evil men" of their community?We share a religion, but we come from different communities, one of the largest being from China and one of the newest being the Nation of Islam in the USA.Poverty and hopelessness is a bigger recruiter of people willing to commit acts of desperation and violence than any religion. There can be no justification for such terrible acts, especially not in Islam These criminals don't even deserve to be called humans. The masterminds behind this act of terrorism should be brought to justice.Moreover I am grateful to the UK government, which instead of alienating the peace-loving, hard-working majority of Muslims has expressed its intention of projecting the true peaceful voice of Muslims.The Muslims living in the UK and elsewhere have a huge responsibility to confront and condemn any voice advocating terrorism, violence and hatred. Any cleric preaching hatred or any disillusioned teenager contemplating violence to make a political statement must not be tolerated. We must support efforts for bridge-building and community work. This is the least we can do in memory of the Londoners who were at the wrong place at the wrong time on that fateful day.HARIS AZIZEXETER COLLEGE, OXFORD UNIVERSITYSir: What is this Muslim community that Blair and the media talk of? We are as diverse a religion as the Roman Catholic Church.
We were poor, deprived and frustrated, but none of us took a violent path against our fellow citizens. The murderer of Theo van Gogh in the Netherlands confessed that it was "conviction" that drove him to kill. Now that it has become clear that extremist Islamist ideology is the motivation of the London bombers, maybe the British people will become more sympathetic in their view towards terrorism against Israeli civilians.PROFESSOR JACK COHENTHE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM Muslims' duty to confront hatred Sir: As a Pakistani Muslim studying in the UK I want to express my heartfelt anguish at the London bombings. Could the British people survive such an onslaught?We Israelis wonder why there has been such little sympathy for our suffering in the UK. Of course, if you blame the bombings on the poverty and "desperation" of the Palestinians, you can justify anything. Given that the London bombers were British-educated, relatively successful, middle-class people, neither of the former excuses work.I was brought up in a slum in the Jewish East End of London. But no cause can justify the malicious, random killing of civilians.
Over the past five years, Israel has lost around 1,200 to terrorism; this is equivalent to 24 repetitions of the four bombings that took place in London last week. But with Israel's population of only six, compared to the UK's 60, million, to have the same impact this would have to be multiplied by 10, giving 240 days of such bombings. Either that's what it is, or it's a prototype, steam-powered jet pack. I too have taken to going about the place with tea-making equipment to hand: a camping gas stove, a small kettle, bag, cups and milk. Friends I'm out walking with scoff when I begin to brew up, but once they're sipping, they're infused with gratitude.
