Sir, We write on behalf of the Muslim community of Leeds to express our deepest anger at the terrible atrocities committed in London.

The tragic events have touched the whole of the nation regardless of race or religion or culture. The suffering of the unfortunate innocent individuals who were caught up in these events is shared by all of us.

Our deepest condolences go to the loved ones of those who lost their lives and our heartfelt sympathies are with those who have suffered injuries.

These actions are despicable and cowardly in the way they targeted innocent individuals. We strongly and unequivocally condemn these barbaric actions which are an attempt to damage our democracy, freedom and community relations.

We and other leaders of the Leeds Muslim community hope that the instigators are quickly caught and brought to justice to show that there is no place for such callous acts and that good will always prevail over evil like terrorism.

The Muslim community of Leeds stands in solidarity with the Government and the whole nation in these tragic times and will confront terrorism such as that committed on July 7 in whatever way possible.

MOHAMMED IQBAL TAJ ALI
(Muslim Cultural Society)
SHAH KHAN
(Chairman, Leeds Islamic Centre)
FAZAL REHMAN
(Leeds Muslim Council)
NASEEB RAHMAN
(Grand Mosque)
MOHAMMED RAFIQUE
(Councillor)
IKHLAQ MIR
(Al-Hassan Centre)
MOHAMMED NESAKAR ALI
(Shah Jalal Mosque)
MOHAMMED SARWAR
(Kashmir Muslim Welfare Association)
MOHAMMED SHABIR
(Armley Muslim Welfare Association)
MOHAMMED NASEEM
(South Leeds Muslim Association)
HASSAN KAYANI
(Iqra Education Centre)
MOHAMMED ALI KESHMIRI
(Ahlul Bayt Culture Centre)
SYED ZEESHAN RIZI
(Idarah Ansaral Hussain)
Leeds, West Yorkshire

From Mr Simon Horsborough

Sir, In the last 50 years Britain has welcomed people of other races, cultures and religions to this country and invited them to make their home here.

We have reached the point where the majority of these former immigrants and their descendants are now our friends, wives, husbands, neighbours and workmates. In spite of small and often refreshing cultural differences, most are British through and through.

No, we shouldn’t shout at Muslims in the street or make them feel isolated. But neither should we be scared to point an angry and accusing finger at those Muslim community leaders who resist integration and who instead call for separate Islamic schools and encourage restricted contact with the rest of British society. To my mind the apathetic Muslim cleric who promotes peaceful separation to the many is far more dangerous than the apoplectic cleric who peddles hate and jihad to the few.

SIMON HORSBOROUGH
Camden, London

From Mr Philip Williams

Sir, Rather than educated, articulate Muslim leaders saying how shocked their community is, wouldn’t it be more effective for them to organise a huge open-air rally against terrorism under the banner “Not In Our Name”?

I hope also that at noon on Thursday many Muslims will conspicuously gather in our major cities for the two-minute silence.

PHILIP WILLIAMS
Walthamstow, London

From Sir Leslie Fielding

Sir, What price now, in a UK referendum, for Turkish accession to the EU in 2015? If we cannot persuade all of our own British-born Muslim minority to accept Western values, will Ankara do any better with its (by then) 80 million?

LESLIE FIELDING
(EU Director-General for External Relations, 1982-87)
fieldingleslie@aol.com

From Mr Philip Woolfson

Sir, Does the news that the London bombers are home-grown at last dispel the belief, so often seen in the media and even once expressed by the Prime Minister’s wife, that suicide bombing is the expression of a desperate people fighting for a political cause?

PHILIP WOOLFSON
pwoolfson@aol.com

From Mr Michael Place

Sir, I believe it is of great importance for the safety of all of us that the name of any suicide bomber is not divulged, that any suggested name is denied, and that all media are forbidden from reporting any names or publishing photographs in this context.

Only in this way can public glory be denied to the bombers, their religion and their associates.

MICHAEL PLACE
michael@acehealth.fsnet.co.uk

From Mr Michael Gordon

Sir, Last Thursday the UK public was directly exposed to the violent results of blind, fanatical, egotistical, hatred-filled and intolerant belief in one’s own religion.

How depressing to see the same moronic mindset unfold on the streets of Belfast between two Christian factions on July 12.

MICHAEL GORDON
Bewdley, Worcestershire

Explore Letters

• Feedback