Sir, The results of your opinion poll (July 5) reveal that while a large Muslim majority is committed to Britain, a small but significant minority remains deeply worrying. We need to know its national origins, the causes and depth of its alienation, and how best to integrate it. The common tendency to blame its alienation on the war on Iraq, poverty, crisis of identity, imams, etc, does not stand up to scrutiny. This is why many of the recommendations of the government-appointed task force are unconvincing and likely to invite disappointments.

We should set up an independent commission to look at the problem. It should examine the academic research, commission new research where necessary, conduct in-depth interviews and come up with a set of well-thought-out recommendations that could form the basis of a public debate.

In the meantime, two things need to be borne in mind. Muslim leaders are divided in their sympathies and under contradictory pressures, and should not be bullied into delivering what is beyond them. Secondly, rather than get into an interminable debate about whether or not the Koran sanctions terrorism, we need to remind the alienated minority of the obligations of citizenship. Like them, many of us strongly disapprove of the war in Iraq and much of our foreign policy, but would never dream of resorting to the counter-productive politics of murder. This message needs to go out loudly and clearly not just from the Government but from the Muslim leadership.

PROFESSOR BHIKHU PAREKH
House of Lords

Sir, It is timely to be reminded by Kenan Malik (“Bad bargain in the mosque”, July 6) that the Government’s approaches to the “Muslim community” may unintentionally reinforce the idea that Muslims are a homogenous group which is separate from other British people — which thus deepens the sense of alienation and “otherness”.

Media outlets also bear a responsibility in this area, as by their reporting they help to create the discourse which we use to discuss public events. For example, in reporting this week of the research on Muslims’ views of various issues related to terrorism and identity, the statistics could have been broken down in ways which explained the heterogeneity of the Muslims interviewed. Instead, by reporting findings through headlines and articles such as “87 per cent of Muslims responded that . . .”, the idea has been unwittingly reinforced that all UK Muslims should continue to be seen by others as one homogenous block.

A good start in this respect would be to replace simplistic phrases such as “the Muslim community” with more precise and meaningful phrases appropriate to the issue being discussed. This is not always easy, but it is the reponsibility of opinion-forming institutions to take extra care in this regard.

PHIL VERNON
Tunbridge Wells

Sir, The more deep-seated an individual’s faith, the more difficult it becomes to modify its influence on young adult behaviour, be it destructive or not. By encouraging faith schools, the Government is worsening the situation, by denying many children an education that is balanced between comparative religion, including agnosticism at school and, if parents choose, a religious life at home. The French have long ago recognised the truth of this.

TOM JACOBS
Twickenham

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