September 10: Why not seek sanctuary in Gulf states?

ALTHOUGH I sympathise with a lot of the Syrian refugees, many of whom are middle class and well educated, I can’t understand why there is no urge to go to some of their oil-rich neighbours in the Gulf and elsewhere. It seems as if they can’t get away quick enough from the threat of ISIS and the strictness of the Muslim regime under which they live.

Secondly, well done David Cameron. It is time we had a leader who had won’t stand any nonsense when it comes to the security of our country.The jihadists taken out by a drone in Syria obviously had something to answer for. British Muslims who travel to Syria to join ISIS only go for one reason and that is to see the demise of Christianity and the world becoming totally Islamic.

David Cameron, be strong and don’t listen to the pacifists amongst us. I am sure the whole country is with you.

From: GJC Reid, Mayfield Road, Whitby.

WHY are the refugees, presumably mostly Muslim, not heading for Islamic states, and the Gulf States in particular? Is this mass exodus part of the great plan to make the West more Islamist?

From: Brian H Sheridan, Redmires Road, Sheffield.

IN berating Angela Merkel, Dai Woosnam (The Yorkshire Post, August 7) ascribes her hospitality towards refugees to being ashamed of her parents generation and wanting her country to be seen as the antithesis of the Third Reich.

I would have thought the former understandable and the latter highly desirable. Moreover I suspect that your correspondent would be among the first to complain if Germany took a similar stance to fascist Hungary. Since the instability in the Middle East is largely the handiwork of the USA, it would be nice if they showed some remorse instead of just leaving Europe to pick up the pieces.

From: G Simpson , Upper Denby, Huddersfield.

WE have the refugee crisis pushed at us every day. On a recent visit to RAF Scampton, we were told that most of the accommodation for airmen was lying empty. Why cannot this be used? I am pretty sure that this is the case on many MoD bases.

From: Trev Bromby, Sculcoates Lane, Hull.

I SINCERELY believe that George W Bush and Tony Blair are the patron saints of this tragedy.

From: Martin Bell, Saltburn.

WHY are we taking in a lot of refugees when we can’t home our own veteran soldiers? And people here are going to food banks.

Failure of democracy

From: Richard Carter, Yorkshire First, Holmfirth.

I WRITE with bewilderment and no little contempt at the lack of democracy in the decision taken by West Yorkshire councils “to go it alone” as far as devolution to Yorkshire is concerned.

We, at Yorkshire First, have long argued the best way forward would be to have devolution on a Yorkshire-wide scale. Yorkshire is its cities, towns and countryside together. It is more than the sum of its parts and has a worldwide reputation too. This has all been ignored in the cosy backroom deal between local council leaders and George Osborne. However what is most difficult to understand is the way people’s views have been totally ignored.

Just three years ago, the idea of mayors was overwhelmingly rejected by the people of Wakefield, Leeds, Sheffield and Bradford but, lo and behold, the results of those referendums are to be totally ignored. Are we likely to get a new referendum? No. In short the people have been completely bypassed.

Yorkshire First is fighting hard against this undemocratic settlement. We are calling on people from across Yorkshire to sign our petition demanding that council leaders give the public a say over their plans to chop up Yorkshire.

From: Arthur Quarmby, Underhill, Holme.

THOSE city bureaucrats who have taken charge of Yorkshire devolution negotiations have concentrated on the urban areas, and turned up their noses at most of the North and East Ridings as being more liability than asset. But these are the very areas where the immense wealth from fracking will be produced, wealth that will exceed that from the cities if the US experience is anything to go by. Yet more evidence that a unified Yorkshire will have far more influence than a fragmented county.

No right to end a life

From: Paul Muller FRCS, Sandal, Wakefield.

I RECENTLY received a letter from a MP stating: “I have come to the view that each person must be able to have the power to exercise their own decision as to how they wish to terminate their life.”

Life is a unique gift, at every stage from conception until natural death, and it is God’s alone to give and take. Since capital punishment was abolished in this country the State cannot – and should not – have a limited role in the decision over an individual human being’s death. Every human being has a right to die; but no human being has the right to commit suicide.

I was a General Surgeon in Sheffield and Barnsley from 1956. I had many patients with terminal illnesses. I would relieve their anguish and pain, but I would never kill them.