Tebbit is right to say what many think

Well done Lord Tebbit (Yorkshire Post, September 23). He is putting his cards on the table and saying what, I suppose, millions of us would like to say but dare not in case we are branded as racist.

What exactly is a racist? Am I a racist because I object to some Muslim women being clad from head to toe with most of their faces covered.

Am I a racist if I happen to go to Bradford and then complain that many of our immigrants still insist on wearing what they would wear at home instead of trying to integrate a little more as Lord Tebbit suggests?

A lot of our immigrant population couldn’t get out of their homelands fast enough to make a new home in Great Britain where they have been welcomed with open arms.

They should consider themselves very lucky to get away from the hotbed of the Middle East where opposing religious factions are continuing to cause mayhem.

The murders in Nairobi are due to Islamic fundamentalism, as are the weekly bombings in Iraq, and now 70 Christian worshippers have been slaughtered in Pakistan.

I wonder which of their gods condone such behaviour. I am sure the Koran doesn’t approve of such things.

I consider this fundamentalism to be the biggest threat to Western civilisation.

There is even a move afoot to try and introduce Sharia law into this country, a law which believes in beheading, stoning to death, and amputating of limbs for stealing, and victims of rape being imprisoned instead of the perpetrators.

Why don’t we hear some of the senior Imams condemning these atrocities, and why don’t they get their congregations to integrate a bit more into the British way of life? Then we would all be happy.

From: Ian Smith, Colston Close, Bradford.

I thought it was a very interesting and balanced article by Aisha Iqbal about the wearing of a niqab (Yorkshire Post, September 24).

Among other observations, her references to Yorkshirewoman Miriam wearing one for a personal “sense of freedom”, and to Shamila Kauser for feeling “protected” demonstrate, however, a tendency towards selfishness by niqab wearers.

We should have no objection with people wearing what they want, within the codes of decency, but also within the norms of respect for others.

Miriam says she would not wear a niqab if she were teaching children; and medics recently said they don’t wear one in hospital or in surgery.

So it’s OK to respect schoolchildren and patients, but not, literally, the man in the street – why?

Why does the niqab wearer disrespect me as an ordinary bloke, but respect me as a patient?

Why do I pose a potential threat in public, but not in a hospital?

Why remove the niqab when teaching children, but wear one in the street whilst accompanied by their own children?

What message in today’s liberal society does it send to youngsters when mum seeks to be hidden from that society? Will the son be afraid to grow up as a man who is not trusted by women of his own faith?

I am sure that for most niqab wearers, the veil is not forced upon them.

I doubt if it’s about modesty, and I’m sure it has neither a religious nor a political context, but it is more of a personal, power statement, often showing a selfishness that derides respect for others.

Left cold by wind power

From: David F Chambers, Sladeburn Drive, Northallerton.

THE strange and ineffectual methods we use to meet our electricity requirements are illogical unless coupled with the notion that without them we are hastening the death of the planet.

Unfortunately, large developing nations do not share our fears to the same extent, and are more than cancelling out our efforts.

Your Winds of Change editorial (Yorkshire Post, September 20) speaks of the need to convince opponents that green energy can produce enough power at affordable prices to meet our needs. But how can we be persuaded?

Perhaps a base period, say January 2013, should be taken and honest figures given of the daily peak demands and the sources from which the demand was met, giving percentages and unit costs for each.

But somehow I feel that would be counter-productive and people will conclude that progress lies in a backward direction.

Maggie may
be muffled

From: John McGhee, Queens Drive, Ilkley.

I know it is early days, but am I the only person who is not overwhelmed with the Leeds Arena?

I went to see Rod Stewart the other night, and while he really was excellent, I thought the sound in the arena, (we were in the top level) was really poor.

Indeed, for the support act you just couldn’t make out what the singer was singing at all. Even the sound from Rod was poor in the upbeat numbers.

In addition, it is incredibly dark. Whilst the support act was on, people were still taking their seats and without using the light from their mobile phones, finding a seat was near impossible.

There were folks stumbling everywhere and it felt dangerous.

Finally, is it really necessary that when you buy a bottle of expensive water, you can’t keep the cap?

Sounds pretty daft to me. Probably health and safety.

All in all, a great concert, but work to be done yet at the arena.