Sir, Following the latest Islamic outrage in Paris it must be becoming apparent to leaders of western society that Islam is not trying to integrate with other religions followed in the western world.
We have bent over backwards to include it in to our society allowing halal meat production and sale and allowing Sharia law to be practised in Britain, totally against the British constitution.
However, this does not appear to be enough.
Islam is supposed to be a religion of peace yet 90% of the conflicts going on in the world involve Muslims and in many instances Muslims fighting Muslims.
Christianity and other religions are not tolerated, eg the displacement of thousands of Christians in Egypt, Syria and Iraq, so why should we tolerate their behaviour? This situ-ation has been going onfor far too long now and should be robustly dealt with in the interests of world peace.
T Gardner. 3 Nicoll Building, Main Street, Bankfoot.
British process was a disgrace
Sir, At long last Abu Hamza has been dealt with effectively and will be in prison in America for the rest of his natural life. Britain’s handling of the situation was a total farce and a real slap in the face to the families of victims of terrorist attacks. Lessons need to be learned.
The UK government had all the evidence available to the courts in America that sentenced him on Friday and yet he was able to avoid extradition by lawyers bleating to the European Courts of Human Rights about his human rights and making millions of pounds for themselves in the process for eight years before he was finally extradited. The whole process was a disgrace.
With extremist terrorism on the increase it is time for Britain to get extremely tough on would-be terrorists living in this country. One thing for sure is Abu Hamza’s complaints about his human rights will fall on deaf ears in America. It is a pity that the government and lawyers here danced to his tune.
Mr Gordon Kennedy. 117 Simpson Square, Perth.
Pretended to resign?
Sir, Observing Alex Salmond’s odd outpourings recently, it’s becoming increasingly obvious to me that he only pretended to resign after the referendum.
The hapless First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was probably mistaken in using the past tense when she said of him after his resignation: “Quite simply, I would not have been able to do what I have in politics without his constant advice, guidance and support through all these years.”
Well, it looks like she’s going to have it constantly for years to come, like it or not, and as Alex makes up Scottish Government policy on the hoof in “friendly” interviews, I think we’ll be hearing spokesmen for Ms Sturgeon reluctantly saying more often, as they have done recently, “obviously, the First Minister supports what the former First Minister says”, when in fact she’s probably gritting her teeth.
Clearly Mr Salmond has gambled in his quest for election to Westminster that home rule is probably more palatable to the people of Gordon than independence which they decisively rejected along with the bizarre Salmond post separation economics and currency policy, aptly described by Jim Sillars as “stupidity on stilts”.
The politically stage-struck Mr Salmond, firmly in the footlights and playing to the gallery, with the rest of the Scottish Government in the chorus line following his script, will continue to dominate the “entertaining” rather than the serious side of political life, alongside political troopers like Russell Brand, George Galloway and Tommy Sheridan.
Iain G Richmond. Guildy House, Monikie.
It was no last- minute rescue
Sir, Did a rogue opinion poll and a late, but crucial, intervention by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown determine the outcome of last September’s referendum? That’s what Alex Salmond seems to want us to believe (Courier, January 9). Yet a close look at what was happening on the political front throughout 2014 tells us otherwise.
For a year leading up to the poll anti-independence feeling was still strong in the opinion surveys. Indeed, in actual elections at local and Scottish parliament level, votes for pro union parties were still well ahead of those supporting independence.
The latter were having a lot of problems getting their case across on a number of fronts. They included that vexed question of the currency, but also citizenship, defence, pensions, taxation and welfare.
Perhaps public sentiment did shift gradually towards the Yes case throughout the months leading up to last autumn’s historic decision. In the end, though, the Yes side was unable to convince enough relatively well-to-do pensioners, indeed many of those middle incomes, that it would be in their interests to back autonomy.
That was because of things that happened over a long period of time. It was not because of things that happened in the 10 days or so before the vital vote.
Bob Taylor. 24 Shiel Court, Glenrothes.
Seagate needs to be upgraded
Sir , Much has been done in recent years to upgrade Dundee’s city centre. Indeed it is no exaggeration to say that the City Council, acting in concert with Scottish Enterprise, has transformed a large part of the centre. But there is one ancient street that has been a glaring exception to this.
The Seagate is a major thoroughfare in the city connecting the Gallacher Retail Park, the Olympia swimming pool, the main eastern car park and the harbour with the city centre. For those arriving by bus or parking in Gellatly Street car park or the new car park on Trades Lane it is the first and the last thing they see in Dundee. There can be no doubt that the impression that it gives to citizens, and visitors alike, is an important matter.
At the moment the Seagate has inadequate, badly drained, and poorly maintained pavements. It also suffers from badly sited bus shelters and road signs some of which are unnecessary and a number of buildings in poor condition. It is also considered to be one of the highly polluted streets in the city.
Given its importance it has been surprisingly neglected while other streets and spaces such as the Murraygate and the City Square have had more than one upgrade to paving and street furniture.
It is not as though the city council does not have the ability to deliver substantial and highly successful environmental improvement schemes its efforts in the City Square, Albert Square, Lochee High Street and the Murraygate are evidence that it can.
Dundee Civic Trust believes it is now time for the city council to prepare and implement a comprehensive scheme for the environmental upgrade of the Seagate.
Dr Nutan Subedi. Chairman, Dundee Civic Trust.
Why are bags a problem?
Sir, After walking my dog on the beach these cold winter mornings I went to Broughty Ferry Library for more dog bags as advertised, only to be told, once again, that they had none. This must have happened to me more than a dozen times in the past year despite the council’s boast and promise to provide them to the community free of charge!
The scenario reminds me of the “all-inclusive holiday free drink offer” when you have to stand in a long queue for a beverage, of limited choice, served by a single barman in the tiniest glass ever, only to be informed the bar is closed when it’s your turn.
Come on, DCC, get your act together and make more bags available. We are trying to do our bit for the city by picking up every time, but it’s a lot easier with bags.
Denis GW Thornton. 20 Colliston Drive, Broughty Ferry, Dundee.