Getting the facts straight about muslims
The authors of these have offered their own views on the topic of Muslims in an ongoing discussion about the identity and rôle of Muslims in various countries around the world.
Provincial attitudes
SIR – Your report on Islam in America and Europe did not accurately describe the situation in Amsterdam after the murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a Muslim extremist in 2004 ("Look out, Europe, they say", June 24th). Your report states that there was tit-for-tat violence, but the reality is that it was fairly quiet in the city at the time. Most of the violence occurred in provincial and rural areas. In Uden (in the province of Brabant) vandals set fire to an Islamic school, and in Venray (Limburg) there were violent clashes between Christian and Muslim youngsters. In Amsterdam there was not one recorded incident. So although the Dutch climate of tolerance has changed for the worse in the Netherlands, the people of Amsterdam showed that they at least can make the distinction between fanatic fundamentalists and their Muslim neighbours. Name and address withheld
SIR – The term "Eurabia" meshes the words "Europe" and "Arabia" to characterise Islam in Europe, yet this perpetuates a stereotype that every Arab person is Muslim ("Tales from Eurabia", June 24th). Arabs can also be Christians or even Jews. Moreover, the vast majority of Muslims are not in fact Arabs and live in non-Arab countries, such as Indonesia and Pakistan. Megan Owen, Cardiff
SIR – In New York a significant number (maybe even the majority) of taxi drivers are first-generation immigrants who are Muslims, Hindus or Africans of various religions. Regardless of their background or religion, when I ask these drivers about their families and experiences in America (which I have done on a regular basis for several years) the answer without exception is always the same: they are delighted to be in America and both they and their children have no time for the sectarian squabbling which permeates Europe and their homelands. America will never have the sectarian problems of Europe since the Muslims who arrive on our shores are too busy making a better life for themselves and their families. David Wood, New York