Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

7/7 and after

After 9/11, the U.S. set out to wage a war against the Al-Qaeda but failed to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Instead, it waged an unjust war against Iraq and captured Saddam Hussein. With Osama and his men still active in plotting terror attacks, most of the Western army is in Iraq trying to "rebuild it."

Why is the West on a wild goose chase when the target is right in front of it? The hard fact is out there — the London bombers visited Pakistan recently. Had they visited one of the countries from the `axis of evil' instead, would this be the approach of the U.S. and the West?

S. Sudhir Kumar,
Athens, Ohio

It is just a matter of time before the West sees the truth in the Indian charge that Pakistan is a hotbed of militancy. With the perpetrators of 7/7 appearing to have close ties with Pakistan, hopefully the U.S. and the U.K. will bring Islamabad under the scanner soon.

Senthil Kumar,
Ottawa, Ontario

The article "Lessons for Muslims from London bombings" (July 19) was timely. We hope more and more Muslims understand the peace-loving aspect of Islam and raise their voice against its extremist interpretation.

P. Srinivasan,
Chennai

The Muslim community needs to disown the fringe groups indulging in terrorism in the name of jihad, lest the whole community is misunderstood. It is ironical that a miniscule minority is holding the majority to ransom with its despicable acts.

H.P. Murali,
Bangalore

The need of the hour is for Muslims to be assertive in condemnation when violence is perpetrated in the name of the Koran. The unequivocal criticism should not be meant for just convincing non-Muslims but for dissociating themselves from the so-called followers who indulge in mindless violence.

S. Raja Mohamed Kamil,
Vaniyambadi, T.N.

Victims of jihadi terrorism include Muslims themselves. The frequent killings of Shiite Muslims in Pakistan, bombings in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, and the killings in Darfur should make Muslims all over the world stand up and say `enough of it.'

S. Krishnamurthy,
Philadelphia

The article has provided a remarkable insight into the feelings many Muslims have harboured within but failed to admit. It is time now to move beyond attempts to digress from the more potent issues by delving into perceived grievances that made very ordinary men become terrorists. The Muslim community should stop looking for reasons and extraneous factors and instead must grapple with itself.

Sarah Anjum Mirza,
Hyderabad

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