WELL said, I Poole (Daily Post, Letters, January 27). Referring to the war in Gaza – or any conflict for that matter – as a religious war is just nonsense.
It’s little wonder so many people are put off religion these days when we keep using terms such as “Islamic terrorism”, as it gives some non-religious people the impression that following a religion is all about convincing people that your religion is best and disregarding anyone who thinks otherwise. This isn’t what it’s about at all – no religion worthy of being called such would state anything of the sort.
Although we may talk about wars or acts of terrorism being committed in the name of Islam, self-respecting Muslims have no time for these people either, and will point out that the Koran never states they should kill people simply because they don’t follow Islam.
The whole purpose of having a religion is to have a set of morals and standards by which to live. It doesn’t mean we have to go standing on the corner of Castle Street yelling at the top of our voices about who’s “saved” and who isn’t and how everyone’s a sinner.
It isn’t up to these people to decide who’s saved – it’s up to God Himself. Standing in the middle of the street shouting your views at the top of your voice – whether they be religious, political or whatever – is just counter-productive.
When Jesus wanted us to spread the message, this isn’t what He meant. He said: “Love one another as I have loved you”. This essentially means we should set an example by living life according to the standards that He taught us.
Philip Ion, Greasby
It’s not that simple
MEMBERS of our group, Merseyside Jews for Peace and Justice, care deeply about children everywhere, and would certainly support appropriate measures which reasonable adults, such as teachers, and parents, take to protect them (Daily Post, January 16, Page 12).
Although adults like myself may be identified as “Palestinian sympathisers”, I cannot be identified as unsympathetic to ordinary Israeli people – life is not that simple.
Our group reaches out to the thousands of Israeli people, Jewish, and others, who act together, with perseverance, humility, energy, and vision, in anger, and in sorrow, in more than 160 peace groups across Israel extending practical, humanitarian, and legal aid.
I can assure the children, parents, and teachers at King David school, and other “Jews across Merseyside”, that members of our group would never attack them.
Rica V Bird, Merseyside Jews for Peace and Justice
Lost jobs
JUST as they were in the early 1980s, mass redundancies are being declared throughout the country due to the recession.
However, I must warn those unfortunately suffering in the present crisis that the present media interest and “sympathy” will be short-lived. All we heard about at the latter end of the 1980s when industrial areas were decimated was the “boom” confined largely to the South-east. The 3m unemployed were largely forgotten.
I also remember last summer, when many in the media decided to have a witch-hunt against the 2.6m claimants of incapacity benefit, with the inference that there were plenty of jobs around and that claimants were malingering.
Despite all the spin and baloney about the Capital of Culture, Liverpool has not recovered from the 1980s recession, which started long before Militant took over the city council. I will repeat in closing what trade union leaders of the 1980s said of redundancies – these jobs are not only lost to us, but to future generations, to which I add it’s not the fault of those future generations if they cannot find work.
R Mason, Prescot
Short memories
ALMOST every day, we read articles in which the bigwigs of Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture year congratulate themselves on its success. How short are their memories?
Most of us remember the beginning of the year, which was marked by wrangles and embarrassment. If you asked outsiders, most of them would attribute the success to the ordinary people of Liverpool, who were the hosts, and the great history of the city, which includes but is not dominated by The Beatles.
Praise should also be given to Phil Redmond for his rescue act.
The rest of them acted like highly paid booking agents – arranging for suitable events to be staged at certain times, at certain prices. It was hardly rocket science.
Paul Bevan, Birkenhead
Ill-advised decision
PERHAPS you have heard about our backwardly mobile council in Wirral.
They are now closing down libraries – “short of cash, we do not want to put up the council tax”, is their cry. This closure of my local library came about in a very sneaky way, first they were not closing our library, they were closing our leisure centre instead, then this was scrapped and instead they decided to keep the centre but axe the library. This has given us just over a week to organise something, and I feel that this is not fair.
We feel that this ill-advised decision is wrong, and local people feel very strongly about this. This library is used by the older generation, younger generation, mothers with small children, people who are out of work, nursery schools, people trying to improve their lives and even people who just want information or someone just to talk to. It is a great meeting place, a great reading and lending library and is the heart of our community.
Audrey Williams, via email
Reunite friends
WAY back in 1951, when I was 13, there was a 13-plus scholarship. It only lasted a few years, but I got through from St Oswald’s, to Notre Dame Central School, in Maryland Street, Liverpool.
Only two of us got through to this school that year at that age. The other girl was called Rachel Lyttle (Little?). I never knew her address but I think it was somewhere around Parliament Street. She was the first black person I’d ever met. We got on really well, we both loved singing, were both in the choir and were also pretty good at sport.
We learned shorthand, typing, book-keeping and the other subjects. All I knew about her family was that her mother was a white Liverpool girl and her father was from Africa.
Also, she had a very beautiful sister who was an extra in the film, Cleopatra. When we left school at 15, she said she would never get a decent job here and told me she was going to emigrate the America.
We left school, going our separate ways, and I never saw her again. With the advent of computers, many years later I started searching for her online without any luck. So – if there is any of Rachel’s family left in Liverpool, I would be so grateful to hear from you to find out how she got on. She had a profound effect on me at that tender age, and I’ve never forgotten her, despite the fact that I am now 70.
Anne McQuaid (nee Quigley), Ormskirk
Drinking fears
I SAW in the news this week that the number of people drinking themselves to death has doubled over the last 16 years.
Surely things are not so bad that people can see no other answer but to hit the bottle until the lights go out?
In my day, drinking was an occasional thing which people left the house to do. My parents never ever drank at home. Now it seems commonplace for people to drink a bottle of wine every evening. Unless we start to reverse this trend, I fear for future generations.
E Wilson, West Derby
Deplorable art
IT IS a credit to the Daily Post that a recent editorial (January 23) was devoted to deploring David West’s posting of Madeleine McCann’s face on to models in pornographic poses in his Hackney art gallery.
Hopefully, you and the readers who supported your viewpoint (Daily Post Letters, January 26) will have given a little comfort to Madeleine’s parents.
Joyce Exley, Aigburth
Political donations
CHLOE FINCH, spokesperson for the Countryside Alliance, should check her facts more carefully (Daily Post, Letters, January 23). The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW ) never made a political donation to the Labour Party. In 1996, the Political Animal Lobby (PAL) made a contribution of £1m to the Labour Party.
There used to be a relationship between IFAW and PAL, as they were both founded by Brian Davies, yet both organisations have long operated under entirely separate control.
As a matter of policy, IFAW does not give donations to political parties and has no plans to do so in the future.
Rosa Argent, Communications manager, IFAW
No truth
IN HER letter (January 23) Chloe Finch, of the Countryside Alliance, claims a £1m donation was made to the Labour party by the League Against Cruel Sports, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the RSPCA. There is no truth in this.
Louise Robertson, League Against Cruel Sports, Fife
