Build bridges with Muslims – but be honest
SIR – I suggest that Robert Pellegrinetti think more critically about Islam (Letter, August 12). Yes, we can distinguish between “Islamic” and “Islamist”, but where do radicals and extremists get their ideology from if not from the Koran itself and the example of their warrior-prophet in 7th-century Arabia?
There are over a hundred verses urging Muslims to pursue and kill “infidels”, including pagans, Jews, Christians and those regarded as not true Muslims (e.g., 8:64 “O prophet of Allah, incite the believers to fight” and 8:60 “Strike terror into the hearts of Allah’s enemies”). Even if many Muslims do not engage in military jihad, they would deep down support terrorism in the name of Islam and not condemn it publicly.
