See the letter in this morning's The Times, "Pakistani justice", from the All Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of religion or Belief.

Let me revert, yet again, to the constant accusation, from Jim et al, that I must allow that "it was religious fanatics wot dunnit, not the Muslim peopel as a whole". I have never accused "the peopel as a whole" as being directly involved, or even approving. The point which he will not get is that it is THE FAITH itself, to which these 'peopel' subscribe, that specifically and explicitly lays on them the duty to perform these acts; and his "fanatics" are simply the ones who do as their Prophet bid. There is no other major religion whose founders even suggested such injunctions, so any few, like Westboro Baptists &c, who embrace such activities, are not obeying any thing laid down by their faiths.

But Muslims who do so are, even if those do not constitute the whole, or even the majority, of the Faith's adherents. So it is the Faith itself, and its explicit teaching, with which I take issue; not just "the peopel". It, not they, constitute(s) the threat to the world, and any who can't see it are ostriches. And they who think it unfair to point this out are foolish -- I still often recall with a chuckle Richard's taking me to task for being "more critical of one religion than others"!

Can Jim et al really not get this?

~Michael~