THE RECENT atrocities in the USA have given warning to the Western governments that there are evil men who have no compunction against using the most terrible means at their disposal to inflict enormous damage to the western countries.

These evil and twisted individuals are quite prepared to use the religious beliefs of some people to ferment unrest and discontent against the USA, in particular, for reasons, real or imaginary, that are known only by themselves.

Although, in the past, both Christianity and Islam have committed terrible acts in the name of religion, they both profess to be religions of love and peace. What really needs to be explained to the Christian inhabitants of this country is the statement by some Muslims in this country, and abroad, not all of them young and immature, that war against the Taliban would be considered to be war against all Muslims.

Perhaps some of the Muslims in Bolton would care to explain this "Jihad" that is talked about. It has been said on TV that the word simply means "struggle", but others say that it means "Holy War". I, for one, am puzzled. Are we really to believe that an attack by predominantly Christian nations on an evil organisation, which claims that Islam is its religion, (although it is clearly no such thing), would be considered an attack on Islam itself? Surely not.

Mr F Isherwood

Latham Road

Blackrod, Bolton