ONCE again, we are given the spectacle of a senior politician, William Hague, feeling that he must apologise for the statements of his fellow MPs, when that man has simply stated that which he believes to be the fact.

The Race Relations Act is being used to stifle honestly-held opinions and it is not allowing the freedom of speech that we in this country have fought, and some of us, died for.

It has been stated by many senior politicians and other 'worthy citizens' that the police, for example, are institutionally racist, but when I wrote in my last letter that the very name 'Black and Asian Police Association' sounded racist you, Mr Editor, deleted it from my letter. To avoid any possibility of upsetting the lawyers, let us examine the history of race relations in other countries.

The situation in India, for example. After living as near neighbours for many hundreds of years, the Muslims and Hindus found that on the British leaving India, they couldn't live side by side but had to have separate countries, namely Pakistan and India, to be joined later by Bangladesh.

The last half of the last century has been plagued by people of different cultures finding that, with the best will in the world, they cannot integrate and they certainly appear to be unable to live side by side. The latest trouble-spot on the world scene, Macedonia, has all the hallmarks of the problem, which seems to be the Muslims are unable to live at peace with non-Muslims. I hope that I am allowed to criticise the inhabitants of another country without fear of your editorial felt-tipped pen?

If we, in this country, wish to make a success of the mass influx of people from foreign lands, then the Race Relation Act must be amended to put some responsibility for its success on the immigrants -- and not just assume that the only racists are the native population.

F Isherwood

Latham Road

Blackrod, Bolton