Madam, - The sadly-departed Edward Said, in his book Covering Islam, observed that "what is said about the Muslim mind, or character, or religion or culture as a whole cannot now be said in mainstream discussion about Africans, Jews, other Orientals or Asians". Thus Kevin Myers and "our common Islamo-fascist enemies" (An Irishman's Diary, October 16th).
"Fascist" is a convenient word, of course, with its links to the chimneys of Auschwitz. It also dovetails nicely with Mr Myers's theories about the nature of the Palestine-Israel conflict. Were he to write an article on the Offaly senior football championship (on which I believe he is as well qualified to comment as on Islam) I'm sure you would receive a barrage of letters from the midlands, from people who know the subject.
Making generalisations about the many cultures between Morocco and Indonesia because of the common thread of religion is far easier - what Muslim in Fallujah or Oran is likely to take pen to paper and write to D'Olier Street?
There are too many people who believe that humanity can simply be divided between those who are with the US government and those who aren't, as if the world revolves around Washington DC. The good guys believe in "liberation", "free markets" (except for US steel, of course) and "free institutions" while those who don't fancy selling off their country's assets to the friends of George Bush are obviously a danger to "us", whoever "we" happen to be.
Sadly, the world is a little more complex than that. Analysis should be too. Your readers deserve better. - Is mise,
CATHAL RABBITTE, Caheroyan Park, Co Galway.
Madam, - In your edition of October 16th, Kevin Myers declares that the war in Iraq was "one of the most morally justified wars in history". Prior to the war, however, Kevin Myers declared equally emphatically that "logic and morality must dictate: no war" (An Irishman's Diary, August 29th, 2002). In the same article, Mr Myers went on to say: "one senses that Iraq is simply in the general line of US fire; and that's not a good enough reason for war."
Are the two Kevin Myerses by any chance related? I think we should be told. - Yours, etc.,
MARTIN LOUGHNAN, Skerries, Co Dublin.