IT IS with concern I feel compelled to respond to the letter by Councillor Brian Morris in your paper – Both sides of the coin (Keighley News, November 13).

Whilst I share Coun Morris’ sentiment a fitting tribute was paid by the town on Remembrance Sunday, and I am equally shocked by the mugging of veteran George Gill, I am at a loss as to why he calls on Imams to ensure perpetrators of this cowardly crime are brought to justice. Surely, we must all call on the police to use their powers to catch criminals and support them in that job?

I would like to challenge Coun Morris’ assertion, with tangible examples from my mosque, in the hope he would consider Muslims and criminals as separate categories. The title suggests that underlying Coun Morris’ call is the notion that somehow Muslims are the ‘other side of the coin’, a very worrying proposition indeed.

With both of Keighley’s largest mosques officially opening their doors to the public, this week marks a seminal point in the mosque calendar. As a member of the congregation of Medinah Masjid in Spencer Street, I would urge Coun Morris and your readership to take the opportunity to visit the mosque, meet the Imams and gain a deeper understand of what being a Muslim really means in an atmosphere not charged by political point-scoring.

Of course, where criminals use any religion to justify their criminal activity, then there is good reason for all of us to come together and condemn that behaviour for what it is, which is deviancy and criminality, not religiosity.

Violent extremism is one such example of criminal behaviour, and the theme of the open day hopes to offer some answers to ‘Is Islam a religion of peace?’. As responsible citizens, we all have a duty to tackle criminal activity, but singling out Imams implies religious leaders have some influence over, or access to, criminals that the rest of us don’t have. This approach is both divisive and counter-productive in that it can be extrapolated that religious leaders are in some way tolerant of, or harbour, criminals.

Any visitors to the mosque open day will be able to see some excellent work done by community-spirited Muslims, some of which you have been reported in your excellent paper. Visitors will also be able to discuss day-to-day activities, such as the excellent Scouts group based at the mosque, which attended the Remembrance Day events and are well aware veterans fought fascism for the many and not the few. Much of this work is for wider community cohesion and to help raise responsible citizens, who steer away from criminality and live peaceful and productive lives.

Painting Muslims as the ‘other’ side of the coin is a retrograde approach, and one that I would not expect from a town councillor.

All of us, as proud residents of Keighley, must unite in calling on the police and the criminal justice system to use every means at their disposal to catch these criminals. I promise you, no Imam will stand in the way.

MOHAMMED SAJID

Highfield