16 FEBRUARY 2002, Page 32

Why Islam must dominate

From Mr Randhir Singh Bains Sir: Theodore Dalrymple (Creatures of the cultural cringe', 2 February) rightly blames multiculturalism for leading young Muslims to terrorism. However, the removal of multiculturalism from the curriculum would cure only the symptoms, not the cause.

The root cause of Muslim alienation lies in the Islamic ethos, which goes back to the Prophet's journey from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD known as 'Hegira'. This concept of 'Hegira' acknowledged that Muslims must not live in oppression from people of other faiths. They must remake their lives elsewhere. where Islam is dominant (Dar-U1

Islam). If necessary, they should strive to convert a non-Muslim territory (Dar-U1Harb) into a Muslim one (Dar-Ul-Islam).

There does not seem to be an acceptance in the Muslim ethos of being part of a pluralistic, multidimensional, religio-cultural polity where Islam is not the dominant element. Religious separation and alienation are, therefore, intrinsic to the nature of Islam. And herein lies the crux of the problem.

Randhir Singh Bains

Gants Hill, Essex