Readers' letters from Friday 23 Mar 2007

Tie knot ban raises issues

IN the same week when Bramhall High School banned knotted ties on health and safety grounds, it is only right that the Education Secretary, Alan Johnson, has given guidelines that headteachers can ban Muslim girls from wearing the full-face niqab in school.Of course, the decision has infuriated the Islamic Human Rights Commission and yet, what they and other pro-Muslim organisations still fail to grasp is, that in order for the Muslim community to feel included in British society, a small amount of compromise needs to be exercised.The arguments for and against the veil are well documented, and Islamic scholars appear to disagree on whether the full face veil is required under Islamic law.The reason given why Bramhall High School banned knotted ties was that, during certain activities, it may become unsafe to wear that type of tie, and lead to serious injuries.This raises some serious concerns.Should a Muslim pupil be wearing the veil in science class, using a Bunsen burner and the veil catches fire, who would be responsible?Having gone to lunch in a school canteen, wearing the full face veil, how would a Muslim pupil be able to eat a meal without lifting the veil?How would Muslim pupils participate in school sports activities, whereby a full veil would surely make it difficult for them to gain any benefit?Some schools allow Muslim pupils to wear a headscarf, which would seem adequate and wouldn’t appear to pose any health and safety risks.It needn’t be a case of ‘Islamaphobia’, more a case of health and safety which, in the current ‘claim climate’, can only be correct. Muslims need to be aware that although in some Islamic countries women may be denied an education, in Britain every child is entitled to a full education.

P.B., Chorlton

Should cute Knut live?

THE plight of Knut the polar bear at Berlin Zoo has reopened a timely debate about the wide issues of keeping animals in zoos, something zoos are not likely to want as they gear up for their busy Easter season.The Captive Animals’ Protection Society is opposed to the captivity of animals in zoos, for animal protection and conservation reasons. Animals suffer greatly in zoos, with severe physical and behavioural problems created by unnatural habitats and social groups, lack of stimulation, etc. Real conservation is about protecting natural habitats, not about keeping animals in zoos.Polar bears are known for faring particularly badly. In the wild they cover huge distances (in an average year, a wild polar bear can roam over an area as large as Greater London). A 2003 Oxford University study found that the average zoo enclosure size was one million times smaller than their natural home range, and that there is a direct correlation between the level of stress an animal suffers in a zoo and the size of its territory in the wild.It would seem that staff at Berlin Zoo have had so much physical and behavioural contact with the bear that human behaviour has been strongly imprinted, making it difficult for the bear to be mixed with other polar bears let alone be returned to a natural habitat (although zoos actually breed animals to keep in zoos, not release to the wild, anyway).While the best that this polar bear, and all animals in zoos, can ever hope for is an improvement in conditions, we must ensure that other animals are spared the misery of a life of captivity for entertainment. This can only be done by ending breeding in zoos and phasing them out. Perhaps, then, resources can finally be put into protecting natural habitats to benefit all species.

Craig Redmond, Campaigns Manager, Captive Animals’ Protection Society

Not animal lovers

THEY call themselves animal rights activists. They go around threatening, attacking and even stealing dead bodies from anyone remotely connected with anything which involves animals with which they disagree.I am an animal lover, anything from spiders to elephants and I thought the activists were too.However the news this week about their efforts to have the three-month-old hand-raised polar bear cub at Berlin zoo destroyed because it will never be able to form a natural relationship with other wild polar bears disgusts me.This sums them up. They are anarchists intent on trouble. Animal welfare is just a front. They are mindless idiots full of their own importance.If you like animals I suggest you support the RSPCA or PDSA until they can prove themselves to be responsible people with genuine concern for animal welfare.

Animal Lover, Poynton

Writing wrongs

MAYBE common sense only appears to be dead and buried.There are 60m of us in the UK. Surely there must be an enormous number of people who are not completely devoid of common sense? What is happening is that most of us observe the nonsense taking place around us, discuss it among ourselves, wring our hands and do nothing more. To make changes we will have to do something every time that we come across a situation that cries out for comment. It maybe that all we can do is to write a letter to a newspaper, an MP, a councillor and so on.Admittedly one letter will change nothing but hundreds or thousands might. The saying goes that all it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing. So do something.  I’ve written a letter. This one.

P.Harwood, Timperley

Flight rules

THE Easter Bank Holiday weekend is expected to be one of the busiest in Manchester Airport’s history, with 225,000 people jetting out from Friday April 6 to Monday April 9.While the airport will have extra customer service and security staff on duty, travellers can help by remembering the UK aviation security procedures.Passengers will continue to be allowed just one item of hand baggage. The size of the bag must not   exceed 56cm x 45cm x 25cm.Passengers will be allowed to take liquids, gels and pastes of 100mls or less in their hand baggage. These will have to be declared separately, removed from their baggage and X-rayed separately.These items must be contained in a small, re-sealable plastic wallet provided by the airport and will have to be removed from hand baggage and X-rayed separately.The new rules stipulate that the wallet must not exceed one litre capacity per passenger, about half the size of a standard A4 piece of paper and must be re-sealable. The wallet can contain more than one item but must not be cluttered to allow thorough checks.Passengers can carry medicines and dietary requirements, including baby foods, in hand luggage for use during the flight, although they may be asked for proof that they are needed.For further information please check our website (manchesterairport.co.uk)

Russell Craig, Head of External Communications, The Manchester Airports Group

Do your bit

I WAS cheered by Tupele Dorgu’s (MEN, March 19) column, ‘Why I am prepared to do my bit for the planet- just like Al Gore’. We can all do our bit, not only by buying low-energy lightbulbs but also by challenging our politicians and businesses to really “cut the carbon” so that our beautiful world is preserved and the world’s poor are not sacrificed as a result of selfish consumption.The ‘I count’ campaign is an umbrella for many concerned groups which allows people to do their bit to give our leaders the mandate they need in this new war of survival. MEN readers can go to their website and find out what they can do.

S. Pennells, Longsight

Commons should follow Lords

The press now informs us that the unelected House of Lords is to be abolished, renamed and elected (over 100 years too late).The people sitting in the grandiose place have voted against the idea. Proving that, when this system was created, they were there as aristocratic superiors, to make sure commoners did not get too big for their boots. The idea of democracy is still buried in the days when it was created.Isn’t that why the place was named the House of Commons, to make them understand who their betters were? If they intend changing the name of that unelected house, surely they should also change that insulting name of Commons?

A British Citizen, Manchester

Computers far from perfect

WHY is it that computers are thought of as infallible?I lost my winter fuel allowance because ‘the computer’ said I had been paid and because I draw it from the POst Office I had no proof it was ever received.In future all my receipts will be kept until I receive the Post Office statement. Twice last year I lost money on a credit card because ‘the computer’ said I had withdrawn it. I had no proof I had not withdrawn it. I will never withdraw money from a hole in the wall again.Now I am being told that a payment was not made by direct debit because ‘the computer’ said so. I am not paying twice. What happened to a person being right until proven wrong in this computer age?

Pensioner, Stockport