Letter: Tolerance, please

As SHE must have expected, Tory chairman Baroness Warsi provoked a fierce backlash by claiming that Islamophobia is commonplace in British dinner-party conversations (your report, 21 January).

In fact, Britain has a long history of tolerance and diversity and Lady Warsi would serve us better by encouraging greater integration within our three million-strong Muslim community.

Intolerance for Jews, Christians and Hindus is expressed socially and legally across much of the Islamic Crescent, so a slightly less hectoring tone would be appreciated.

I agree with parts of her speech but I cannot follow the reasoning behind her assertion that distinguishing between "moderate" and "extremist" Muslims fosters prejudice.

Like many other indigenous Scots I have gentle, cosmopolitan and much-valued friends within the Islamic community and most certainly distinguish between them and al-Qaeda.

(Dr) John Cameron

Howard Place

St Andrews