West must give back stolen lands

RE KENNY Farquharson’s column (Insight, 11 September). Although I agree that we cannot negotiate with al-Qaeda as there isn’t a compromise position that can be reached, the most important question in the whole affair has not been asked: how did the west get itself into this position? We have to look at the foreign policy of the western nations over the years. These governments allowed businesses to set the foreign policies.

Let’s look at Britain – they sent British armed forces to foreign lands to murder and steal. When the local inhabitants fought back British governments called them terrorists. This was how the British Empire was created.

Many people today still hold grudges about how the western powers acted in the past. To alleviate some of the grievances, lands that were stolen in the past should be returned to their rightful owners. Britain should return Gibraltar to the Spanish people – I know Gibraltar held a referendum and that they wanted to remain British. Democratic votes and referendums cannot be used as an excuse about not righting the wrongs of the past. Let the Gibraltarians remain British but the land should be returned to Spain. The Falklands should be returned to Argentina, Northern Ireland should be returned to Ireland.

All western nations should begin a process of returning lands that they stole to their rightful owners. They should also stop instigating foreign wars. Maybe in the future there will be less people throughout the world who hold grievances against western nations.

John Dalzell, Catrine, Ayrshire