I ATTENDED a meeting in the Methodist Church in Knutsford on May 14 organised by U3A and the subject of the talk was Islamist Terrorism in Africa.

I felt that the speaker stigmatised Islam for African terrorism – as if Islam is in favour of terrorism and the killing of Christians. At least that was the impression I got from his talk and I’m an atheist. These terrorists are not true Muslims because they act against the teachings of Islam and the vast majority of Muslims are against them. I reminded the speaker that when the IRA were planting bombs in England and Ireland no-one dared to stigmatise the IRA as Catholic terrorists but simply as Republican.

Would the speaker give a talk under the title: Catholic Terrorism in England?

The speaker said the total number of Al Shabaab terrorists in Somalia is about a thousand. It is unfair to stereotype 1,400 million Muslims for the crimes of Al Shabaab terrorists.

The speaker knew a lot about Islam.

He is an honourable and courteous gentleman and I have a great respect for him.

He gave me the opportunity to speak again even after the chairman stopped me putting my point of view.

However, I feel he should have been more careful with the choice of his words and the title of his talk, especially as most of his audience were not knowledgeable about Islam.

Mahmoud Elamin Hollingford Place Knutsford