Letters: Children and knives

Research has revealed that children and young people who carry weapons and engage in violence have often been subject to, and witnessed, severe violence from infancy to the extent that violence has become normalised, a part of everyday life and a currency of behaviour to address any grievances or differences. Many of these children and young people are themselves marginalised, at risk of severe harm and have not received support to address the abuses they have experienced.

The loss of any human life through violence is a tragedy. It is also tragic that families with intergenerational issues are not getting the support they require and that, as a consequence, their children learn to enact violence upon others. As a society, we should be asking ourselves why children and young people are engaging in such violent behaviour and what can be done to prevent both the loss of human lives and a generation of young people who are damaged and, in turn, damage others.

Emilie Smeaton

National Research and Strategy Manager, Railway Children, Sandbach, Cheshire

If it is true that kids are arming themselves with knives because they are terrified of being attacked (letter, 3 July), then simply telling them that they shouldn't because if they are caught they will receive a stiff prison sentence is not going to work. Fear of attack will always overrule establishment advice.

A better solution would be to give children who feel vulnerable a choice of a less lethal form of self-defence such as Mace or pepper spray. Even if these weapons are turned on the carriers it is unlikely that death will result. I understand that neither of these sprays can be carried legally in the UK, which seems pretty absurd when considering how easy it is to get hold of a knife.

Graeme Kay

London SW17

Instead of spending the budgeted £1m to investigate each murder, why don't the police offer, say, a £5,000 reward for every successful arrest leading to prosecution for knife or other weapon carriers? They could offer a £1,000 immediate cash pay-out for every valid arrest as a starter bonus, followed by the balance on conviction. People would be far less likely to carry weapons and to flaunt them if they knew their associates could pocket £1,000 by merely making a phone call.

Dave Andrews

Bath

'Islamophobia' or genuine worry?

Peter Oborne's report "Fear of Islam: Britain's new disease" (4 July) and your additional coverage was disturbing for two reasons. For the shocking evidence of physical attacks on members of the Muslim community, and equally for your blanket application of the pejorative term "Islamophobic" to anyone who has voiced concerns about the long-term capacity of Islam to coexist successfully in a secular state where the rights of women are protected by law.

As a feminist, I have deep concerns about this, as I do about any group (religious or otherwise) that appears to enshrine misogyny in its cultural values. What I want is more information and the possibility of a rational debate that will lead to peaceful co-existence, not conflict. If anyone who attempts this runs the risk of being branded an Islamophobic racist, it's no wonder that writers are prefacing their comments with "I am an Islamophobe" and "Count me in".

You may believe that universal moral outrage is helping the Muslim community. In fact it will achieve exactly the opposite.

Kate Francis

London NW8

I feel Peter Oborne's article added nothing to the debate on Islam in the UK.

After an exhausting century of religious wars, we finally achieved religious toleration, whereby one could violently criticise somebody else's religious beliefs without resorting to violence. This was a major step forward for our society and one which people like Martin Amis won't let go. However, it was won at a time when we had religious diversity but no ethnic diversity. We live in a time now when religion is a marker for ethnicity and violent criticism of religion becomes entwined with racism.

It appears we have an ideological triangle appearing between the Peter Obornes, the Martin Amises and the Nick Griffins and I think we need to move the debate on to a more nuanced level before the sides of the triangle become too entrenched.

Silas Sutcliffe

London NW3

The remark of Shahid Malik that British Muslims now felt like "aliens in their own country" (4 July) is problematic.

Just a couple of recent personal examples. When I was handing round a plate of cakes at an introductory session of an adult learning programme to a mixed ethnic and gender group, all were grateful except the Muslims, who instead of accepting like everyone else questioned what the cakes were made of as it might be against their religion to accept. In another mixed group learning how to handle and use tools, the informal instruction was challenged by a Muslim woman who warned that it was against their religion for a man to touch a woman.

And so it goes on. In seemingly every area of cultural contact, however open and welcoming, Muslims choose to distance themselves from the generality on the basis of "their religion". Unless they themselves are prepared to question the arcane prejudices that lie at the root of "their religion" they will continue to feel like aliens in normal society by their own choice.

Dominic Kirkham

Manchester

The possible use of Sharia law in this country is a non-problem. Any two parties to a dispute can freely agree to have the dispute settled by arbitration, applying any system of rules or law they agree to. Provided that law or set of rules does not conflict with English law, and provided the arbitration is conducted in accordance with natural justice, the decision will be upheld by our courts. This does not apply to criminal law, where only British courts can administer, determine and award punishment.

Cyril Sherwood

Harrow,Middlesex

Keep NHS public, and save money

Your leading article (1 July) on Lord Darzi's report on the NHS is welcoming, but calls for a bigger role for the private sector and "increasing competition between providers". This is (unsurprisingly) a popular line with our three main (conservative) political parties, and most of our press, but it ignores a wealth of evidence internationally.

For instance, healthcare in the US continues to provide a mass of powerful evidence that providing health services by competing corporations is both very costly and very inefficient. Health costs in the US are nearly twice those of the UK (by percentage of GDP spent on health), life expectancy is worse than the UK and over 47 million Americans can't afford health insurance.

Might I suggest that your leading articles on health should primarily advocate policies that are based on evidence rather than ideology? On other important topics, such as Iraq or climate change, The Independent normally roots its advocacy in evidence. That is why I read The Independent.

I look forward to some editorials on countries that run excellent public health services. Sweden, for example, shows that you can devolve much health management to counties if politicians choose to.

DR PETER DRAPER

LONDON N6

Sir: The NHS, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, should really be known as the IHS – International Health Service. That is my own view following a brief encounter with a man at a bus-stop in Dar-es-Salaam. On learning I was from London, he announced that he had recently returned from having open heart surgery on the NHS. Marvellous treatment, he said, and confirmed he lived in Tanzania.

Christine Osborne

London SW8

Help Canada to ruin the climate

Your Big Question feature on whether Brits should move to Canada (4 July) failed to note the irony of seeking a haven from climate change amid the "jobs, safety, riches and big houses" of a nation with one of the worst climate-change records.

Canada's greenhouse gas emissions have increased 22 per cent above 1990 levels, the biggest increase in the G8. Alberta, which is actively recruiting UK immigrants, has a particularly poor record. Move to Alberta and you can enjoy the oil-sands boom in an oversized house in a sprawling, automobile-dependent suburb powered by coal-fired electricity. Perhaps the recruiting slogan could be: "Flee from climate change; create more of it."

Anders Hayden

Toronto, Ontariocanada

UN protection for civilians in Darfur

It was disappointing to read Steve Bloomfield's article on the UN/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) (11 June). Mr Bloomfield asserts that "to date, not a single additional soldier has arrived" since UNAMID took over from the African Union mission. This is untrue. Over 300 officers and more than 400 police officers have been deployed this year. More will arrive imminently from China, Egypt and Ethiopia.

In terms of protecting civilians, UNAMID is conducting rapidly increasing numbers of patrols. In January 2008, our first month on the ground, we made 220 patrols, the majority of them confidence-building and escort missions. By May 2008, that figure climbed to 608 patrols. We intervene daily to calm tensions arising from cattle losses, water distribution and land issues. All these missions provide protection to innocent men, women and children. We do not count them a "failure".

UNAMID regularly leads medical evacuations of civilians caught up in the conflict and protects emergency relief convoys. Our Senegalese contingent in west Darfur treats 400 patients a month at its medical clinic. Nigerian peacekeepers do similar work in south Darfur.

UNAMID makes no secret of the daunting challenges it faces. We continue to call on the international community to honour its commitments and ensure that we are properly staffed and equipped. In the meantime, we will do everything in our power to fulfil our mandate to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian aid and assist the peace process.

The problem in Darfur is not UNAMID. It is the failure of the parties to come to terms.

Nourredine Mezni

UNAMID Spokesperson, Al Fasher, Darfur, Sudan

Voters listened to – if they are Irish

Richard Corbett MEP insults the intelligence of The Independent's readers in his letter (26 June) and helps to reinforce the Eurosceptic position. He argues that following their referendum, the Irish point of view will be listened to and action taken. The 26 other countries that have not allowed their respective electorates to express a view at all will prevail. His own political party, Labour, despite its manifesto pledges, has, on a technicality, avoided allowing the UK population to express a view.

The implied position is that the Lisbon Treaty will be railroaded without risking requiring electoral support, but the Irish problem needs to be resolved. This must be meat and drink to UKIP and other Eurosceptics throughout the EU, when an MEP shows more interest in the views of the Irish electorate than of his own in the UK.

Paul Gilbert

Solihull, west midlands

Centre-court rivals

Nice to see two female reporters debating the merits of the male Wimbledon sex symbols Federer and Nadal (5 July). In the interests of balance, can we now have a two-page spread with male reporters assessing those very much sexier Wimbledon sex symbols, Venus and Serena.

David McNamara

Beverley, east Riding of Yorkshire

One man's terrorist...

Jiti Khanna (letter, 5 July) disputes the view of a previous correspondent that covert activities, including the authorisation of lethal force, by the US against the present Iranian government is terrorism. Instead he asserts that such "covert operations for regime change are a form of war". Sweeping away the cavorting angels from the point of a pin, yes, an illegal form of war, that is to say terrorism.

Eddie Dougall

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Strange remedies

I read with increasingly raised eyebrows Esther Walker's "10 ways to beat stress" (4 July). I see Reiki practitioners heal patients by transferring energy through their palms without touching, that reflexologists relieve ailments by crunching crystals in my feet and that if my yin and yang are out of alignment my qi energy can be realigned to cure me. In the past people used to employ a witch-doctor to remove evil spirits from their bodies. How we laugh at them now.

Michael O'Hare

Northwood, Middlesex

Looking ahead

May I be the first to report that I have spotted a "Back to School" sign even though here in Swindon we have three weeks of the term to run? It can be seen on the first floor at the local Marks & Spencer shop in the town centre. Perhaps it's a novel way of distracting from the announced decline in profit?

Gordon Williams

Malmesbury, Wiltshire

Labour-saving

Unfortunately, most men do not do dishes, wash clothes, or even enjoy any kind of housework – whatever liquid substance or detergent is involved (various letters). Fortunately most women should be grateful for this. Do they think dishwashers, washing machines, or vacuum cleaners would have been invented if we did?

Philip Moran

London N11