Dear Sir,

Joan Smith (Independent on Sunday, 15 Jan 2006), seemed to be perplexed why Sir Iqbal Sacranie, when asked on Radio 4's PM programme about the mainstream Islamic view about homosexuality, proceeded to politely explain that view.

Perhaps Ms Smith believes that only supporters of homosexuality should be allowed to articulate their viewpoints?

Ms Smith also engages in ill-informed scaremongering when she misrepresents the proposed government legislation on incitement to religious hatred as opening 'critics of religion to the threat of a prison sentence'. The legislation explicitly protects the right to criticise or satirise religion and offend believers. What we want to see outlawed is actual incitement of hatred on religious grounds, in the same way that incitement odf hatred on racial grounds is currently proscribed.

Yours faithfully,

Inayat Bunglawala.
Secretary,
Media Committee,
The Muslim Council of Britain

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