Naturally it was distressing to read the report by your correspondent Martin Chulov (Iraqi Sunnis forced to abandon homes and identity in battle for survival, 5 April). The human suffering endured by all the people of Iraq is the unfortunate legacy of western invasion of that country. But it wasn’t always like this nor is it like this everywhere now. Your report leaves the reader with a clear impression that the whole country is caught up in this situation. This is not true in my experience.
I had the privilege of going to Iraq last October as part of a delegation consisting of four Sunnis. We mixed and mingled with our Shia brothers and sisters freely everywhere we went in Najaf, Kufa and Karbala. Indeed, while at the shrines we performed our traditional Sunni-style prayers in the company of hundreds of visiting Shias. At no stage did we feel any sense of danger or threat. In fact, our whole experience was one of generous welcomes, warm hospitality and respectful fellowship. This is all in line with the traditional culture and customs of Iraqi people, for which they are renowned. We returned with wonderful memories of meeting people from all walks of life and all levels of society.
Cllr Chaudhry Shafique
Chair, Council For Christian-Muslim Relations, High Wycombe
• The conviction of a number of armed Blackwater employees for the massacre of civilians in Iraq (Report, 14 April) should be welcomed. However, for most of our postwar history it was acknowledged within the mainstream media that the people pursuing these brutal activities within indigenous homelands were actually mercenaries. Now it has become routine to refer to them as “corporate security consultants” and therefore give them a label of pseudo-respectability.
Sadly, killing indigenous people in their own homelands for money has a long and ugly history. White western mercenaries were active in colonial and post-colonial Africa. Current systems of private security organisations operating for money have their roots in the payment of bounties to white settlers acting against indigenous peoples – such as native Americans – which occurred repeatedly in settler societies. Can we please stop dignifying this horrific imperialist mercenary process with the label of corporate security?
Dr Gavin Lewis
Manchester
