Readers' Letters

The fact is that the recent bombing raids arose directly from his invasion of Kuwait and his cynical refusal to abide by the terms of the agreement which brought that war to an end.

Those who deplore the raids must be asked what their alternative proposals are, since they must surely be aware that all diplomatic attempts to ensure his compliance have failed. Would Cllr Ajeeb simply allow him to flout his obligations with impunity and allow him to proceed to stockpile murderous weapons without hindrance?

It is a matter of serious concern that whenever a Muslim country commits acts which are offensive to democracy, the Muslim associations in this country come to their defence. Can we ever forget the burning of the books following the fatwa against Salman Rushdie - something which is absolutely anathema to any democrat?

Such attitudes can only, in the long run, do severe damage to the cause of race relations to which, I know, Cllr Ajeeb is committed.

FRANK PEDLEY,

Low Bank Lane,

Oakworth.

SIR - In answer to E Swindells letter. I don't know if it's a he or she, but what does this person want us to do?

Say nothing about that maniac Hussain - do they want us to sit back like we did with Hitler and wait until the last minutes when he murdered six million Jews, men in the armed forces, belonging to our country and others? Israel won't sit still next time, and I don't blame them.

On TV they were burning the flags of America, our Union Jack, also the Israeli flag and Israel hasn't been involved with the bombing.

As for Cllr Ajeeb saying anything about Tony Blair or Bill Clinton, he should keep quiet, and so should a lot more of his followers.

I was ten years old when the last war started, and even to this day I could never forgive or forget what the Germans and Japanese did, so if there is another war, I wonder what E Swindells and Ajeeb will be saying then. It will be what we shall all be saying.

God help us.

J MAWSON,

Keighley.

SIR - So the festering egg the euro has finally hatched. There is no doubt that from now on we will be brainwashed by the pro Europe lobby.

Failed politicians who have jumped on the bandwagon, such as Neil Kinnock and Leon Brittan and Edward Heath, who conned us into Europe in the first place, will be spouting lies to us.

Millions of Europeans have been conned into joining. Many against their will, by power mad politicians.

My generation spent five or six years of what should have been the best years of our lives defending this country against a German take over.

Anyone who thinks signing up for the euro and losing our pound will not eventually lead to a super state dominated by Germany is living in cloud cuckoo land.

H L HOLMES,

Paget Street,

Keighley.

SIR - On Wednesday December 12 and Friday December 18 the Midweek and Keighley News published a piece by Michael Hellawell about a prayer that the Catholic community of Portadown pray - We have a dream.

To any people from Ulster that may be reading this, we say that dreams can come true, but left to man's will and abilities alone it will always be just a dream.

In many parts of Ulster, Protestants and Catholics do live in peace with each other, but in the large towns and cities, on the whole, the division is wide.

To achieve your dream you must forget that you're of separate denominations and stop believing in your own self righteousness. You have become like the Pharisees and Sadducees of the bible, lost in the law and traditionalism. Those things are tools of the devil that keep you in bondage to him.

You need to return to the true Gospel teachings, have a good look at yourselves and ask yourselves: "Am I truly living in the proper faith?" Please don't answer that based on whether you are Catholic or Protestant, because God does not judge you as being true Christians according to your denominational name.

God doesn't recognise denominations, did you know that? They're not of God; they're man made titles and merely demonstrate man's inability to grasp true Christlikeness and they also show man's determination to live his life as he sees best and not as God would have him live it. But God knows best.

The dream you have is God's desire for man, and it always has been, but it can only be achieved when man surrenders completely to God and to Him alone.

MALCOLM and

PENNY GARFORTH,

Woodside Road,

Silsden.

SIR - How would your readers like to trek Little Tibet for Mencap as their pre-millennium challenge - to experience intimately the wonders of this remote area on India's northern-most border on a 12-day trip of a lifetime?

Well, now there's a chance and it's all for a great cause and almost free!

I would like to invite your readers to stride out in support of (Royal) Mencap by taking on this incredible adventure. We are looking for participants to pay a £225 registration fee and raise sponsorship money. After this, flights, food, accommodation and bike hire are all covered.

Mencap needs 100 participants to trek this 12-day challenge, which will take place in August 1999. Don't miss this rare opportunity to hike through magnificent mountain landscapes whilst helping people with learning disabilities. You will be given fundraising tips, moral support and a pre-trek get together so that you can meet fellow participants. This is an event with loads of team spirit, so you don't need to struggle alone or be a born athlete. Mencap is looking for people who are willing to take up this fitness and fundraising challenge - please have a go! Your support will give people with learning disabilities the chance to make the most of their lives.

Please call 0645 777 779 TODAY to receive your TREK Little Tibet pack, or write to Trek Little Tibet for Mencap, Mencap FREEPOST, London EClB 1AA.

Do it once, remember it forever.

MICHAEL PALIN,

Mencap.

Sir - The planning department in Bradford have done it again. Whenever there is to be a public consultation about any plan, they do it near a holiday and hope that people forget.

The plan for the future of the Halsteads Way site is now available from City Hall or libraries. Any resident of Clough Avenue or Thornhill Road should see the plans.

These two roads will be joined together via a road through the new development, the document states that it is hoped that the traffic will share the two roads equally.

It will also provide a circular route for any joy riders or escaping burglars, endangering pedestrians or users of the proposed cycle path. Surely the only way to guarantee safety, bearing in mind the plan for the new school, is not to connect the two roads, thus ensuring that half the traffic uses each of the two roads equally.

Also, people with property at the top of both roads may not be aware that the plan intends to steal some garden for road improvements.

The plan will definitely go ahead, despite objections from residents, but then they always do.

We are told that during the consultation period the comments of local people will be read. They probably will, but will the comments make any difference, or have decisions already been made?

It's still not too late to comment on the plan, you have until February 4 to contact the Head of Planning, Jacobs Well, Bradford, perhaps you can make a contribution to the future of Steeton, there will be a public meeting soon, I'm sure the details will be in the Keighley News.

C Bryant

Parkway,

Steeton

Sir - Once again I have to correct another wrong statement by Councillor Hopkins ("Election Claim" - Keighley News 1/1/99).

Your paper reported on November 27 that I would be standing in the local elections next May in the Worth Valley. I have worked hard to serve local residents since 1995 and I am proud of my record.

I was asked to stand in quite a few other wards, some of which are amongst the safest Labour seats in the district.

I chose to stand in Worth Valley, which I would have thought clearly shows my commitment to the local community.

If Mr Hopkins must sink to personal abuse at least he should get his facts right.

MIKE YOUNG

Worth Valley ward councillor

and Chair of the

Social Services Committee.

SIR - When I was young, people did not live in the past. They used to tell me how lucky I was to be living in what was the present, then. The best is still to come, they used to say, and you will reap the benefit of it.

We hadn't any money then, we hadn't a car in a garage, Dad didn't give us a music centre then to compensate for Mum being out all day, we didn't have meals laid on at school or free buses to take us to our seats of learning, we didn't have a television in the lounge or a refrigerator in the larder or a latch-key in our pocket. Yet "you don't know how lucky you are!" the adults used to say to us.

And I'm sure we were. Most of us, perhaps, would not change our own childhood for those of the youngsters of today. I know I wouldn't. While on holiday last summer a store at the resort was selling T-shirts. Printed across the front of the shirts were the words 'I HATE SCHOOL'. It struck a chill at my heart. What kind of a land have we made and are making for the children of today?

E REDMAN,

Strawberry Fields, Keighley.

SIR - Which bird will be the UK's number one feathered visitor to our gardens this winter? Families throughout the country are invited to take part in The Big Garden Birdwatch, which takes place over the weekend of Jan 30 and Jan 31, is run by the YOC, the RSPB's junior membership, and it is supported by Tesco Stores.

By counting the birds in gardens or local parks for just one hour over the weekend will help the RSPB to find which are the most commonly occurring garden birds. as.

For an entry form send a postcard with your name, address and age (if under 18) to YOC, Big Garden Birdwatch 1999, Dept BGB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG 19 2DL.

David Chandler, RSPB

Principal Youth Officer

RSPB

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.