Why young Muslims are alienated

Do we need a state-sponsored inquiry into why young Muslims are being radicalised, as our only senior Muslim police officer believes (Anti-terror laws alienate Muslims, says top policeman, August 7). If by now, we are not aware of the plethora of reports on Britain's Muslims, the evidence from academics and government bodies alike on poverty, discrimination and alienation, reinforced by poor or no access to key public services, by the continued victimisation by stop-and-search powers, by the injustice of world power politics which defines certain "oppressors" as friends and certain "liberators" as foes, then we have ignored the voices of Muslims for more than a decade.

A public inquiry may once again highlight the needs and anger of the diverse Muslim communities, but it will do nothing for the kids in the backstreets of Bradford or Birmingham, looking for some hope, some equity of purpose and being accepted for who they are without having to justify their right to a British passport. Trust me, as a British Muslim, I struggle with this every day.
Manawar Jan-Khan

If a member of my family suffered at the hands of the police in the way Benjamin Zephaniah's cousin did (Comment, August 5), I suspect I would be just as embittered as he is. In spite of the horrendous tragedy, we must be objective about this. Irrespective of my colour (I happen to be black, anyway), his final comments - "we tell our families, if you have a problem ... don't ring the police, because your daughter or son could end up dead" - were exceedingly inflammatory and unrepresentative. In so far as I would accept his argument of racial stereotyping, to condemn the entire police force is to make the same prejudiced judgment that these bad apples in the police force made in their treatment of black people. In spite of the pain, it is unacceptable.
FMC Mordi