Blaming Israel: if only Darfur could do it

SEÁN Steele (Irish Examiner letters, October 9) states that “in the face of the Sudanese government’s onslaught that has resulted in over 200,000 dead, two million displaced and continues to put the lives of many hundreds of thousands at grave risk, Muslim leaders — secular and religious — have largely stayed shamefully silent”.

David Landy (‘Murder is murder’, Irish Examiner letters, October 9) gives the answer: “We must not be afraid to call murder by its name not just for honesty’s sake, but for the sake of building a just and lasting peace” — but only when Israel can be blamed.

Perhaps the poor African Muslims of Darfur should stop blaming the Sudanese government and its Janjaweed militias and claim they are being attacked by agents of the Zionist state in which case they would, no doubt, receive far more sympathy from ‘liberal-minded’ westerners, let alone the Arab League and the UN.

Martin D Stern

7 Hanover Gardens

Salford M7 4FQ

England