Violence is not fair on ordinary Syrians

Not for the first time I am moved to comment on Fergus Finlay’s party politicking in his column (Opinion, November 23).

A personal attack on Ruth Coppinger set the tone; this was Finlay, longtime member of the Labour Party using dreadful events to launch an attack on the opposition. Of course we should help France but that cannot include military action of any kind. We should not feel obliged to throw in behind anyone who sees violence as the only way to solve problems.

After all it was violence by the West that created the situation in the first place.

Did it cross Finlay’s mind as he wrote that at that moment Frenchmen were mercilessly raining down explosives on terrorised human beings, themselves victims of IS.

Jim O’Sullivan

Rathedmond

Sligo