ARSHAD Mahmood's letter (You Say, December 6) uses historical events to justify his condemnation of Christianity. I could also do this with Islamic history.

The Islamic slave trade, the expansion throughout the Middle East and North Africa, the atrocities of the Ottoman Empire, the invasion of Spain, the persecution of Christian pilgrims in the Holy land and the gassing of Kurds in Northern Iraq are just a few examples.

He also states that there are 50,000 contradictions in the Bible. This I cannot say because I read the Bible as a man and can only comprehend it as a man. Therefore the fault lies not with the Bible, rather our inability as mortals to understand it fully. What I find more disturbing however is Mr Mahmoods's faith, which employs scholars to defame another religion.

This suggests to me that it doesn't sit quite comfortably with itself and needs a crutch to prop it up. It is as though it is afraid to stand alone on its own merits and beliefs.

Needing to run down other religions in a form of one-upmanship to maintain believers.

In the educated freedom of the 21st Century, any religion worth its salt will have people naturally gravitate towards it. Unfortunately, the events of September 11th have set back the belief that Islam is a peaceful religion by 1,000 years.

My God (the Christian God) was working in the hearts of the rescuers who died saving people they did not know, or who queued in the rain to give blood, who worked round the clock to help, who sent condolences, prayers and gifts to people they had not met.

Mr Mahmood's God was killing innocent people, creating widows and orphans and causing destruction. If I was looking for a faith, I know which one I would choose.

M SWIERS, Worcester.