MR G. Michael's comments on Islam (South China Morning Post, June 24) indicates that he doesn't realise extremist minority elements do not represent majority populations.
He argues that because some Muslims have pronounced death sentences on Salman Rushdie and Taslima Nasreen, that Muslims are an ''intolerant'' people against which the West must battle.
Firstly, I would like to remind him it was ''intolerant'' Christians who started the infamous Crusades, as they couldn't accept non-Christians (who Christians regard as ''inferior'') presiding over the Holy Land.
Secondly, using Mr Michael's same chain of logic, that small minorities speak for the whole, it would be correct to say that the Christian religion is even more ''intolerant'' than Islam.
After all, all the acknowledged and violent white supremacists (Ku Klux Klan, Afrikaaners etc) all have strong fundamentalist Christian backgrounds.
Of course, I know the above is not true. And I also know that Muslims are just as peace-loving as their Christian and Jewish compatriots.