Islam nurtured at secularism's expense

Mr Gregory’s letter illustrates my concerns about Western preconceptions about Islam. Ahmadiyya is a sect that began in India and is regarded as heretical by mainstream Muslims. Khawarij was the same, but it is now extinct. I am surprised that Mr Gregory made no mention of Sufism.

However, my main point is that there is now an absence of major secular political parties in the Arab world. This is in contrast to 30 years ago, when American cars, men wearing Western suits and a certain easy mingling of men and women could be seen in many Arab cities. The push by Western countries to bring about regime change in this region in the post-Cold War world has in fact helped bring about the destruction of secularist regimes there.

Ian Martin