Fundamentalists follow fundamental principles

Robin Grant states that my letter “Democratic principles cannot be cherry-picked” (January 11) “could not be more wrong”.
Mr Grant refers to those perpetrating violence in the name of Islam as “fundamentalists”. This contradicts his argument that these terrorists’ actions are “a relatively recent phenomenon”.
In this case the fundamentalists were acting within the fundamental principles of Islam established in the seventh century. These principles were claimed by the Prophet to be sanctioned by God. The Jewish elders refused to accept Muhammad as the ultimate prophet, hence the hatred for Jews that continues to this day, as we saw in Paris recently. Those who refused to acknowledge him paid the ultimate price, as they do now.
The writer refers to the Moors (Arabs and Berbers) who conquered much of Spain. They left an impressive technological legacy, but being advanced scientifically and mathematically is not synonymous with peace and non-violence. It was not a conquest by philosophy but by the sword.
Mr Grant also disputes that Sharia law is incompatible with democracy. The Islamic state of Iran, where democratic protests are harshly crushed, clearly illustrates that the two ideologies are incompatible. In Saudi Arabia people are flogged for even minor infringements of Sharia law. Totalitarianism and fascism have no place in a democracy.
Muslims and Islam are not one and the same. The former are people, the latter is a political ideology forcing itself on countries around the world. Having associated with many Muslims, I know them to be kind, generous, peaceful people. Few have even read the Koran, claiming to follow Islam but with little or no knowledge of its fundamental principle based on the desires of one man.
The majority of people around the globe are peace-loving, including most Muslims.
JC Wilcox