Having scapegoated two secular Muslim women for a widespread "hatred of Muslims" in Europe, Ziauddin Sardar (Columns, 26 May) appears to conclude that secularism and feminism breed racism.

Both are powerful ideas which long pre-date and transcend any idea of European civilisation. While Sardar may hope to undermine those ideas on the basis that most feminists and secularists would rather choke than be associated with the poison of racism, nothing he says should make one jot of difference to anyone who is convinced of the "moral superiority" of feminism over patriarchy or of secularism over theocracy.

Peter McKenna

Liverpool

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