MANY emotions, few facts. There was this understandable complaint about Asians failing to respect a British act of remembrance in the Town Hall Square. Equally, the complainant failed to mention that thousands of Asians, too, died in the attempt to assist British interests in Asia, which were not, incidentally, freedom and democracy for the locals. Ironically, Indians died fighting for their then oppressors against countries that had never done them any harm.

Mr Musa, on the other hand, must understand that this country has enough problems as it is and cannot possibly care for each and every terrible injustice of which the world is full. Indeed, the Palestine/Israel conflict is to many of us as important as the violence in Northern Ireland may be to him.

It is true that much of today's worldwide trouble has its origin in the End-of-Empire turmoil, but as with all countries, our younger generations, too, will understandably want to forget the darker side of their history in which they took no part.

In stressing that the majority of local Muslims, too, are British citizens, Mr Musa may have unwittingly touched on the key problem: there are now so many minorities in this country that the English feel -- not unjustifiably -- that space and resources are running out for them. "Would we sit back and let anyone take our land away from us and our place of worship?" -- the answer, for all to see, is 'Yes'. Probably for the first time in history have indigenous peoples given away their lands voluntarily, or rather nolens volens. To us, matters like political parties are more important and we lament the abolition of inches and pounds instead.

We have already one of the highest population densities among major countries, yet the influx of more and more British and non-British peoples is unabating. Even some established ethnic British people -- particularly those who are not well off -- may already have experienced themselves the feeling of life in a sinking lifeboat in a newly created Third World country.

Mrs B Stuart

Lord's Stile Lane,

Bromley Cross,

Bolton.