AS the sun sets on the very moving 9/11 tribute events here and in the US, it is gratifying to read that Mayor Bloomberg banned all prayer, public expressions of faith and clergy at the New York Sunday 9/11 service.

Since the World Trade Centre suicide pilots’ last words were to praise their God, it is difficult to see how they could combine in remembrance in any meaningful way.

Kev Mcstravick (HAS, Sept 12) asks where in the Bible it is that Muslims are condemned.

Leaving aside the obvious remark – that he should read his own Scripture more carefully – how about Mark 16: “He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Or Matthew 13, where non- Christians are “cast into a furnace of fire”.

There is no escaping the fact that these two religions’ Holy Books are incompatible. To Kev this does not matter, but to a significant group of extremists these differences are worth killing and dying for. That is their problem but when 21st century weapons are in the hands of such primitives it is my problem as well.

Mayor Bloomberg understands this, he is a person of wisdom and integrity.

Rob Meggs, Hartlepool.