Naomi Klein claims that western racism is Islamic terrorism's greatest recruiting tool. (Comment, August 13). Oh yes? Is it because of western racism that al-Qaida has included the United Nations among its principal targets? Is it because of western racism that in August 2003 an al-Qaida suicide bomber murdered more than 20 people in the UN headquarters in Baghdad, including the secretary general's special representative, Sergio Vieira de Mello?
Vieira de Mello was one of the UN's finest officials, who had defended Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo and had then assisted East Timor to independence from Indonesia. Al-Qaida exulted in the murder of this "heretic" sent to Iraq by Kofi Annan, "the criminal and slave of America". Al-Qaida is inspired by Islamofascism, which cannot be appeased. No one is helped by pretending otherwise.
