Madam, - Of course Leo Enright (September 27th) is correct: the 1580 massacre in Ireland was a disgusting war crime (though apparently glorified by Raleigh's friend Marlowe in Tamburlaine the Great). As for Dr David Woods's claim that the Muslims executed Sophronius, as it exists only in a single essay published by Dr Woods himself I don't see what is so naive about never having heard of it.
Keeping a tally of crimes on both sides is a rather futile business in any case. It seems clear enough that the record of Christian violence, both in its "legal" forms and in crusading and inquisitorial excesses, leaves little room for selective demonisation of Muslims.
Neither religion had our modern enlightenment notions of freedom of conscience, embraced by the Catholic Church only 40 years ago. Indeed, it may be that Muslims, who invoke God as "the Merciful, the Compassionate", often had more of the spirit of tolerance than their Christian counterparts.
The age-old jousting between Byzantines and Muslims, into which Pope Benedict so unhappily dipped, was relatively serene. The Muslims were "the rogue they knew". The Latins, who sacked Constantinople in 1204, hated the Byzantines for being too pally with the Muslims, whom they saw as evil aliens. The Byzantines had reason to fear the Latin mitre more than the turban.
Vatican II, after expressing deep respect for Muslim beliefs and practice, "pleads with all to forget the past". Study of the past is fruitful if it leads to repentant awareness and to mutual forgiveness - not if it contributes to the spirit of vengefulness. - Yours, etc,
Rev JOSEPH S OLEARY DD, Department of English Literature, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan.