Sir

Edgar Pick in his Correspondence “Science is universal, not part of any religion” (Nature 414, 249; 2001) is right in pointing out that simply trying to engage with 'Islamic' science is not a way for western (presumably 'non-Islamic') scientists to contribute to the struggle against terrorism. However, he is wrong is saying “the evil of killing people ... hardly requires a restatement” by Islamic scholars.

The terrorists who flew planes into the World Trade Center may very well be “an international gang of well-financed criminals” but they apparently carried out these acts in the name of Islam. If a group of deranged scientists began slaughtering innocent people in the name of cell biology, then I would be the first to stand up and say “Hang on a minute, not all cell biologists adhere to this view”.

To the millions in the non-Islamic world who have neither Pick's education nor his knowledge of Islam, the statements of condemnation by Islamic leaders and scholars provided essential reassurance and may have helped deflect retributive acts by the more thuggish elements of our society.