With reference to Non Muslim's letter ('To answer Marina Yusoff's question on 'Muslim' terrorists', Oct 2), another explanation for why the we frequently hear the term 'Muslim' terrorist instead of 'Jewish' or 'Christian' terrorist is because the Zionist (so-called 'Jewish') terrorists are close allies of the United States and Israel serves as its imperialist outpost in the Middle East.

On another note, I must correct a frequent delusion promoted by the media that the conflict between Republicans and Unionists in 'Northern' Ireland has anything to do with Catholicism and Protestantism.

Ireland which is mainly Catholic was colonised by Britain for about 800 years during which time Scottish Protestants settled in the six northern counties of Ireland, now referred to as 'Northern' Ireland.

The Irish Republicans led by people like Eamon DeValera, James Connoly, Michael Collins and others fought for and won independence for most of Ireland which is mainly Catholic, while the British held on to the six counties in the north which have a majority of pro-Britain Unionists who happen to be mainly Protestant.

The ongoing war in the north of Ireland is one between Republicans on the one hand who want independence for the six northern counties and their re-unification with the Republic of Ireland, and Unionists on the other hand who want it to continue being a part of the United Kingdom

I don't know of any Protestant Irish who are Republican and Catholic Irish who are Unionist but I'm sure there are some.

I do, however, know of Jews who support the Palestinian struggle for a democratic and secular Palestine and who are opposed to Zionism, though I don't know of any Palestinians who support the state of Israel.

Likewise the current conflict between the Tamils and Sinhalese in Sri Lanka is an ethnic and national one and it just happens that the majority Sinhalese are Buddhist and the majority of Tamils are Hindu. However, the media get it right on this one.