Letters Page

Published:

Israel’s action in Gaza

SIR, – As the world witnesses the slaughter of innocents in the Gaza strip, we must realise that this is not an even contest between one side which fires rockets and another which retaliates to defend its people.

Around 3million Palestinians have lived constantly under illegal military occupation; since 1967, Israel has consistently failed to comply with UN Security Council resolution 242 to withdraw from occupied territories. The UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories said last month that Israel's policies there amounted to a crime against humanity.

Hamas was elected to power in free and fair elections, but the US and its cabal did not like “that kind of democracy"; that is, they didn't like the winners.

The world must not sit on the fence in the face of the ethnic cleansing of a nation.

Stephen Hadden,

Deeside Gardens,

Aberdeen.

Homosexual lifestyle

SIR, – It was refreshing to see you publishing (December 31) the letter from Lesley Findlay on the reduced health and life expectancy of those who engage in homosexual practices.

Before the cry of “homophobia" goes up, it is vital to make a distinction to avoid confusion. The distinction is between homosexual temptation and yielding to that temptation. This distinction must be made in any discussion of sexual activity, whether homosexual or heterosexual.

I do not hate homosexuals. I deplore hatred of any human beings, whether on the basis of colour or on the basis of any particular temptation, such as that to homosexual activity, in which there is the choice to yield or to resist.

That does not mean that I do not deplore, and even hate, the activity of engaging in homosexual practices.

Even the most cursory reading of Romans Chapter 1, Verses 18-32, will show that a society freewheeling to homosexual sin is a society already under the judgment of God.

The last verse of that chapter indicates that the sin is compounded by its promotion. The promotion of homosexuality as a good alternative lifestyle under the label of “diversity", or whatever, is based on the above confusion.

Let us at least have clear thinking on this matter of vital importance to our society.

Rev A. Murray,

Col Bheinn Road,

Brora.

Researching piano company

SIR, – I am writing a history of the music retailing firm of Charles Begg, which began in New Zealand in 1861 and operated until 1970.

Charles Begg emigrated from Aberdeen in 1861 and, prior to that, operated a pianoforte manufacturing and tuning business in Union Street.

I believe that several of the pianos he made in Aberdeen were still in existence 20 or so years ago.

I will visit Aberdeen in March to carry out further research and would be very eager to make contact with any of your readers who might own one of these pianos.

Charles Begg was my great-great-grandfather.

If anyone can help, I can be contacted by e-mail at mjg.nzpayroll@xtra.co.nz or at the address below.

Clare Gleeson,

43 Simla Crescent,

Khandallah,

Wellington 6035,

New Zealand.

Celebrity Big Brother

SIR, – Oh dear, we have yet another series of Celebrity Big Brother, with its star-studded contestants that are mainly a group of has-beens and unknowns behaving like idiots to try to be captured on camera with the most shocking behaviour and foul language, all driven by greed for money.

Goodness knows what other countries must think as they see clips of this programme and how badly they reflect on the social degeneration in the UK portrayed by such television.

Let’s see an end to this type of reality television production. It sends out all the wrong messages.

Dennis Grattan,

3 Mugiemoss Road,

Bucksburn,

Aberdeen.

Prospect of a bonspiel

SIR, – While watching four rinks of Grantown Curling Club playing on its natural ice recently, conversation turned to the 2000 Grantown Bonspiel reported so admirably in the Press and Journal.

Having had many nights of sub-zero temperatures recently, the prospect of a 2009 Bonspiel on Kylintra lochan was aired. Dismayingly, although the lochan is frozen, the Cairngorms National Park Authority and others of the PC brigade would likely refuse to allow it to be used.

At 48 hours’ notice, upwards of 200 competitors from all over the north of Scotland would gather, again to compete for the venerable Moy and Inverness cups.

To convene or not to convene is a very narrow window of opportunity. Will commonsense and a sense of Scottish history prevail or succumb to some jobsworth?

Geoff Smith,

23 Strathspey Drive,

Grantown.