I was saddened to read recent suggestions that Muslims praying together in Trafalgar Square were somehow trying to “dominate” the public space.

At a time when communities across Britain are working hard to build understanding, such language risks creating fear rather than fostering unity.

I was reassured to see the Prime Minister and others reject these comments and reaffirm that fairness and equal treatment remain fundamental British values.

If people of other faiths are occasionally permitted to hold religious observances in public places, it seems only reasonable that Muslims should be afforded the same respect. Equality cannot be selective.

As an Ahmadi Muslim, I was not involved in the gathering and cannot speak for those who organised it.

However, within our community we regularly host open Iftars where neighbours of all backgrounds are warmly welcomed. These moments are not about imposing beliefs, but about sharing food, conversation and goodwill.

To describe a few minutes of peaceful prayer or the call to prayer as an attempt at domination feels unfair and simply not true.

For Muslims, worship is a reminder to serve God and society, and each prayer concludes with words wishing peace upon all.

If integration is expected of Muslims, their visible participation in public life should not be met with suspicion.

A truly confident society makes space for difference and treats all faiths with the same dignity.

Samina Yasmeen Arif,

Tilford Street,

Farnham

As East Hampshire District Council progresses its emerging Local Plan, it faces a defining choice: whether to adopt robust planning policies that safeguard one of our most precious and vulnerable natural assets - our chalk streams and the aquifers that sustain them.

Chalk streams are globally rare ecosystems, with the majority found here in England. They are not only ecologically unique, supporting rich biodiversity, but also form a vital part of our natural heritage and local identity.

Yet they are under increasing pressure from over-abstraction, pollution and the cumulative impacts of development.

New housing is needed, but it cannot come at the expense of our already stressed water environment. Development must be aligned with the environmental limits of the area.

This means going beyond minimum compliance and requiring developers to demonstrate, with clear and enforceable evidence, that proposals will not add pressure to water supply, wastewater infrastructure or the health of nearby chalk streams.

In practical terms, this should include rigorous water neutrality standards, investment in sustainable drainage systems and firm guarantees that local sewage treatment works have the capacity to cope — without discharges that degrade river quality.

Too often, infrastructure lags behind development, leaving communities and ecosystems to bear the cost.

Equally important is the need to prioritise the delivery of genuinely affordable homes. Meeting local housing need should not justify unsustainable growth that undermines the environment that makes this district a desirable place to live.

A well-designed Local Plan can - and must - do both: provide homes people can afford while protecting the natural systems that sustain life and wellbeing.

This is a moment for leadership.

By embedding strong, enforceable protections for chalk streams and aquifers, EHDC can set a benchmark for responsible planning — one that recognises economic growth and environmental stewardship are inseparable responsibilities.

Cllr Ginny Boxall,

East Hampshire District councillor,

Alton Whitedown

I am writing to urge you to give urgent attention to what I believe is a serious and escalating crisis affecting Jewish students across UK universities: antisemitism on campus and the apparent failure of institutions to meet their safeguarding and duty of care obligations.

Recent polling has revealed that one in five students in the United Kingdom would be unwilling to share accommodation with a Jewish student. That is not a harmless opinion or a passing prejudice — it is discrimination.

Reports that students have witnessed Jewish peers being targeted for their religion or ethnicity, alongside chants glorifying terrorist organisations or justifying the October 7 attacks, point to a deeply disturbing reality on campuses that are supposed to be places of safety, learning and equal opportunity.

This is not an abstract issue to me.

My cousin went to university in good mental health, with hope, ambition and every expectation that she would be supported and protected. Instead, she was subjected to repeated antisemitic behaviour.

Her complaints were not taken seriously enough, not acted on firmly enough and not stopped soon enough. The failure to intervene allowed the situation to escalate unchecked.

The result was devastating: her mental health deteriorated so badly that she ultimately had to be committed.

That outcome was not inevitable. It was preventable.

No student should be broken by the very institution that is supposed to educate, protect and support them. Yet this is what can happen when antisemitism is minimised, excused or allowed to continue under the guise of campus tension, politics or free expression.

Universities have legal and moral obligations to ensure students are able to study and live in an environment free from harassment, discrimination and intimidation.

When Jewish students face hostility in accommodation, on campus and in protest settings - and when institutions fail to respond decisively - this becomes not only a safeguarding failure but a leadership failure.

General statements about inclusion are no longer enough. Jewish students need more than vague commitments to wellbeing and diversity. They need targeted protection, clear reporting pathways, robust disciplinary enforcement and visible action from university leadership, student services teams and equality and diversity departments.

This issue demands scrutiny, exposure and accountability. It demands serious national attention.

What is happening on campus should concern anyone who believes universities have a duty to protect their students equally and uphold the most basic standards of decency and safety.

I am asking you to investigate this issue, report on it, and give a voice to those students and families who feel ignored, intimidated or abandoned.

Because when institutions fail to act in the face of antisemitism, they are not neutral. They are allowing the environment that enables it to continue.

Ryan Mendelson,

Activist for Jewish Rights