I came to Dhaka for a visit in June last year when I saw an "incomprehensible" or "confusing" programme on the ATN Bangla TV. It was in fact a Christian religious programme aimed at the non-Christian audience primarily to attract people to the religion.

But I thought the programme was disturbing because the language used in it was so heavily burdened with Arabic theological expressions taken from the vocabulary in Islam that it was almost impossible to tell which religion the programme actually represented. For the Church, the invention might seem good (because installation of alien ideas is easy even into an otherwise unwilling audience), but for the viewer, it is offensive for at least two reasons. Firstly, a disinterested Muslim audience would take it as a clever move to convert them into Christianity by deception, and, secondly, for a Hindu or Buddhist audience, it is virtually incomprehensible and discriminatory because the language and terminology - all were extensively borrowed from Islam only.

So, as far as the viewers are concerned, this type of preaching method would be considered as either deceptive or discriminatory, and will attract criticism rather than ears. Such a method should better be abandoned by the Church in Bangladesh.

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I am not surprised at the news, via Shabbir Bashar of California, that 'Time' magazine has highlighted the anti-Muslim sentiments of a minority of American Christians. The 'Western' media is largely secular and not averse to holding Christianity up to ridicule and such an extreme view sells newspapers. To respond to Azad Miah's invitation to publicise the opinions of such anti-Muslims would be to play right into the hands of an embarrassing minority as well as those determined to believe they are a majority!

The vast majority of 'mainline' churches, and indeed, mainline educational establishments in the so-called 'Christian' world, are working very hard to increase understanding and build up good relationships across all religious communities. For some years, I lived near the city of Bradford, Yorkshire, which had the first, but certainly not the last, Muslim mayor in the UK and the Church of England Diocese of Bradford, and other local churches there, have worked very hard for communal harmony. But the media are rarely interested in such good news. It is much more fun to keep prejudices alive and wind people up!

As Shukla Mirza said, it is good for religious people to study their religious writings and world history and pray - but I would wish also for more dialogue, including here in Bangladesh, but maybe it is happening but quietly among those who do not want it publicised and so spoilt by the intrusion of those who do not understand its motivation and might misinterpret it. I hope so.

As for those who think that Christians (missionaries or not) could take pleasure in fingers being chopped off, or in the tragedy of war - I give up!

Angela Robinson (Rev Mrs), Lalmatia, Dhaka