SIR - I'm a devout Muslim, but those condescending readers who rattle on about so-called Islamphobia annoy me greatly.

If this term means phobia of Islam, I suggest those who use it have a phobia of upsetting Islam at all costs!

Really with what's gone on in the world, particularly September 11, I can understand the masses being Islamphobic, especially after the Nigerian incidents of murder in the name of Muslim fanatics objecting to a beauty pageant.

By and large the British population have been very strong-willed and principled, and can distinguish between Muslims good and bad. To use the trendy politically-correct term Islamphobia to insult some who criticise Islamic atrocities is very much out of order.

After the Bradford riots I expected a backlash from the indigenous population towards Muslims, but it was relatively small if at all and I admire the fortitude of the people who clearly put it all in perspective.

I'd love to hear the political moralists attack the suicide bombers as well as the dubious role of Israel. There is clearly evil on both sides.

M Zafar, Fairbank Road, Bradford 8.

SIR - In reply to Mr Blundell (Letters, November 26). There is no way he would have qualified to be a firefighter.

They have to do three years training which entails physical fitness, courage, and brains. Obviously from his letter he lacks all three.

Farmers do not risk their lives when they go to work nor do builders. Firefighters risk their lives on every shout.

It is obvious he knows nothing about what happens in the fire station and less about the firefighters' work. They do risk their lives to save others.

By the way, Mr Blundell, I do know what I am talking about. I am the proud mother of a firefighter.

Mrs Shirley Hedges, Weston Avenue, Queensbury.

SIR - Are firefighters worth £30,000 a year? They have been taught skills to save lives, prolong lives and to know when to move out when there are no more lives left to save. They are taught to fight fires from above, below and within.

They can cut a car apart in minutes, thus saving lives. They have been the first to intercept a parent who knows that their son or daughter is in the car that they are cutting up and know their child is dead.

They witness the most gruesome road accidents where especially children are victims.

Firefighters respond to every call and enter blazing and often unsafe buildings with no thought for their own safety. They are also the target for yobs throwing stones and punches at them.

I reckon they deserve £30,000 a year and I wish them well.

Philomena Hingston, Leaventhorpe Avenue, Fairweather Green, Bradford 8.

SIR - Re the councillors' recent pay rise. I personally think this is obscene. People used to do the job for civic pride. Now it's how much money they can get.

This money would have been better spent on keeping old people's homes open or some other worthy cause. Ninety per cent of councillors don't need this money anyway. It's just sheer greed on their part.

I intend to stand at the next council elections for no pay. I hope other would-be candidates will do the same and spend the money on keeping essential services going.

Michael Breen, Bolton Hall Road, Bradford.

SIR - I am pleased that Mrs F Smith had a teacher who obviously caught her imagination (Letters, November 25). However, could she explain to the husband of one of the non-dedicated teachers why my wife spends hours after school doing various sports activities with students?

She then spends hours on an evening, after our own children are in bed, preparing lessons, building up her library of resources, spending OUR money (because the school has so little funding from the newly-revamped Education Bradford!) on reference books to use in class.

Our own children say "please" and "thank you" appropriately, not because of their teachers, but because of US. We are the ones who try to instil in them what we believe to be correct moral values.

I believe that Mrs Smith should look at the parents of these teenagers and ask what THEY have done to teach their children right from wrong.

Teachers today are in an impossible situation: hammered by OFSTED, squeezed by Education Bradford, often abused by parents and now wrongly accused in the letters section of the papers.

Mike Abbott, Farlea Drive, Eccleshill.