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Writing during a period of great religious conflict, John Locke stated that the "toleration of those that differ from others in matters of religion is so agreeable to […] the genuine reason of mankind, that it seems monstrous for men to be so blind as not to perceive the necessity and advantage of it". Over 300 years on and this most basic tenet of European Enlightenment thought – the freedom of belief and religious practice – is increasingly under attack (Report, 12 April). France, where the National Front polled almost 12% of the vote in last year's regional elections, has criminalised the wearing of the burqa and niqab, and in Belgium similar draft legislation passed last year could also come into force. In Holland, Geert Wilders's Party for Freedom (PVV), whose manifesto includes a ban on the Qur'an and an end to all immigration from Muslim countries, became the third-largest party at last year's general election.
In times of austerity it is common for frustrations to be vented on convenient scapegoats. While postwar Europe has been a place of unparalleled freedom and tolerance, we must be alert to the danger of rising unemployment, declining social welfare provision and growing anti-Islamic feeling.
Stefan Simanowitz
London
• The observation of French niqab wearer "Anne" (Facing the ban, 12 April) that the debate on the ban on the full-face veil has led to stigmatisation and hate is also true here. On Monday I attended an anti-racist rally in London outside the French embassy, where peaceful demonstrators protested against the ban on the grounds that Muslim women should not be criminalised for what they choose to wear. We were attacked on two sides by members of the English Defence League.
Over the last few years we have seen how Islamophobia breeds a culture of suspicion. As that morphs into a culture of hate, one must fear for the future.
Liz Fekete
London
