Letters to the Editor

Regarding the March 6 article, "A bid to enroll Arabs in US colleges": Are the MIT students reaching out to all Arabs, such as Iraqi and Coptic Christians? Or are they inadvertently perpetuating the "us" versus "them" mentality that critics trace to the prophet Muhammad himself? If the latter, they would not appear to be true "agents of cross-cultural exchange."

Emerson Ellett
Ocean, N.J.

Too many women support patriarchy

In response to the Feb. 21 article, "A generation shift in women's vote," in which a woman was quoted as saying, "I've come to the conclusion that this country isn't ready for a female president": America's reluctance to allow women to participate as full citizens in a male-oriented society is too often aided and abetted by women themselves.

If you don't like Hillary Clinton's agenda, don't vote for her.

If you don't like her gender, wake up and consider what you are saying to idealistic girls about their aspirations.

Diana Jeffreys
Watkinsville, Ga.

Reprinted cartoons represent hypocrisy

Regarding the March 10 article, "Danish Cartoons: One Afghan's peaceful protest": When I think about Denmark, usually the image of savory butter cookies comes to mind. But there is nothing sweet about Denmark these days. Several Danish newspapers last month reprinted cartoons that offensively depicted the holy founder of Islam, the prophet Muhammad. The editors of the originating newspaper, the Jyllands-Posten, justified reprinting the cartoons in response to an alleged plot to murder one of the cartoonists by a few Muslim extremists. As pointed out by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, "what was the need to reprint the cartoons when the police had already apprehended the three people who were alleged to be plotting against one of the cartoonists?"

What's even more troubling is that the same newspaper in 2003 vetoed the publishing of a cartoon relating to Jesus Christ, with the reasoning that caricatures of Jesus were offensive and not funny. We wish the same decency and forbearance were extended in the current situation. Instead, twisted revenge and double standards plague the decision to reprint the cartoons of the prophet of Islam. Sadly, perhaps Shakespeare's Marcellus was right in saying, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

Sohail Husain
New Haven, Conn.

Member, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

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