In the editorial "Algeria's Fundamentalist Vote," Jan. 2, the overwhelming victory by the Islamic Salvation Front is depicted as "a protest vote against the corruption and mismanagement they [Algerians] associate with the long-ruling National Liberation Front," and not a vote for Islamic values. I remember the same opinion was expressed when the Iranian people demonstrated against the shah and for the Islamic Republic.
When is the West going to realize that there is a genuine movement among Muslims toward Islamization in different countries? Once Muslims are allowed to have a free parliamentary election, as in Algeria, they show their true feelings. Comments like "It's too early to assume that Algeria has veered toward some kind of dark age," show a lack of respect for the people's choice. Reza Fassihi, Denver, Colo.
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