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I have visited the middle east and was impressed by the kindness and hospitality of its people. I listened to heart-wrenching stories of displaced Palestinians unable to return to their homeland. Some still carry in their pockets the keys to homes they were forced to leave. The Palestinian people are warm, compassionate and intelligent and deserve our respect. The suicide bombers are individuals, not an entire people. Annette Thomas Clarkston, Mich.

Any hopelessness or despair the palestinians feel should be directed at a leadership that has sold them out. For the good of all in the Middle East, let's hope a leader who truly has the Palestinians' interests at heart comes forward.
Richard Hanus
Chicago

The Koran: A Study

To those who objected to the plan by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for incoming freshmen to read a book about the Koran [Nation, Aug. 19], I would note that every religion, past, present and future, is a fit subject for academic study anywhere. Those who are suspicious of the idea probably have a dripping ax in their closet.
ALLEN N. WOLLSCHEIDT
Chandler, Ariz.

Encouraging freshmen to read a koran that omits certain militaristic verses doesn't serve the purpose. If the goal is to understand the mind of the jihadists, then the students should read the same version of the Koran that the young men in jihadist training grounds are reading. I can't help wondering, however, if the world wouldn't be a better place if the jihadists read the modified version.
ARCHANA SRINIVASAN
Milpitas, Calif.

Too Yummy to Ignore

Perhaps weight-conscious people will discover that the hormone pyy, a powerful appetite suppressant, is just what they have been looking for [Health, Aug. 19]. Some of us, though, just want to know more about that fabulous chocolate cake you pictured!
ANDREW MARTIN
Geneva, Ill.

A Sorehead at 60

Garrison Keillor, who griped about the trials of turning 60 [Essay, Aug. 19], is doing his bit to keep crankiness alive and well. Do us all a favor, Garrison. Take a page from Eskimo history. Head north, and put out to sea on an ice floe.
ANTHONY SINSIGALLI
Eastham, Mass.

I nominate keillor for the post of pre-eminent elder statesman. It's refreshing to see a real face and not a mask.
HOWARD F. STEIN
Oklahoma City, Okla.