Letters: Oct. 4, 2004

The Struggle Within Islam

"The task of moderate Muslims has become much harder, but we must redouble our efforts to reclaim our faith from those who defile it."

HASAN ZILLUR RAHIM

San Jose, Calif.

YOUR STORY DESCRIBED A BATTLE FOR the soul of Islam between tolerant moderates and hateful extremists who are a threat to all [Sept. 13]. You seemed to link religious piety with violence and terrorism. That is a simplification, and it misses the point that faith and consciousness of God make people, especially devout Muslims like myself, better individuals. My faith teaches me that one day I will be held accountable for my actions in front of the Almighty and that I must do as many good deeds as possible. I realize this is not true for extremists like Osama bin Laden, but millions of other people of faith and a majority of Muslims feel the way I do.

EHSAN POONAWALLA

New Brunswick, N.J.

ALTHOUGH I AM A CHRISTIAN, I DO NOT view my beliefs as superior to those of Muslims. Nor do I think all Muslims are like the very small minority of extremists. The so-called fundamentalists who would kill because they say Allah told them to are not true religious believers. They are murderers. Let's call them what they are and give them the punishment they deserve.

DAVID PRICE

Austin, Texas

WHY IS EVERY WRONG THING DONE BY Muslims automatically blamed on Islam? Does anyone imagine that there would be instant peace in the Middle East if all Arabs were to convert to Christianity? Would Palestinians have more positive feelings about being dispossessed if they were all Christians? Would Iraqis feel better about years of crippling sanctions and bombing if they were of another faith? Would they look more kindly upon the torturers at Abu Ghraib? No. Palestinians and Iraqis would be committing the same violence but perhaps using biblical verses to justify it. Rather than analyzing the holy books of each religion, it would be more productive to address the social, economic and political reasons that motivate people to commit violent acts.

SARAH AZIZ

North Haven, Conn.

THERE ARE PARALLELS BETWEEN FUNDAmentalist Christianity and radical Islam. Both see no valid interpretation of Scripture other than the literal one. Both use propaganda and fear to win over skeptical moderates, and both see religious compromise as a sign of weakness. The rise of radical Islam along with unbending, uncompromising tactics within the U.S. by neoconservatives is a recipe for disaster. The U.S. war on terrorism simply fuels the flames of hatred in the Middle East. I have trouble deciding what scares me more, radical Islam or fundamentalist Christianity.

LESLIE B. STAHL

Cincinnati, Ohio

ISLAMIC COUNTRIES HAVE A LONG, VIOlent history of internal struggle. Most people know better than to get involved in a domestic squabble. Rather than lose more innocent Western lives, why doesn't the U.S. just withdraw and let those people fight it out among themselves?

SAM WARREN

San Diego