Letters to the Editor, March 23, 2005

Islam: A Problem or a Solution?

Sir,

I read with interest "Islam: a problem or a solution?" by Dr. Habib Siddiqui, and found it very educational and enlightening. There is much that I, as a Catholic Christian, can find to praise, honor and agree with in the Holy Qur’an.

I wonder if you or Dr. Siddiqui would care to enlighten me regarding where the Holy Qur’an says that one should hijack an airliner and crash it into a building full of Americans.

Thank you both for this educational and enlightening article.

John Lindorfer

Editor:

Dear John,

The current conflict, like the ones before, is secular. It has nothing to do with any religion. Wars are fought for resources (OIL, OIL, OIL, in our times). People in Africa and Asia have been invaded by European capitalists for the last two centuries. They fought back until they got independence. Since the end of WWII, the US has replaced Europeans as the world Empire when it invaded Korea, Vietnam, scores of other nations, and most recently the Middle East (starting from 1990).

To answer your question directly, there's no place in the Qur'an that says what you described, exactly like there's no place in the Bible that says Christians should invade and occupy other countries, enslave Africans, exterminate Indians, colonize the entire continent of Africa, and drop nuclear bombs on two cities. Neither Islam nor Christianity should be blamed for these wars and behaviors.

Anti-Iraq War Rallies successful

(Note: Mailing List Information, including unsubscription instructions, is located at the end of this message.)

Rallies and marches against the war and occupations were held in hundreds of cities in the US and hundreds more around the world. On Saturday in Hartford over 1000 attended and the march covered several city blocks. The organizers, speakers, and marchers called for ending the occupations of Iraq and Palestine and for civil rights at home (a song about Rachel Corrie was also included). Photos from the march are posted at these two websites (please send me more pictures from CT and I will post them to both of these websites):

http://www.qumsiyeh.org/march19hartfordrally/

Mazin Qumsiyeh

US Congress Ready to Approve Bill in Schiavo Case -while 100 000 die in Iraq

While this one woman is not allowed to die in dignity - as she would have wanted to - the whole nation is in uproar - but (mostly) silent on the death of more than 100 000 right now in Iraq....and still counting. Beats me.

Angie Badelt, Germany

Shootings in America

It seems Americans get shot almost everywhere - in America. In schools, in restaurants, in shops, in churches - you name it they get shot there. Young, old, rich, poor, by accident and by design. About 65 a day - a sort of internal on-going Vietnam. And they seem to love it. Gun control is quite out of the question. After all, guns make money! In any case - as we all know - it's not the guns that are the problem, it's the bullets that are the problem.

From the outside this all looks extremely stupid to say the least.

Can't they change the constitution to read 'right to bare arms' instead of right to bear arms' and just go and sunbathe on a beach?

Phil Hong

Paul Martin Says No to Bush

When Paul Martin said no to the missile defense nonsense presented by the Warlords south of us he basically said "we have no missiles...to defend"...period. This timely position reflects the greater Canadian will than any other action that he could have taken...or spoken. Whereas George Bush embraces the Apocalypse, believes that the Rapture is upon us, and prays that he can somehow help arrange the final battle upon the plains of Armageddon...as always, the Lord willing.

Paul Martin seems to have little rapport with the fundamentalist driven policies of our neighbour down south, it is only when Bush displays his Corporate underbelly that Martin finds some common ground and can relate. No wonder he looks confused a great deal of the time when pondering the Americans...Paul simply worships money...and I believe, nothing higher or lower to any great degree.

If you try to define American policy to simply a neocon agenda without the umbrella of the scripture, the guiding hand of the prophecies, the crusade against the heathen, you then fail to fathom the real threat before us who do not "believe". Basically Canadians do not believe...in American today(in the simple majority).

Cheers,

Loren Duncan