Al-Marayati’s Name Withdrawn

Re “A Loss of Diversity,” editorial, July 12: Addressing Rep. Richard Gephardt’s withdrawal of the nomination of Salam Al-Marayati to the federal terrorism prevention panel is not a simple case of “diversity.” The fact is that Al-Marayati has over the years issued statements that equivocate over the murderous deeds of Middle Eastern terrorists and offer justifications for them. These people have been at war with America and have murdered American civilians and Marines by the hundreds. They are not a fitting object of sympathy by someone who professes to be American.

Al-Marayati should fish or cut bait. However great his sympathy for his ethnic group, he can’t be a soft-voiced apologist for the Middle Eastern terrorists’ “legitimate grievances” that inspire them to murder American soldiers, civilians and diplomats and at the same time demand a seat at the table of a sensitive government agency of the U.S., which as the terrorists’ “Great Satan” is at the top of their target list.

GIDEON KANNER

Burbank

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On the surface, one could see the withdrawal of the nomination of Al-Marayati as merely disappointing. However, for anyone who knows Al-Marayati, the decision is ludicrous. I have known Salam for over eight years and the National Conference for Community and Justice has worked closely with him on many intergroup programs and projects. Salam is not a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He is not a terrorist or one who condones or approves of terrorism. He is an extremely intelligent, thoughtful and articulate individual who has given serious thought to the subject of terrorism, including its causes and consequences, and has spoken out against terrorism, regardless of its source, many times. He also believes deeply in the need to bring all points of view to the table if we are ever going to proceed down the road of intergroup relations.

To exclude from the dialogue an individual who has not only condemned terrorism but who has thoughtfully considered its causes (even if you disagree) will diminish not only the quality of the discussion but the result.

JAMES HILVERT, Exec. Dir.

National Conference for Community and Justice, L.A.