Regional Wars

Your Feb. 28 editorial, “Political Wars in Religious Garb,” should be required reading for your reporters and all TV broadcasters. Too often news stories, in an apparent effort to simplify issues, characterize political power battles and even civil wars solely by the religion of the participants when quite often, as your editorial says, “The true issue is one of secular political power and usurpation, not a clash of Islam and Christianity.”

It may take more space, but identifying the power interests of the players is more likely to lead to an understanding of potential solutions than simply identifying their religion, whether the news is about Nigeria, Indonesia or even Northern Ireland.

VINCENT THORPE

Woodland Hills