Seeking Reason From God and Man

James Pinkerton used his superficial learning to unsuccessfully mask his bigotry toward Islam (“A Young Religion Sharpens Its Sabers,” Commentary, Oct. 9). Indeed, Islam is centuries younger than either Judaism or Christianity. However, to attribute Osama bin Laden’s brutality to that relative historical youthfulness is preposterous and dangerous as well.

Bin Laden does not represent Islam. His voice is favored and amplified by contemporary history due to the colonial relationship the Arab peoples have had and continue to have with the Western powers. Another and probably more rancorous problem is the shared disdain of too many Americans and Western peoples toward Arab peoples--and indeed all things Arab. Hatred takes many forms.

Stuart M. Chandler

Culver City

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Pinkerton’s argument that Islam is more violent due to its “youth” in comparison with Judaism and Christianity is ahistorical. Islam was the first major tradition to actively protect religious minorities and promote education and science, sowing the seeds of modern humanism. And it did so in its “youth,” when such ideas were unfashionable in the Christian world.

Extremists are the same everywhere and at every time. Jewish extremists today still continue to misquote the Talmud to justify Baruch Goldstein’s 1994 massacre of Muslim worshippers in Hebron. Christian extremists today still kill abortion providers or, like Jerry Falwell, talk of the Sept. 11 tragedy as God’s punishment on an “unholy” nation. All of which is nonsense and doesn’t represent the beliefs of the majority of Jews or Christians.

The problems in the Muslim world today come out of poverty and repressive regimes that are the products of colonialism and other recent historical factors. Don’t misconstrue the current fight against extremist criminals as a cultural battle between Islam and a West that believes itself superior. That’s what Bin Laden wants.

Kamran Pasha

Westwood

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Why is it that all of the death and destruction all over the world seems to be in the name of God? Why is it that the Temple Mount and the Western Wall are more valuable than human life? Why do people go to church and synagogue and mosque to pray for victory in God’s name? Where was God when the planes hit the towers? Where is reason?

Leonard A. Zivitz

Fullerton

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The hypocrisy of the world’s religions shines brilliantly during times of war. The Muslims who kill on all days but their “holy day” of Friday. The Christians who kill on all days but bemoan American bombing on their “holy day” of Sunday. What madness and evil spring from the religious mind, indoctrinated from birth in all dogma except common sense?

Sid Turkish

Beverly Hills