Was Banning Muslim Scholar a Mistake?

Re “My Fight Against American Phantoms,” Commentary, Dec. 21: Tariq Ramadan, a Muslim scholar with outstanding academic credentials, should understand America’s predicament that many Muslim scholars have not rejected the 7th century ideologues of jihad, holy war and martyrdom. He claims that he believes in pluralism and equality, but he has failed to condemn the sayings of the holy text that there is no god but Allah, women are half of men, and friendship with non-Muslims is forbidden.

Let us hear Ramadan’s message for harmony and peace in this troubled, scared time. We cannot afford to allow any more intolerance and violence in this society.

Nirode Mohanty

Huntington Beach

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The barring of Ramadan is second only to the barring of Cat Stevens in stupidity and shamefulness. America needs nothing more than to engage with moderate, distinguished Muslims to set its head straight about who else is “out there” -- in the rest of the world. It needs nothing more than to stop making a fool of itself in its harebrained pursuit of shadowy “terrorist threats.” Tariq Ramadan? Whom one of our universities thought worthy of a professorship? Who has been a benign presence in America many times?

The only way to atone for such gross idiocy is to have the grace to apologize to Ramadan and roll out the red carpet. For the government to maintain its current position is to show the even greater stupidity of those who don’t know how to acknowledge a mistake.

Miriam M. Reik

New York