Oil is the reason we’re in the Middle East

Re “What’s your problem with Islam?” Opinion, Sept. 15

Timothy Garton Ash left off No. 7 in his commentary. Let’s distill it right down to its essence: It’s oil. The Western world has a problem with the fact that most of Earth’s oil resources lie beneath Muslim countries. Do you truly think the Western world would be spending lives and money in the Middle East if all they were sitting upon was miles of sand?

Let’s stop kidding ourselves for once.

JIM GENOVA

Burbank

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The problem not stated is the way Islam treats women; not what they say but what they actually do. In fact, most organized religions have been hijacked by men seeking some sort of power.

In a related way, the conflict over the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance is interesting. I remember as a child, when we saluted the flag before World War II, we pointed our right hand at the flag. This was changed because it looked too much like the Hitler salute. In other words, the pledge is not inviolate but has been changed before. I just am silent when those two words are said, which is my right.

SUSAN C. ACOSTA

Inglewood