Religious differences

Re “Sacred semantics,” Opinion, April 6

Rabih Alameddine incredibly suggests that “Allah” -- which in Arabic means “God” -- should not be used or, better yet, should be used in English in a non-Muslim context. He concludes that doing so in these troubled times would be creating fewer differences. He correctly points out that English has helped itself to more than 500,000 foreign words over its development. Should we put “In Allah we trust” on our currency? Perhaps we should try to change Irving Berlin’s song to “Allah Bless America.”

Alameddine obviously doesn’t understand that “Allah” has for most non-Muslim Americans taken on a negative connotation because the radical Muslims in the Arab world who commit heinous crimes let the world know that they act in the name of Allah.

Leon M. Salter

Los Angeles

Alameddine’s attempt at subsuming the names of deities falls into a one-sided ecumenical misconception that we all pray to the same god. As an agnostic, I am not certain that I have a god in the fight, but it went conspicuously unmentioned in this piece that the god of the French or Spanish is likely the Christian triune God. Accordingly, it would appear oafish for the Western media to describe Muslims praying to God if their readership would understand this to be describing prayers directed to their triune God. As to the “God” on American currency, don’t get me started.

Michael Brooks

Simi Valley

Alameddine’s main point makes sense only if one believes in a higher power. To those of us who don’t, our reaction is best summed up by this quotation by the late comedian Richard Jeni: “You’re basically killing each other to see who’s got the better imaginary friend.”

Leon Marzillier

Granada Hills