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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR |
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By Readers
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Judging a book by its cover
When I was watching the news about the Virginia Tech killer, a Korean businessman was saying that this sick act had nothing to do with the shooter being Korean. This reminded me about a saying my father told me and lived by: "Never judge a book by its cover." In a post 9/11 world people are ready to judge a book by its cover without really reading it. I took my shahadah two months before 9/11. I was in the Middle East when the Twin towers went down. I saw firsthand the hate my brothers and sisters in humanity harbored for each other. Like the Prophet (SAW) I will choose not to judge a book by its cover and label a whole nation. I also ask that everyone else not to judge a whole group by the action of a few people.
Asiyah Bint Dawood
Via email
Are Imams Justified in Suing the Airline?
Anti Muslim propaganda in the mass media was responsible for the ordeal of Muslim Imams who were praying at the airport. As this world is not a place of reward, and our courts are geared to implement the law more than impart justice, these Imams can’t be sure if the court will end their agony. Even if they win their case it will harden the attitude of adversaries even more. So why not use our energies for bringing about awakening amongst compatriots about the ordeal of innocent victims of the propaganda of hate and fear, rather than waste them on something with a dubious outcome.
I believe the Imams should withdraw their case and get their promised reward from Allah (swt) for practicing forgiveness and demonstrating patience in face of the ordeal they had to undergo.
Dr. Basheer A. Khan
Garden Grove, Calif.
Bias in mainstream news
I read your whole paper last night and I was very impressed. I am an avid reader of mainstream newspapers, and as I was reading InFocus I could really see the bias of the mainstream news and could imagine how it must feel to be Muslim in this country. Your newspaper must be a lifeline for the Islamic community – they are lucky to have you! I really enjoyed the paper and I will take it to my church.
Blessings on your work.
Holly Derheim
Costa Mesa, Calif.
Sri Lanka Cricket:
Champions of Hope
Tensions are high in the tear drop island of Sri Lanka. Tamil, Buddhist, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and the Singhalese who all once got along so well, are gearing up for another civil war. As guns kill any sight of peace, a glimmer of hope rises with a swing of a bat and a bowling of a ball. It is not just Sri Lankans who witness this hope, but the rest of the world who watched the World Cup Cricket this year.
The hope is the 11 member Sri Lankan Cricket team. The members come from various ethnicities within Sri Lanka, sometimes even warring factions. But when they play cricket, one does not see their ethnicities playing, but one rather sees a sound team playing - the Sri Lankan team.
Even with a civil war looming and their country becoming more divided, they pulled together, communicated, practiced, put aside their differences and decided to cut the "I" out of team.
As countries like Pakistan and India bailed out in the beginning rounds, Sri Lanka destroyed teams like: England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Bermuda, Bangladesh, until it was Sri Lanka vs. Australia in the championship final.
As the final match approached, Sri Lanka was in a fever of Cricket as the violence, tension, and threats all seemed to disappear. Tamil, Singhalese, Christian, and Muslim Sri Lankan’s all talked of cricket rather than impending suicide bombings. The rebel group even signed a truce for the final match as hope seemed to prevail.
But for those who were hoping for a great happy ending to this story, I hate to burst your now cricket fantasy bubble but this is no after school special. The Sri Lankan team lost the final game, and the civil war raged on soon after they lost. But it is interesting how just eleven players who put aside their differences, and played as a team gave hope to an entire nation for peace. Australia did win the World Cup in Cricket, but lost in giving hope to an entire nation.
Arif Khan
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
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