A letter to the Editor re “Vilification of Islam”. Star, Feb.17/09.

Letter writer Aliya Khan (who also wants us to know that she is a professor of clinical medicine at McMaster University) is another example of hyper-sensitive Muslims, in all walks of life. Mrs. Khan takes umbrage at the Star’s reference to sharia and the Islamic relationship of the murderer and his victim. I beg to differ: the incident is not “totally unrelated to Islam”, since these two were intimately involved with the Muslim cause and with disseminating a positive view of Islam through their media.

This is an example of how intelligence and education is subordinated to emotion, tribalism and its concomitant religious fanaticism. Mrs. Khan asks “when, will we get past the hateful stereotypes and begin meaningful engagement with one another?” When, indeed! The answer begins with people like her and their hyper-sensitivity to the faintest perceived slight, instead of standing up to the radical Islamists who besmirch and demean all Islam.

Let’s look at the problem from another angle: let’s assume that some fervent Christian, or Jewish, fanatic (of which there are aplenty) followed the dictum of the Old Testament and stoned to death his unfaithful wife. Would not The Star be justified in publishing the fact that this man was an ardent Christian or Jew who killed his wife against all that his religious belief would mitigate? Just asking.