10/16/09, Letter to the Editor, printed in The Orange County Register (California)

Peace message affirmed

As a Muslim born in America, news of President Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize was affirmation that a simple message of peace can be a breath of fresh air. The Nobel committee cited Obama's now-famous "message to the Muslim world" in Cairo as the motivating factor behind the decision to give him the award.

This year's Nobel Peace Prize was not only a congratulatory statement to Obama and to America for turning a new leaf in relations between America and the Muslim world with a message of peace, it was also a stark reminder to the so-called Muslim leaders in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran that true harmony between Muslims and other faiths can only be achieved when you allow different faiths to be practiced freely and with tolerance in your own country.

Ahsan M. Khan M.D.

Yorba Linda