12/17/02, Letter to the Editor, printed in the Los Angeles Times

(in response to “Anti-Islamic Rhetoric” by Salam Al-Marayati)

Dear Editor:

I appreciated Mr. Salam Al-Marayati's commentary (Dec. 11), which calls upon the media to deal more evenhandedly with issues concerning religious extremism. All too often, the religion of Islam is itself a casualty when violent acts committed by marginalized fanatics are reported in the press. The media can no longer afford to ignore the fact that a religion that has 1.2 billion adherents worldwide has a complex demography. Failing to take this into account when reporting isolated acts of violence by a few self-proclaimed Muslims only serves to foster the (Us vs. Them) mentality pervading our country today. Instead of jumping on "The Clash of Civilizations" bandwagon, why not instead help foster the civilized reporting of ideological clashes? By printing articles like Mr. Al-Marayati's commentary, your esteemed daily continues to set an excellent standard of such civilized coverage.

Sincerely,

Dr. Arshad M. Khan