2/17/04, Letter to the Editor, printed in the New York Newsday

(Printed in the New York Newsday, February 17, 2004, in response to “Women Join Ranks of Suicide Bombers” by Wiley Miller)

Mr. Wiley Miller:

Your comic strip published on February 17, 2004 requires comment because of the millions of Muslims who you have callously offended. Perhaps ignorance or just a lack of respect for other religions prompted you to corroborate with Elayne Boosler and caricature her insensitive joke.

As you are fortunate enough to be able to publish your talents in widely-read newsprint, it would have been more useful and accurate to disparage the act of suicide, which is prohibited in Islam, rather than make fun of Muslim women and your conception of their life in bondage.

It is ironic that the major religions have in their original scriptures the very teachings which you have isolated and aligned with Muslim women. I personally can vouch to having seen many movies made in Western countries depicting the old days when girls could only date boys with a chaperone present. Perhaps if we adhered to some of these so-called “old-fashioned” practices, we would not read in newsprint the daily horrific acts of violence perpetrated against women.

Maybe this letter will mean nothing to you and you really don't care, but I do care.

Sincerely,