Letters for Nov. 20, 2015 Paris killings are no surprise The killings in Paris last weekend were tragic, but they come as no surprise. Mohammed was a killer, a thief and a sand pirate. He regularly robbed caravans both before
Letters for Nov. 20, 2015
Paris killings are no surprise
The killings in Paris last weekend were tragic, but they come as no surprise.
Mohammed was a killer, a thief and a sand pirate. He regularly robbed caravans both before and after he claimed to be a religious leader. He promoted his new religion by attacking and killing those who disagreed. At one time, he even decided to exterminate all the Jews in one of the cities he controlled.
Those who follow the example of Mohammed are rightly called “Radical Islamists.” The word “radical,” like “radish” comes from the Latin word for root. The root of Islam is Mohammed. Those who follow his example are radicals.
Compare this to Christianity or Buddhism. Both the Christ and the Buddha had loving, peaceful lives and teachings. A “radical” Christian or Buddhist would therefore be rooted in the loving and peaceful teachings of the man they follow. They might actually be so bold as to “turn the other cheek” or “love their enemies.”
There have been, shall we say, “liberal” Christians and Buddhists who became aggressive and violent. I use the word “liberal” because they felt at liberty to act against the teachings of their religion.
There are also many liberal Muslims in the world who are quite peaceful and loving.
I am not encouraging anyone to hate anyone. However, it is simple logic that in a nation like France with millions of Muslims, it is only a matter of time before some of them start acting like Mohammed.
Mark Beeksma
Koloa
All people deserve a chance at a good life
I often have thought about how lucky I was to be born to my parents. The egg from my mother came to this country only because both her parents immigrated and my father’s sperm came because he immigrated as a young man. That fortunate meeting resulted in my birth in this country. Furthermore, I had pale skin and blonde hair. My parents worked hard to send me and my siblings to state-supported universities. I was blessed with such good fortune. I could have been born to a Muslim family in the Middle East who could barely have been able to feed me, and to educate me and keep me safe. What a difference a little luck can make. Surely I can rely on my government to thoroughly vet a less fortunate family so that we can offer them a chance at the life that I was so fortunate to have. Not because I deserved it more than they do, but because I had the luck of the draw in this great game of life.
Leslie Newall
Kapaa
