Columnist degrades religion of Islam

We would like to express our disappointment and frustration with comments written in Monday, Monday on Aug. 30. As always we defend the right of The Chronicle and its columnists to write and print freely. But the multiple choice question referring to Muslims was the promotion of a stereotype that is unwarranted, unnecessary and untrue.

For centuries Jews and blacks have been the object of open and accepted anti-Semitism and racism which we oppose. Today, as this has become "socially" and intellectually unacceptable, new scapegoats for societal problems arise and new stereotypes become accepted.

The concept that Muslims are all terrorists or radicals is one of these growing stereotypes. We do not condone the actions of terrorists in America or abroad. But we also do not condone putting all Muslims into the category of violent terrorist. Islam is a 1,400 year old religion with Abrahamic roots. Islam has a history of great science, art, scholarship and deep faith. The many Muslims one Duke's campus have expressed this faith openly and strongly. This is what they do as committed Muslims. They are not people we should fear but people we should respect. As we do.

Michael Landy

Duke Hillel Foundation

and eight others