A Voice That Must Be Heard

Submitted by Richard L. Rubenstein (United States), Aug 26, 2003 at 11:04

I have been acquainted with Daniel Pipes since he was a student in Boston . On one or two occasions during his adult career, we have both been participants at scholarly conferences, but my real acquaintance with Dr. Pipes has been his published writings and books. Like Dr. Pipes, I have a PhD from Harvard (History and Philosophy of Religion). I also have an STM from Harvard Divinity School and the MHL and rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological of America. In spite of this training that included a required course on Islam at Harvard, it was not until I read Dr. Pipes' writings starting in the early 1980s, especially In The Path of God, that I came to a balanced understanding of Islam. I am very much in his debt intellectually.

I am also dismayed by the behavior of Senator Kennedy and some of the other Democratic senators. If they cannot distinguish between legitimate scholarly inquiry and propaganda and do the dirty work for the propagandists, there is a serious lacuna in the understanding of radical Islam by an important segment of our legislative leadership. Daniel Pipes is a voice that must be heard for the safety and security of the nation.

Richard L. Rubenstein
President Emeritus
Distinguished Professor of Religion
University of Bridgeport

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