What Next

Submitted by Fereydoun Dayanim (United States), Dec 9, 2003 at 20:16

Your article reminded me of a op-ed piece I read by Michael Odetalla in a recent copy of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Odetalla has crafted a very clever essay incorporating outright lies, deprecatory, vague and unsubstantiated claims of criminal behavior mixed in with what reads as a nostalgic recollection of happy holidays among Palestinian Arabs.

One would think that an editor should publish such accusations only after verification. A few simple Internet searches would have revealed Mr. Odetalla's extreme hateful views and the inaccuracies of his skillfully disguised hate mongering. The inquirer could have chosen many authentic, humanizing and illuminating examples of the celebration of the Eid by1.5 billion Moslems to highlight our common humanity.

Is this type of reporting the beginning of the same trend in US that now is in full force in Europe? As a Jewish American of Iranian origin I'm very concerned that my children will one day face the same type of hatred I faced as a Jew in my country of birth.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".