Readers' corner
Build the mosque
Sir-- Re 'Mosque and myth' ( Al-Ahram Weekly, 19-25 August) why all the fuss about building a mosque near Ground Zero? The mosque is a project of the Cordoba Initiative, an advocacy group that promotes improved relations between Islam and the West. Opposing this community centre is perpetuating the hugely incorrect stereotype that Al-Qaeda and extreme Islam represent the Islamic religion, which is not true. And it incorrectly labels Muslims as responsible for 9/11 when in fact many Muslims and people from other countries were killed in the attack.
President Bush always said this was a war against terrorism but do Americans want to put Muslim Americans into the same category as extremists? How will this make the US a better America? Americans have strength in their diversity if they embrace it. This community centre which hopes to teach tolerance is an opportunity for Americans to fight extremists and terrorists.
I believe that the growing number of Muslims in the US should be able to build mosques to support their population. That only befits the constitution of the United States. Muslims in America have the same right to practise their religion as anyone else.
As a Muslim Egyptian, I support Muslim Americans for building their mosque two blocks close to Ground Zero.
Ahmed Abdel-Tawwab
Cairo
Egypt
Reasonable right
Sir-- Re 'Disemboweling the right of return' ( Al-Ahram Weekly, 19- 25 August) the right of return is a reasonable right and a universal basic human right clearly affirmed by international law. People worldwide regardless of race, religion, or nationality should simply support this basic human right regardless of race, religion or nationality.
Depicting Israel's refusal to respect this basic human right as a war between "the US and Israel" and Arabs and Muslims -- or however you want to help define the supposed clash of civilisations -- confuses the issue, and very much undermines potential sympathy for the very real plight of the Palestinians.
International cooperation is crucial in order to once and for all end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the very real suffering of countless innocent and increasingly vulnerable people.
Palestinian refugees need as many options as possible. Palestinians should not be forced to remain in impoverished refugee camps. Palestinians need to be free to move on collectively and individually, free to return to what is now Israel to become Israeli if that is what some want, or free to relocate to help build a sovereign Palestinian nation- state living in peace alongside Israel, or free simply to live elsewhere.
Anne Annab
Pennsylvania
USA
One church for another
Sir-- I listened to the Minya governor talking about an agreement with a bishop to demolish an old church and build a medical centre for both Muslims and Christians in return for granting permission to build a new church.
I am not sure how the governor gave himself the right to force the bishop and Copts to demolish a church and, in effect, take the land and turn it public (serving the public medical centre).
Yet, the governor appeared on satellite channels claiming he had facilitated the building of the new diocese.
Can the governor force Muslims to demolish a mosque, then give permission to build another?
And you're trying to make us believe that Egyptians are treated equally!
Victor Bebawi
Minya
Egypt
Keeping them busy
Sir-- Re 'Wisdom not gunboats' ( Al-Ahram Weekly, 19-25 August) Shih Yongming has really no reason to be glum. All this is just the usual diplomatic sound and fury, with both sides trying to impress the other but both knowing that neither is as powerful as they pretend to be. It's like two dogs snarling at each other through a fence but knowing full well that neither of them is going to jump over the fence! The positive side is that the US concentrating on China is a US that cannot concentrate on other regions of the world. So much the better for the rest of us.
Michael Kenny
New York
USA
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