Aisha Mohamed and Nadeen Ibrahim, Muslim students at the University of Colorado Denver, share a laugh on the Auraria campus. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)
Re: “Muslim-Americans in metro Denver fear backlash after terrorist attacks,” Dec. 13 news story.
As I read your article, I was taken back by the intolerance on the part of some folks toward our fellow human beings, in particular toward Muslims. As a former history teacher, I’ve often wondered how I would react if I had been in Germany pre-World War II during the scapegoating of Jews, gays, intellectuals, etc.
The Germans were filled with fear, and they reacted irrationally to Nazi propaganda. Americans today are afraid, and history is replete with examples of societies that acted irrationally out of fear that led to their ruin. History is also replete with examples of people who have shown great courage against evil because itap the right thing to do. How will we act?
Richard Bluhm, Westminster
This letter was published in the Dec. 21 edition.We all can agree that jihadist and terrorist Muslims should be kept from entering the U.S. and if already here, found and jailed or deported. But what about moderate Muslims? How do we know that they are moderate? How do we know that they won’t become radicalized? Do they want to assimilate and become true Americans? Or do they want to live in ethnic conclaves and establish sharia law?
Islam is a political system, not just a religion, that yearns to dominate the world and establish sharia law, is intolerant of “infidels,” and is way short on women’s rights.
A number of European countries including England, France, Denmark and the Netherlands have found that many Muslim immigrants do not want to assimilate, and show little respect for local culture, values, tradition and laws. Do we need to repeat their failed experiments?
Herb Giefer, Evergreen
This letter was published in the Dec. 21 edition.Thanks for these words in your article: “People in the local Muslim community stress that they’ve also received overwhelming support,” from Christians, Jews and others.
And thanks for the photo of two University of Colorado Denver students sharing a laugh about their experiences as Muslims since the San Bernardino shootings and Donald Trump’s comments about Muslims.
Your balancing the news rather than focusing only on the “fear” elements in our behavior gives a truer picture of Denver and is an element in forming helpful reactions to the problems of these days. Reporter Colleen O’Connor’s article gave us help to understand the present situation of Muslims living in Denver. We all want Denver and our world to work together for the betterment of all.
Annabel B. Clark, Denver
This letter was published in the Dec. 21 edition.Concerned that Islamaphobia is taking over? It may be for a reason.
Consider what would happen if a group of Catholics started terrorist attacks and claimed it was based on God and their religion. Itap a fair bet that every Catholic on the planet would rise up in loud protest and denounce that group and deny they have anything to do with real Catholicism.
But thatap not what happens among Muslims. A few outliers give lip service to the notion that the terrorists don’t speak for real Muslims.
Itap time to speak up and be heard. You’re either for us or against us and right now your silence speaks volumes. Pick a side and get on it.
Edwin R. Anderson, Arvada
This letter was published in the Dec. 21 edition.
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