LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Oklahoma City Coverage Unbalanced

To the Editor:I am writing this letter in regard to the bombing in Oklahoma City and the front page article in the DP ("Nation Shocked By Oklahoma Blast," DP 4/20/95). I, like every American, was utterly shocked and dismayed by the senseless killing of innocent people. I grieved the death of the men, women and especially children who were indiscriminately slaughtered by people whose actions defy explanation. I searched my heart for an answer to the question everyone was asking: Why? Why must innocent people die so senselessly and so indiscriminately to make a political statement? With these thoughts I struggled to fall asleep last Wednesday night. Thursday morning I picked up the DP and read the article on the tragedy. When I read this article my heart was broken a second time, this time not by the tragedy but by the accusations of guilt. How is it that I could have had any connection with this senseless tragedy? How is it possible that I would even think of condoning such an act? As shocking as these questions may seem, this is precisely what the article alleges. Being a Muslim, I was very hurt by the rather indiscriminate allegations made by Professor Stephen Gale. The article made no attempt to explain that the vast majority of Muslims here in the United States and through out the world have not, do not, and will not condone or support terrorist activities. In fact, Professor Gale, when he made the comment that there are a lot of Muslim fundamentalists in Oklahoma City and that until now there has never been any problem between them and the general public, went out of his way to give the impression that average Muslim Americans do condone and support such activities. This statement gives the impression that the Muslims of Oklahoma City were responsible for this tragedy. In reporting on this tragedy the least that the DP could have done is to give the Muslims on this campus the opportunity to respond and give there point of view. The lack of such a viewpoint makes the article nothing more than an editorial that was badly out placed on the front page. This article, like many other things, including the exclusion of Muslims from the Prayer Services on Sunday, points to the growing racism against Muslims here in the United States. The saddest part of this growing trend is that the racism is popularized and legitimized by the biased media and its so called "experts." I would like to end this letter with two caveats. This event shows us that we should in the future refrain from jumping to conclusions based on such racist notions. It also points out the need for us as Americans to re-evaluate our stereotypes; there is enough hatred and violence in the world today, we do not need to add fuel to the fire. I hope we, as tomorrow's leaders, will take these admonitions to heart. Shabeer Abubucker Engineering '97 Muslim Students Association Publicity Director An Irrelevant Color To the Editor: In the Tuesday issue of the DP, Jamil Smith ("Interpreting the Color of Jesus," DP 4/25/95) wrote a column in order to prove that Jesus was a man of color. Whether he was or not is irrelevant! What is relevant is how and what exactly he tried to prove. Jamil was so fanatical about proving history wrong that he misconstrued and quoted out of context the most sacred piece of his religion, the Bible. In his column, Jamil cites two sections of the Bible in which it says "hairs?like wool." Well, he was right, it said that. However, in order to get his point across he neglects to quote fully: "The hair of his head was a white as snow-white wool." (The actual Revelation 1:14) The point is that some of us Christians might get slightly offended when you try to rewrite the bible. Also, try not to sacrifice the journalistic integrity that any newspaper columnist should respect when putting a quotation in print. Now, the more important point is -- who cares what color he is? Jamil, and any other people who are really pondering what color he is should sit down and really think about what Jesus's life was all about. If you did, then you would realize that it is the values and the beliefs that this incredible man left behind that should really matter. Anyone who calls themself a Christian, black, white, or purple, should only care about leading the life that Jesus taught us to lead. If a Christian is really worried about the color of Jesus than he or she is totally missing the point. Jamil, if the color of Jesus is really that important to you than maybe you should go back to Sunday school and learn what it really means to be a Christian. Anthony Napoli Engineering '98 Too Little, Too Late To the Editor: In response to the DP's appeal to the University to voluntarily open the tenure process and its records to the public before the next "unpopular decision," it appears it's too late! Kenneth Keltai Fine Arts graduate student '96 (one signature follows) No Longer the Editor To the Editor: We are writing in reference to a comment in this week's 34th Street Magazine. In "Street Society" there is a reference made to J. Christopher Robbins and a photograph under which he is referred to as an "Editor" of The Red and Blue. We would like to make it clear to the Penn community that J. Christopher Robbins and Jeremy Hildreth have no ties whatsoever to the new editorial board of The Red and Blue. We wish to put on record the fact that J. Christopher Robbins and Jeremy Hildreth are neither members of our Editorial Board nor officers of the publication in any capacity. Contrary to information that appeared in the DP on Thursday, April 13th 1995, J. Christopher Robbins is not a "Senior Editor." Such an appointment was never made, in fact, such a position does not even exist within our organizational framework or constitution. We would also like to make it clear that the group known as "The Red and Blue Society," which is headed by J. Christopher Robbins, is in no way connected to The Red and Blue. J. Christopher Robbins's tenure as Editor-in-Chief of The Red and Blue ended at the beginning of April and he will not be representing or working for the publication in the future. We are happy to inform the campus that the next issue will be distributed at the beginning of next week and hope that you will judge the new board of editors on the basis of the May 1995 issue. Thor Halvorssen Editor-in-Chief, The Red and Blue (2 signatures follow)