Vandals show their ignorance of American values

I believe I speak for the majority of my neighbors and others in Pittsburgh in condemning the abhorrent vandalism done to the steps of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh ("Islamic Center in Oakland Vandalized on Day of Worship," Jan. 3). The vandals embarrassed themselves by their hateful actions.

They demonstrated that they were unaware that there are American Muslims as well as Muslims who have emigrated from other countries and share our values, our dreams and our desires to raise our families in peace. Their actions were not only criminal; they were contrary to one of the most important tenets of American beliefs: the freedom to practice one's religion.

I live adjacent to the Pittsburgh mosque and recently joined with other neighbors and members of the ICP in working on a solution for the need to provide for the safety of children attending activities at the mosque. We came to a consensus on design issues for a playground, which was also consistent with zoning code requirements. The process had the added benefit of building friendships and a sense of community between the Islamic congregation and the neighborhood around the mosque. We believed our efforts demonstrated the common ethical values of all religions.

We have no differences when it comes to the safety of children. The damage to the property of the ICP can be repaired. The injury to the ability of the children to feel safe in their place of worship and to believe that America is a place of freedom may be more difficult to address. The offense to American values and individual rights was an injury to all of us.

CAROL KOWALL
Oakland

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A universal rule

To the vandals who smeared red paint on the steps of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, which is located in my neighborhood ("Islamic Center in Oakland Vandalized on Day of Worship," Jan. 3): I am surprised and saddened by your act. I wonder how it would make you feel if you returned to your home and saw your front steps, or your room, or your church, or your synagogue or your temple defaced in such a way?

Did you forget that under the First Amendment of our Constitution, we -- you, me and all those living in the United States -- may practice our religion?

Chances are you may not even read this letter, but just in case you do, understand that in all religions of the world (I am a Unitarian) there is one universal truth, and that is, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Shame on you.

BETTY DUQUESNOY
Oakland

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Sowing hatred

Regarding the Jan. 4 Sunday Perspectives column by Frida Ghitis ("Hamas Started This War: The Palestinians, and the Rest of the World, Must Come to Understand This"): No one can deny that Hamas has behaved very badly, but where is the analysis of decades of Israeli occupation of Gaza followed by a persistent blockade of fuel and supplies, of the lives of the 1.5 million who live in Gaza and of Israel's own violations of the recent cease-fire? And we need some discussion about proportionality, about whether the number of people killed by Hamas rockets can justify the more than 500 people killed by Israel thus far.

It is unfortunately an old story, told once about Vietnam, then again about Iraq. Leaders seize on one incident to justify an attack; the media don't question. Only much later do we learn the full story. In the struggle between Israel and its neighbors, this cycle happened most recently in Lebanon, and now it is happening again in Gaza.

Our daughter and her family are Israelis, and we care deeply about their safety. But we know this war will not make them safer; indeed, it will endanger them. It may slow rockets now, but it is also creating another generation of people dedicated to Israel's destruction.

Must we wait quietly as this terrible drama unfolds? We have just entered a new year, a year of promise, a year of "change." The Post-Gazette endorsed that change. Now some of that change must be brought to the Middle East.

MICHAEL and NAOMI ZIGMOND
Squirrel Hill

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Facilitating suffering

By choosing President-elect Barack Obama and a Democratic Congress to lead our country, the American people have voted against disinformation, incompetence and poor judgment. Therefore, I am dismayed by our elected officials' remarks and the easy pass afforded to them by the press about the Palestinian tragedy. For some to equate missiles fired from Gaza to hypothetical missiles fired from Canada against the United States is historically and morally misplaced and does not bode well for the change that our country needs. In the six months leading to this aggression, Israel repeatedly breached the cease-fire agreement through selective military strikes, assassinations and an economic and humanitarian blockade of Gaza.

A factual historical analogy is the Warsaw Ghetto: With the Nazis' savage encirclement of a defenseless people, who among us would have questioned the legitimacy of the Jewish resistance? Our country was on the right side of history then but is on the wrong side now. Hamas is not the fundamental issue; we have materially facilitated the suffering of a people for 60 years. For human rights, our own country and the people of the Middle East, we will do well to reconsider this policy and move beyond the wishes of a lobby that is also damaging the long-term interests of most Jewish people.

By making our support of Israel conditional on her respect for its international obligations, the new administration will gain invaluable credibility with the people of the Middle East. Israel must leave the West Bank and Gaza and recognize the Palestinian statehood before it could possibly achieve peace. As a visibly honest broker, we will deprive Osama bin Laden of his most valuable possession.

MEHRAN ARBAB
Franklin Park

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Outrageous actions

We in the Pittsburgh peace and social justice community are saddened and outraged over Israel's aerial and now ground invasion of Gaza. Although Israel claims its attacks are "fine tuned" to avoid civilian causalities, to date 550 Palestinians have been killed, including 111 children.

The Israelis are being so careful with their calculations that recently three members of its Golani Brigade were killed and two dozen others were injured by one of their own tanks. Is this a repeat of the senseless 33-day war Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006 to obliterate Hezbollah? A war in which more than 1,000 people were killed and Lebanese infrastructure was leveled while George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice gave Israel the green light in the name of fighting the war on terror?

Despite massive protests across the globe, including Tel Aviv, Israel continues the slaughter of innocent civilians and interruption of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.

Also sickening is President-elect Barack Obama's failure to act or speak out against this atrocity. The lame statement of "there is only one president at a time" clouds any expectation of true change for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Will the people of Gaza have to wait until Jan. 20 to see action taken to end this nightmare? Mr. Obama's silence is getting louder and louder.

FRANCINE PORTER
Shaler

The writer is with Codepink Pittsburgh Women for Peace. Codepink is a women's peace and social justice organization with more than 300 branches worldwide.

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Re: M291 funding

A Dec. 21 story suggested that Sen. Arlen Specter, along with nine other members of Congress, knowingly sponsored federal funding for a skin decontaminant for the military (M291) when a superior product was available ("How Earmarks Helped Philadelphia Firm With Defense Work").

Sen. Specter's office thoroughly vets all earmark requests. The fiscal year 2008 request for M291 was made in June 2007 only after staff consulted the Department of Defense and was informed the product was "a legitimate requirement for our ground forces" and would have "definite military value."

In the interest of ensuring that our troops use the best products, the Senate Appropriations Committee formally requested a report from the Department of Defense on its current and future plans for personal decontamination technologies. The Department of Defense provided the requested information in June 2008, and Sen. Specter's office did not request funding for M291 in fiscal year 2009.

Sen. Specter is committed to supplying the troops with the best technology available. M291 has been fielded effectively for the past 17 years; however, if a more efficacious decontamination product exists, Sen. Specter's office will continue to work with the Department of Defense to make sure the best equipment is available to our warfighters.

SCOTT HOEFLICH
Chief of Staff for Sen. Arlen Specter
Washington, D.C.

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These 'cure-alls' have caused the current state of affairs

A free-market economy and less government -- you will hear much talk and rhetoric over the next few months as die-hard politicians and pundits speak out about them as a cure-all for what ails the national economy.

The truth is it was the free market and less government, i.e. little or no government regulation of the financial system, that got our economy into the present "depressed" situation. That is what people and politicians should be reminded of.

FREDERICK J. ROKASKY
Banksville

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