To the Editor:
After reading Mr. Feoktistov's article from The Dartmouth ("Preaching Hatred at Dartmouth," June 29), it seems to me that a few Dartmouth students have forgotten that an article or a paper or any piece of writing is supposed to consist of at least a small amount of original thinking.
Quoting out of context, repeating the same old mindless cliches (Muslims are required to kill Jews, for instance) and using banal inflammatory arguments (for instance, "...seems to have a fondness for militant violence"), Mr Feoktistov's article is a mere reproduction of any piece written by Daniel Pipes, Michel Houellebecq and other writers who seem to enjoy lambasting Muslims.
I could very well have been reading a Middle East Forum article and not one written by a Dartmouth student.
I am not even going to delve into the argument regarding the merits of the verses and explanations Mr. Feoktistov quotes out of context because I will then be committing the same offense that I am accusing Mr. Feoktistov of -- namely plagiarism.
Muslim writers and scholars have clearly explained the circumstances behind the revelations of the verses and traditions that are supposedly "anti-Semitic" and are available on the internet for everyone to read.
As a past president of Al-Nur and board member for several terms, I can, however, assure you that the presence of what Mr. Feoktistov claims to be "filth" is not meant to incite "anti-Semitic" violence or any type of violence for that matter and is meant for "informational purposes" only.
Quite frankly, I was quite unable to find the infamous "tanks, guns, missiles, atom bombs" explanation. I wonder if I could find it on the Middle East Forum website.
