Oppression Of Muslim Men, Too

Editor, Independent Coast Observer

Atop my “self-described pedestal of insipid moral and political righteousness,” I still can’t understand what Mr. Wasserman means. If he means he still doesn’t agree with anything I write, he very thoughtfully admits that he has no political philosophy upon which to base such disagreement.

He then mentions that Mr. Clinton drew upon his own intelligence to formulate his political ideology, and of that there is no doubt. Republicans are thankful to Mr. Clinton and his wife that their political ideology included “Hillarycare,” since they then captured control of the House and the Senate after only two years of the Clinton presidency. After that, Mr. Clinton continued to demonstrate intelligence by going along with Republican programs to reform welfare and control spending, “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and by preemptively attacking Saddam in Iraq and the Serbs in Bosnia and Croatia, even though neither had attacked us.

Leaving Mr. Wasserman’s lack of political philosophy behind, I would like Ms.Rein to consider another point about a lack of basic freedom and liberty in Muslim nations. During the past week we have learned that an Afghan man, Mr. Abdul Rahman, may be executed because he converted from Islam to Christianity. Mr. Rahman courageously admits he is a Christian, and was found in possession of a Bible, so his conviction and sentence are assured. All that remains to save Mr. Rahman is a medical team to judge him insane as his reason for rejecting Islam, or President Karzai to pardon him. Neither of these resolutions of Mr. Rahman’s “crime” of apostasy is acceptable if we are to believe Ms. Rein when she says Muslims have “extreme” freedom, unless she really means that Muslims are free to do exactly what Muslim law demands. Just as prisoners are free to obey their jailers.