How could they resort to such barbarism!?!

Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2007 04:43 AM
Subject: Thank you

Mrs. Darwish,

Last night I attended the speech you made at Wellesley College. I am
sure that you did not feel welcome on our campus after being insulted by
so many in our audience. I want you to know that I am glad, and proud,
that you brought such an enlightening message to our politically
correctness obsessed population.
I, actually, happen to align myself with the mentality you mentioned in
“Obsession,” that America needs to wake up because “we are strangling
ourselves with political correctness.”

Not every person at the event last night is ignorant of the war of
radical Islam and its consequences for women, human rights, democracy
and the West-I certainly am not-and for those students who negatively
represented an unintelligent, and disrespectful side of Wellesley, I
sincerely apologize. You shed light on so many topics last night that
needed to be addressed-points for women’s rights, for religious rights
and for human rights-that were ignored or lost because people felt it
was easier to be offended than to recognize that extremist Islam is a
growing, international problem. I so wish people would have listened to
your message with open minds so that they could have heard what I heard,
that it is an atrocity that “Not offending religion has become more
important than human rights.” I personally agreed with every word you
said and I admire your boldness and courageousness to continue to speak
out for everything you (and I) believe to be true and just.

Despite all my agreements, there was one point last night when I was
confused. The moment came during the dialogue between you and the 2nd
woman who spoke to you after you finished your speech. When she
attempted to debunk your speech and your credibility by saying she had
no frame of reference to the indoctrination and hate speech taught in
Middle Eastern countries, you told her to watch the movie “Obsession.”
At the time I assumed it was a documentary, but I had not heard about
the movie before.

But because I am a student entirely dedicated to finding and promoting
the truth, I decided to research and find out just what the movie was
about, instead of dismissing it and demanding that as a movie it had no
relevance to your speech. I am so glad you mentioned Obsession-I am more
educated for having watched it. And after having watched it I find it
even more upsetting that the women who claimed to know so much about the
prevalence (or lack there of) of radical Islam, knew nothing of this
shocking and groundbreaking documentary and assumed it to be a popular
film. It might be comical if it weren’t so depictive of a world in
denial.

I have researched radical Islam for almost 2 years. I have looked into
Islam as a religious, political, economic, legal and social force in our
modern world and have repeatedly come across the criminalization of rape
in Pakistan under the Hudood Ordinance, women who are awaiting execution
for adultery in Iran and repeated occurences of women’s human rights
violations across the Middle East.

I have seen propaganda that is
indoctrinated savagely into the lives of many Palestinian children. I
have read much of the Qur’an, the Hadith and Sharia criminal law. And I
have seen a distinction between radical and moderate Muslims. Perhaps
this is why I had no trouble agreeing with your speech. But, then
again, it may have been that I wholeheartedly agreed with your words
because my heart desires peace in the Middle East and justice for women
living there.

Please do not look at Wellesley as a place where you made
no positive impact- I, and others, were deeply, positively affected by
your tremendous and desperately needed message. I want you to know that
you are giving me hope to stand up against extremism and to strive for a
more peaceful world; and just as I did last night during your entire
speech, I will continue to pray for you and the words you carry in your
heart.

I know the majority of Muslims don’t agree with the way their religion is being used and hijacked, but unless they speak up, the perception we all have is that there is a very strong correlation between Islam and violence.

Interesting, maybe the redemption will come from Muslim women, who seem to have more cojones than their male counterparts.

Pray spare me a moment to curl into the foetal position and shudder at the obvious threat that poor presentation etiquitte poses to our very way of life. Clearly heckling is the on slippery slope to suicide bombings and unfashionable head scarves.

In protest I shall immediately burn all the scarves I own publicly. For good measure, I have also decided to burn my hats, yarmulke, collection of ladies’ hosiery, gimp mask, and any other head-covering accessories. That ought to show those rude brown people!