On radicalism

I was deeply disturbed and saddened by the interview of Nur Syam published in your paper under the title Radicalism, a reaction to West's failures (The Jakarta Post, Oct. 18).

When are religious leaders like Nur going to stop serving as apologists for the deplorable violence that is perpetuated by terrorists throughout the world? Nowhere does he state as he should unequivocally that this violence is deplorable and inexcusable in all cases.

"Leaders" like Nur are gravely failing their followers by not informing them to put aside hatred. If it is acceptable to view "everything coming from the West as a deviation" does that mean medicine, education, and democracy are deviations?

If "secular regimes fail in formulating social policies" does this imply that religious societies succeed? If so where is the evidence? Afghanistan? The Sudan? Iran? I think not!

Nur reaches his lowest point when he accepts the Palestinian suicide bomber as courageous by offering the canard that they attack "troops". It is a profound disservice to characterize people who have been raised on hatred and intolerance to the point where they commit horrific acts of murder as courageous.

When they hate so much that they disregard their own lives and those of defenseless women and children, how is that anything other than demented and disgusting?

I would suggest that Islamists work within the framework of the secular governments to seek out freedom of religion for themselves and others and not impose their deliverance on non- believers. This is a central tenet of American-style democracy.

A GALLI, Brooklyn, Ny-U.S.