Hussain's explanation lacks

Letters

Editor: I see that Mr. Nusrat Hussain, chief editor of the Miracle who published in his paper that severely anti-Semitic write-up by Mr. Steele, was allowed space to explain in the Jewish Western Bulletin. ("Miracle defends controversial article," Bulletin, Opinion, Jan. 23)

I would like to state what I felt about the "explanation" that he gave in the Surrey Leader in the last week of January. It was the same as in the Bulletin, but he left out some things he had said in the Leader. [Editor's note: The content of Hussain's letter likely varied because the editors of the Bulletin and the Leader edited Hussain's original submission differently, not because Hussain wrote two different letters.]

In the Leader, Mr. Hussain talked about attempting to communicate with better understanding and promote love? His ways and thoughts are strange indeed – he did the opposite.

He said to sustain harmony you must bring truth, then in the next line he said Mr. Steele told "lies." In the next breath, he said we must have freedom of speech so that truth can be told. Again, I say that is strange thinking.

Mr. Hussain said he expected Jews and Muslims to give a response in a "befitting" manner. There is no "befitting" manner of response to a bitter, abusive criticism or denunciation (the dictionary calls this diatribe).

But the most insane excuse that Mr. Hussain gave was that he had not given "one iota of thought to what the outcome would be" when he published this despicable article of Steele's.

You, Mr. Hussain, talk about promoting love (although your actions did the opposite) and I know that if the shoe were on the other foot, the situation reversed, you would be outraged at the treatment you were receiving.

Laureen Moe, member of the
Jewish-Christian Friendship Circle

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