ÎAfghan' remark insensitive, stupid, chicken and uneducated

"The dumbest dog in the world is the Afghan."

I saw this sentence in the Sept. 6 Arizona Daily Wildcat, page 10. This is a very eye-catching and yet sensitive statement. It might be true, if you mean what you say; and maybe you should put this under "Fast Facts."

If you mean something else, however, you are just a little bit chicken to show your stupidity and how uneducated you are. After all, it is not that funny.

Chiho Wong>
mathematics graduate student

Islam is not a peaceful religion, but one of religious imperialism

I take issue, as usual, with Marriam Durrani's stance in her Friday Face Off column," Ignorance is in Session." Ironically, to equate the Muslim terrorists of Sept. 11 with the people that died at Waco smacks of ignorance. The men, women, and children that died at Waco were members of a non-Christian cult. They severed ties with Christianity when they proclaimed David Koresh their messiah.

However, the Muslim terrorists were followers of mainstream Islam. Islam is not a religion of peace; it is one of radical imperialism. It was founded with the edge of a sword, and demands that it be spread in a like manner.

These verses are from the Koran:

· O believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you. Let them find firmness in you. (Sura: 9, Ayat: 123)

· You will be called to fight a mighty nation; fight them until they embrace Islam. (Sura: 48, Ayat: 16)

· Then fight and slay the pagans wherever you find them. And seize them, beleaguer them and lie in wait for them, in every stratagem (of war). (Sura: 9, Ayat: 5)

· Fight against such of those to whom the Scriptures were given · and do not embrace the true Faith, until they pay tribute out of hand and are utterly subdued. (Sura: 9, Ayat: 29)

· Make war on them until idolatry shall cease and God's religion shall reign supreme (Sura: 8, Ayat: 39)

The verses speak for themselves. I am not saying that there are no peaceful Muslims. I am saying that those that are peaceful are so in spite of their religion, not because of it.

Silas Montgomery
history freshman

Column disrespects Safehouse by attacking its smoking policy

As a new member of the UA community, I have enjoyed the spirited, if often immature, staff commentaries in each day's paper. I generally write them off to youthful exuberance and leave it at that, but Mr. Wilson's commentary on the fate of several local restaurants in the face of the city of Tucson's smoking ban irritated me.

His elitist attack on the four restaurants in question and the Safehouse in particular could not go unchallenged. Mr. Wilson stated that he "won't shed any tears if and when the Safehouse closes its doors for the last time."

This comment makes me wonder if he has spent any time at the Safehouse or even talked to some of the many people that make up the loose community of regulars. I tend to doubt he has ever spoken to the young couple that own the shop. Few who have heard the story of how they built a thriving business by working 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., hours by themselves for most of the first year, are unimpressed. Perhaps he has not heard that they publish a literary magazine. Or perhaps as a young man with a "bully pulpit" he does not feel he needs to consider things that might contradict his assumptions.

I hope that in the future, Mr. Wilson will take the trouble to look at all sides of a story, and not just his predetermined views and the "straw men" he stands up to oppose them. His questioning of the need for hardship exemptions to the smoking ban demonstrates his lack of respect for the hard work put into the building of a small business by its proprietors. Perhaps he will have the honor some day of meeting some folks who work as hard as Jay and Aaron, the owners of the Safehouse. And perhaps on that day he will realize that issues are not generally as black and white as we would like them to be. Then we can welcome him to the wonderful world of grownups where most things appear in shades of gray.

George Marsden
computer science sophomore

Middle-aged students know their effort pays off in the real world

I'm a middle-aged student and yes, I do sit in the front of class and I do ask many questions that seem pointless and time-consuming.

Once, I was an 18-year-old freshman. I hated those middle-aged students in my classes too. I thought of them as the ultimate in losers. I swore I would never be one.

Then, I graduated and went to work. I worked for 13 years as a graphic designer.

At first, it was really great to see my work on billboards, in magazines and on packages in the store. As the years wore on, I started to dread going to work. I really hated it. No amount of money was enough. I worked in a Chicago ad agency. I had a chance to go back to school and pick a different career.

Now, I am in your classes, wasting time, asking dumb questions and answering all the questions on the quiz correctly. This skews the bell curve. Sorry ÷ you gotta study hard. Think of it as preparation for the working world, which is far more frustrating.

Lisa Elliott
psychology senior