Letter in Response to Princeton Incident

Dear Ms. Darwish,
After the incident at Princeton University, I decided to buy and read your book “Now, They Call Me Infidel” to find out just what was so “offensive” that the Muslim student body didn’t want to hear. Apparently, Princeton University doesn’t want to risk offending its Muslim students but doesn’t mind offending visiting Christian speakers; something they should be deeply ashamed of!In any case, I found your book extremely informative along with giving insight into what living in an Islamic society is really like, not what we are told. The book also carries with it a very powerful message; namely your journey from hate and jihad into love and compassion. Most of the facts that you stated in your book, I have verified by many other sources so I know that they are absolutely correct.I quite agree with your conclusion that Islam must be reformed by moderate Muslims if Islam is to become a respectable and acceptable religion here in America and elsewhere. As you stated, it must: (1) renounce and condemn terrorism in any form officially and publicaly either through a “fatwa” or some other means, (2) the penalty of death for apostasy as stated in both the Koran (I have read this also) and Sharia law must be removed. I know of no other religion that officially prescribes such a harsh judgment merely for leaving it.However, my biggest concern is the proliferation of mosques in our country apparently bankrolled by Saudi Arabia. Since westerners are not allowed into any of these mosques (assuming that we understood Arabic which most of us don’t), we have no way of knowing what messages are being given to each local Muslim population; are they of peace and reconciliation or are they merely a repeat of messages of hate and jihad that you experienced in Egypt? Your experience in California strongly suggests the latter and, if so, this is a very scary prospect and will have serious repercussions for us as a country somewhere down the road unless something is done about it.In any event, both my wife and I wish you well in your efforts to educate the rest of us as to the nature of both “Islam” and “Radical Islam” and the important difference between the two. May God Bless you, your family and your work.
Dick Wetherald
Hopewell, New Jersey USA