| Below is a readers' response
to the front page article on the call for the
creation of the Arab and
Muslim
Heritage Commission Regarding "Putting a
face on the Arab world" (Page A-1, Nov. 24):
Bergen Record, 11.29.05
I have no problem with the creation of an Arab
heritage commission if its mandate is to generally
inform the public about Arab and Islamic life, and
so long as other ethnic groups in New Jersey can
have their own heritage commissions if they wish.
However, I am concerned about giving an Arab
heritage commission undue influence over what New
Jersey children will be learning in school. If the
objective is to provide "balanced education" about
the Middle East, why not create a balanced Middle
East commission, rather than one which is aligned
with just one viewpoint?
Comparisons to the Holocaust commission and
Italian heritage commissions are not valid. The
Holocaust commission deals with just one specific
issue, while the Italian heritage commission does
not specifically focus on children's education.
Joseph Chomski
Passaic, Nov. 24 |
The autumn/winter edition of
Banipal Magazine is dedicated to the
memory of Palestinian poet Mahmoud
Darwish.
Click here for more... 
