In the Dec. 18, 2004 edition of the Whidbey News-Times, James Bruner did an excellent job of beating on the Christians and how they spread their beliefs to many parts of the world. He failed or maybe did not know how Islam was spread across many parts of the world – by force and the bloody wars in Spain, which in time drove the Moors back to Africa.

The Christian faith is not the only faith guilty of maltreatment of those who have a different belief. Even today in the Mid-East, one hears of about the mass killings by Muslims of innocent men, women and children, in the name of Allah, or anyone they want to give credit to. I lived in Iran for three years and tried to blend in with the people and their ways. I was invited to weddings, family gatherings, celebrations of many types and was welcomed into their homes when a member of their family died. Yes, that was the good side of those people I remember and tried to understand. But I also saw those same people, I worked with, go on a rampage of destruction and killing because some ayatollah or mullah said to do it in the name of Allah.

So Mr. Bruner, what is the difference between destruction in the name of God or Allah? Even now, the Shiites and Sunnis are engaged in a deadly war against each other in the name of Allah. So those of the Christian faith are not the only ones guilty of killing in the name of their god.

Robert D. Brown

Oak Harbor