Dishonest reporting

Editor: It's unfortunate that you are feeling uncomfortable that the Canadian public is having an opportunity to listen to the other side in the Arab-Israeli debate. Your unease apparently extends to any Arab activity including those that are not even related to the conflict. Indeed, when it comes to issues that matter a great deal to Arabs, you and organizations like yours, have consistently taken an antagonistic stand.

In your Feb. 28 editorial, "Take it into the streets," where you complained of the many pro-Palestinian activities in February, you included the Philosophers' Café that is organized by Adala – Canadian Arab Justice Committee.

The Philosophers' Café's four topics for this year have long been advertised and none of them relate to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Under the general title of Debating Arabs, the topics are Feminism, Democracy, Hyphenated Identity and Portrayal of Arabs in the Western Media. The first two have already been covered and the subject of Palestine never came up.

Undoubtedly, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the suffering of the Palestinians are at the root of almost every Arab debate, but you were off mark on this one and displayed an outright dishonesty in reporting.

If we are to truly have good understanding of each other (not only between Arabs and Jews), dialogue is the most effective and civilized approach. We don't have to agree on everything, just like I rarely agree with some of my good Jewish and pro-Israeli friends and clients, but you apparently chose to shoot down the messenger.

Riadh R. Muslih
Member of Adala – Canadian Arab Justice Committee and editor of Al Shorouq Arabic newspaper