When I first read the headline, “Israeli air strike kills 7 in Gaza,” I expected the picture chosen to accompany the article was that of a Palestinian woman mourning the death of a relative (Oct. 28). Instead the caption read, “The granddaughter of an Israeli killed in Wednesday’s suicide bombing in Hadrea grieves as his funeral Thursday.” Is there a reason why the Chicago Tribune failed to include a picture of the death, destruction and mourning the Israeli missiles caused in Gaza?

The ongoing case of Jose Padilla should be a major concern for all American citizens who care for their civil rights (“High court urged to take appeal from Padilla,” Oct. 28).

Ray Hanania uses the fear some American Muslims have concerning Halloween as a chance to categorize all Muslims as bigots who are “anti-American and anti-Christian” (“American Muslims sending mixed messages on bigotry,” Oct. 27). It makes one wonder what he would label Christians who also have trouble with this holiday.

In her column “Tribalism that defends Hussein is bereft of sense of decency,” Mona Charen manages to group all Sunni Muslims and all liberals as tribal heathens who care nothing about “morality, compassion and a love of justice” (Oct. 23).

In his column “Media utters nonsense, won’t call enemy out,” Mark Steyn criticizes the media because it did not specify the enemy during the recent fighting in Russia. He claims that the media considers Islamic militants as “the enemy whose name its best never to utter” and thus would rather just label them as “insurgents” or “rebel forces” (Oct. 16).

Although we live in the United States, a country ruled by a Constitution and Bill of Rights which stress an individual’s freedom from government intrusion, the Sun-Times editorial board would rather we live under a repressive, meddling dictator just so that we can live in complete security, free from all threats of outside attacks (“Check prying Patriot, but don’t take all its teeth,” Oct. 13).

The Sun-Times does a great disservice to itself, its reader and journalism by publishing guest columns like that of Joel J. Sprayregen (“Americans slain in Gaza deserve better from U.S.,” Oct. 12).

Since September 11, 2001 Muslim community leaders and activists have been working relentlessly to help non-Muslims understand Islam. Muslim leaders have made countless television and conference appearances explaining that acts of violence and terrorism are not permitted by the religion, and it is unfortunate that there seems to be a vast amount of people who are ignoring that Muslims do take these issues seriously.

I was shocked and appalled to read that a review of a movie, “The Protocols of Zion”, in the Tempo Section of today’s Tribune equates Muslim community leaders with Skinheads and inmates. Moreover, it asserts matter of factly that I, as a Muslim community leader, am by default a “Jew-Hater”; it makes that horrendous statement in bare words without qualification or disclaimer.

Victor Davis Hanson implies in his column that liberals no longer care for people, writing, “the left has often adopted a condescending attitude toward the so-called people, trivializing the folks in the trenches in assorted uniforms and camouflage who supposedly need guidance and moral enlightenment by their elite betters” (“The trenches of our culture wars,” Oct. 7).

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein writes in a letter that the group Sabeel is “belied by its stridently anti-Israel, anti-Jewish message” and has no interest in ensuring that justice for both Israelis and Palestinians comes about when the conflict ends (“Palestinian group questioned,” Oct. 7). Yet Eckstein fails to appreciate how great of a move it is for this group to organize a conference with the purpose of discussing “the active pursuit of justice and peace for Israelis and Palestinians.”

The growing commitment of religious leaders to capitalize on their traditions and holidays as a form of outreach to other faith groups is a wonderful example of the good that comes out of religion (“3 major faiths mark overlapping October holidays,” Sept. 30).

It is hard to understand how the investigation of soldiers allegedly posting photographs of Iraqi corpses on the internet in exchange for access to online pornography has already been dismissed because of lack of evidence. With as much technology as the U.S. Army has, why can it not be concluded without a doubt that soldiers did not post pictures of Iraqi war dead?

It is not surprising, but it is highly disappointing, that the plan to build a Shiite Muslim mosque in Glenview is not being welcomed by many residents in the area. It is not the first time that residents in Chicago suburbs have tried to shut down a plan to open a Muslim house of worship. The excuses have touched on a wide range of subjects, from the fear that mosques would foster terrorism to the typical high-traffic volume issue.

It is fair to say that women in many parts of the Muslim world have been prevented from receiving equal rights with men. But it is not fair to say that the rights of women in Iraq have somehow gotten better because of the presence of American troops in the country, an idea Karen Hughes tried to sell to Muslim women who oppose the war in Iraq.

The lack of understanding towards Islam and the Middle East among Americans was displayed openly in the efforts of Karen Hughes to urge Saudi women to demand more “freedoms” that allow them to “fully participate in society” like women in the United States do (“Saudi women give Hughes as earful,” Sept. 28).

Reading about how 74 percent of Americans do not believe “the goal of overthrowing Iraq’s authoritarian government and establishing a democracy was by itself a good enough reason to go to war” should make all Americans wonder if describing their beloved country as a democracy is still appropriate (“55% reject using force to spread democracy,” Sept. 30).

As the U.N. Security Council prepares to hear Iran’s violations of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, it would be useful to remind them of what happened in Iraq when sanctions were imposed (“Nuclear agency votes to report Iran to UN council,” Sept. 25).

The newest reports of abuse in Iraq by American soldiers is just one more reason why we need to bring our troops home now (“GIs: Beating of prisoners was routine,” Sept. 24).

In the Chicago Tribune article, Terrorists keep the chaos going in Gaza, Victor Davis Hanson does nothing more than point fingers and demonize the Palestinian people. It is true that the Palestinian Authority has seriously lacked in making progress in peace and solidarity with Israel. But the Israeli government is far from “welcoming a democratic Palestinian state” as Hanson claims in his article. The mere removal of Jewish settlements in the occupied territory is not a grand step for peace on Israeli side when there is many innocent Palestinians that die daily at the hands of the Israeli government.