The comments under “Freedom and Islam don’t mix” (June 6) cannot be left unchallenged. This is just another piece of offensive, sloppy categorizing. Anyone who submits to the tenets of any religion surrenders some degree of freedom, so in one sense Christianity and freedom don’t mix, especially among the more fundamentalist sects.

But the author seems to be equating freedom with political systems. When it comes to freedom and democracy, the United States is no paragon of virtue. The letter opens with “Over the last 10 years, America has spent nearly a trillion dollars in a noble attempt to bring democracy to the Muslim world.” The United States has been allied with dictators in the Middle East for decades — and still is.

Here is another statement from that letter: “Bush tried to bring it (democracy) through a war of liberation.” Presumably, the author was referring to Iraq. Democracy is not brought to a nation by slaughtering and maiming thousands of its people in an illegal and immoral war.

Check this one: “The act of criticizing the Prophet or denouncing Islam results in death.” Countless people across Europe were persecuted — including burning at the stake — because they didn’t abide by the strictures of various Christian sects. This intolerance of thought was later exported to the Americas and other continents unfortunate enough to become part of some European nation’s empire.

Finally, what about our “democracy” with “Christians” and other non-Muslims running domestic surveillance programs? And, our over-populated prisons?

Bill Bodden

Redmond