NYT- For Muslim Who Says Violence Destroys Islam, Violent Threats

[maddezmom]

March 11, 2006
The Saturday Profile
For Muslim Who Says Violence Destroys Islam, Violent Threats
By JOHN M. BRODER
LOS ANGELES, March 10 — Three weeks ago, Dr. Wafa Sultan was a largely unknown Syrian-American psychiatrist living outside Los Angeles, nursing a deep anger and despair about her fellow Muslims.

Today, thanks to an unusually blunt and provocative interview on Al Jazeera television on Feb. 21, she is an international sensation, hailed as a fresh voice of reason by some, and by others as a heretic and infidel who deserves to die.

In the interview, which has been viewed on the Internet more than a million times and has reached the e-mail of hundreds of thousands around the world, Dr. Sultan bitterly criticized the Muslim clerics, holy warriors and political leaders who she believes have distorted the teachings of Muhammad and the Koran for 14 centuries.

She said the world's Muslims, whom she compares unfavorably with the Jews, have descended into a vortex of self-pity and violence.

Dr. Sultan said the world was not witnessing a clash of religions or cultures, but a battle between modernity and barbarism, a battle that the forces of violent, reactionary Islam are destined to lose.

more:http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/11/international/middleeast/11sultan.html?hp&ex=1142139600&en=4fdceb6c0558787e&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[Igel]

1. It was a great interview.

On the other hand, as soon as the jerk pronounced her a heretic, you know the death threats would start coming in.

I'm rather surprised she's still breathing.

[Colorado Blue]

2. I hope she'll be safe.

The article links to the interview, I think.