Dear Editor,
I am MunirAtalla, a freshman here at Tufts. I have been enjoying the Daily since the first issue you published this school year. I am an aspiring journalist and hope to one day write for the Daily. Recently, however, I was disheartened upon reading the Oct. 11 op-ed entitled "In Search of a Two State Solution." I understand that with an opinion piece, the writer is entitled to his own views, whatever they may be, but when someone presents something untrue as factual, it ceases to be a matter of opinion and a matter of the author's own journalistic integrity. I am referring to freshman Ayal Pierce's likening of Lecturer Sa'edAtshan to the known terrorist organization Hamas.
I am in one of Atshan's classes and was shocked to read this comment. Atshan openly opposes violence in all its forms; he comes from a Quaker background. Likening his views on a one-state solution to Hamas because he is Palestinian is like an outsider calling President Barack Obama a Tea Partyer just because they are both American. I can tell that the Daily is trying to encourage dialogue on this issue, but is this type of inflammatory article really moving either side toward understanding and peace? I hesitate to call this racism because it is something that should never be taken lightly, but in his summary of the event, Pierce has accused a human rights advocate and pacifist of sharing the views of terrorists simply because he is of Palestinian origin.
Anything written on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is bound to be controversial. It is a highly sensitive issue, but isn't there a difference between controversy and sensationalism? I respect the Daily for portraying both sides of an issue and the last thing I would ever suggest is any type of self-censorship, but this article made me think that some articles are suitable for personal blogs and some are suitable for campus newspapers. As I'm sure you know, when Pierce writes something like "Contrary to popular belief, being pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian are not mutually exclusive," readers assume that Atshan has said that one cannot be pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian, when in fact, one of his opening statements was that he believes in the right of both states to exist. Atshan is visiting our campus from Harvard; I cant imagine that this is the Jumbo hospitality that he expected.
Sincerely,
MunirAtalla
Class of 2015
