Athletics facilities just as important as chem labs
Re: “Fuck Football” (Oct. 27)
In response to Gil Hagi’s derogatory remarks regarding Varsity Football directly, and all varsity athletes indirectly, I would like to offer a defense. First and foremost, varsity sports are an integral part to every major university, including those that are known for research. As a varsity athlete, my chosen sport of football has been a major part of my university experience, one that has been extremely positive, regardless of our record. With this in mind, a football stadium is as important to me as a chemistry laboratory may be to you, Gil. Football may not interest you and your cronies, just as chemistry experiments do not interest me, but a chem lab and a football stadium are essential to our university experience.
Secondly, in your opinion, varsity sports, and football in particular, are not important to the student body. The referendum was not an accurate sign of this because the tuition levy was introduced at a time when government talks about deregulating tuition scared students to death. When you take into consideration the thousands of athletes that participate in over 80 varsity sports and dozens of intramural teams, it is hard to ignore the fact that sports do matter at U of T.
A new stadium is in the works, son, and it will benefit all of us student athletes who not only manage to succeed at academics but can also excel in sports. When the stadium is finished we will be very happy. As for individuals such as yourself who denigrate sports now, your future presence and possible support in the new facility will not be welcome.
Bob Vranich
Cross about religion lecture
Re: Scholar links religions through similarities (Oct 30)
The lecture “Abraham, Moses and Jesus in the Islamic Tradition,” delivered by Dr.Jamal Badawi while well intentioned obscured some problematic issues particularly between Christianity and Islam. It was quite shocking to read that regarding the crucifixion of Jesus, Badawi stated that whether Jesus was crucified or not “makes no theological difference to Muslims!” This runs counter to the statement in the Qur’an 4:157 that Jesus was not crucified or killed at all! If Badawi admits the overwhelming evidence both in the New Testament and the secular sources of the time that Jesus was put to death by crucifixion, then the Qur’an’s statements on this subject are simply fallacious.
It is quite clear that while Badawi seeks to harmonize the Christian and Islamic views of Jesus, this is an impossible task. The Jesus of Islam is not the Jesus of Christianity. Islam asserts that Jesus is not the Son of God, Christianity asserts that He is the Son of God. Both these statements cannot be true at the same time. On this issue, the twain shall never meet. The God of Christianity is clearly not the God of Islam. Both faiths use the same words, “God,” “Jesus,” but the definitions are clearly different. The only unifying element lies in the common usage of terminology, but when that terminology is defined, the commonalities cease, it becomes clearly apparent that there are great irreconcilable differences and to deny such differences would be an exercise in folly and self-delusion.
Tony Costa
Arrest does not mean crackdown
Re: Hunger and isolation (Oct. 27)
The practice of holding prisoners in secret without charges is perhaps the most dangerous violation of civil liberties conceivable. It is the distinguishing hallmark of the 20th century’s most repressive regimes from Stalin to Cambodia, and it shames Canada to engage in it.
While Sidrah Ahmad should be commended for bringing this injustice to our attention, her article is weakened by some very broad assumptions. Specifically, the fact that this unconscionable law has been applied thus far to Muslim males of Middle Eastern origin does not mean it represents “a blanket crackdown on Muslim and Arab people.” We should certainly be extremely critical of all secret detentions, but not cry racism every time a Muslim is detained in connection with terrorism.
Sean Kirby
