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Cartoon a travesty

Aspen Times writer

Dear Editor:

Visiting Aspen has always been an immense pleasure. This latest trip promised to be equally wonderful until I read The Aspen Times on March 23. Suddenly I encountered the disturbing cartoon showing the former Hamas leader taking the form of the crucifix.

Instead of nails, his hands and feet were affixed by Israeli missiles. The deliberate mixing of Christian symbolism of martyrdom with the Hamas leader is a travesty that distorts Christianity and can incite anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish feelings. The cartoon deliberately connects Israelis with the crucifixion of Christ. This is an outrageous and insidious falsification.



Even more disturbing is the implied assumption of similarity between the Hamas leader and Jesus Christ. Conflating the terrorist of today with a prophet of peace represents a fundamental and deliberate misunderstanding of Christianity.

This kind of hostile simplicity is harmful to Christians and Jews and has no place in a tolerant America.




Dr. Judith S. Goldstein

executive director

Humanity in Action

New York, N.Y.