Commentary: Readers should give Muslim column a chance

Can't some of your readers get enough of bashing and trashing Muslim Americans?

You have a seemingly innocuous columnist writing about her experience as a Muslim (Mona Shadia) and getting a full onslaught of hate mail from narrow-minded bigots, of which Newport Beach has its fair share, and it just keeps coming.

Not all observant Muslims are radical subversives trying to bring down America. Many, including two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, are just as American as the rest of us. Islam has been with us in America since the first Africans were shipped here — under deplorable conditions, I might add — and then enslaved by God-fearing Christians.

I recall learning in high school about how Americans over-reacted during World War II and incarcerated upstanding citizens who happened to be Japanese. In World War I we vented our rage against German Americans for similar reasons. Must history repeat itself yet again?

But then, since I take the historical perspective on most issues any way, here is something for the radical anti-Muslims to consider when they worry about the perceived threat from one of the world's largest religions.

It is a teenage religion; it's only 1,400 or so years old. Consider the state of Christianity when it had reached a similar milestone.

Back then they were holding the Inquisition in Spain and burning heretics at the stake all over Europe while launching the first efforts to subjugate the rest of the world.

Yeah, it took a while for the Christians to settle down and stop killing everyone who didn't want it shoved down their throats. So I think everyone should step back. Wait a few centuries, and all this trouble with Islam will fade away. In the meantime, let's be glad we live in a country where we all have the right to our opinion.

LENARD DAVIS lives in Newport Beach.