I was pleased to read the analysis by Dr. Jamshid A. Marvasti
("Physicians as Terrorists," Guest Editorial, Sept. 1, 2007,
p. 9).
At a time when much of our discourse is based on depictions of
people and communities without context and history, it was refreshing to
read Dr. Marvasti's insightful analysis of the cultural context of
the recent events in Glasgow and London.
Too often we read condemnations of people and events based on a
binary analysis of good vs. evil. These analyses only serve to foment an
already divisive discourse--a discourse that frequently parrots the
talking points from Washington.
While rightly condemning all acts of terror against civilians, he
makes a courageous attempt to contextualize and analyze the historical,
cultural, and political issues involved. I applaud him for this and hope
that we can continue to advance this discussion.
Jess Ghannam, Ph.D.
San Francisco
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