=poppycok.txt                                             
[ Sent 2 Feb '04 letters@iht.com, letters@jpost.com,
letters@haaretz.co.il, et al. ]

On 2 Feb '04 the IHT published a tendentious misleadingly
edittedexcerpt from a short letter I had submitted in opposition
to theFrench proposed ban of schoolgirls' headscarves.That letter
was intended as a gesture of support, from within theJewish
community, for continued freedom of religious expressionfor French
Muslims, Jews, and of course Christians.  As printed,it appears to
be merely a crude anti-Catholic slur; for which Istand chagrined.  
     As printed, the edited letter read (in entirety): 

"If France wants to ban supposedly ostentatious religious display,
let in turn the Cathedral of Notre Dame into a shopping mall."The
letter I submitted read (in entirety):
    "Chirac's crusade against schoolgirls' headscarves
isastoundingly stupid.    "It violates the human rights to freedom of religiousexpression and to freedom of sexual decorum.    "It is also blatantly discriminatory, primarily againstMuslims, secondarily against orthodox and ultra-orthodox Jews.    "It makes a sort of pseudo-religion of secularism, beyond thefollies of Marist-Leninism.    "If France wants to ban supposedly ostentatious religiousdisplay, let it turn the Cathedral of Notre Dame into a shoppingmall (heaven forfend)."(Signed) Steve Amdur, Moshav Mevo Modi'in, 73122 Israel==================================================================