Don’t Defend Martin Peretz’s Remarks

To the editors:

I’m writing to voice my disappointment with the Sept. 16 Crimson Staff Editorial, “The Blog and the Fury,” in which the Crimson asserted that Martin H. Peretz’s claim that Muslim life cheap “may have begun with a kernel of truth.”

While the editorial makes clear that the Crimson Staff does not support Peretz’s comments, statements of this nature implicitly condone the motives that drove Peretz to write his piece. In calling Peretz’s written statements an “oversimplification” of the truth, is the Crimson suggesting that a more toned-down version of the former Harvard professor’s editorial would have been acceptable? I do not know what kernel of truth the Crimson may be referring to, but if anything, Peretz’s comments are based on a fundamental lack of cultural sensitivity and an outright misrepresentation of the Muslim people.

The Crimson also attempts to downplay the consequences of Peretz’s remarks. What has followed Peretz’s Sept. 4 editorial is anything but “a small media firestorm.” In fact, these remarks have been attacked by dozens of national publications and more than 4,000 political blogs. A simple Google search on the issue yields half a million hits. At a time when events like the Marc Hauser scandal shake the integrity of this university, prominent members of our community like Marty Peretz should be subject to even higher standards. Downplaying the Peretz remarks is inappropriate to say the least.

I hope that the Crimson reflects carefully upon the values that its staff members hold dear and upon the role its editorials play in broadcasting the principles and beliefs of this great university.

YI HAN ’12

Cambridge, Mass.

Sept. 18, 2010

Yi Han ’12 is an applied mathematics concentrator in Quincy House.