We in the West cherish our values, the most important of which are freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

These values are not equally appreciated or tolerated in other parts of the world.

Recent examples of this intolerance are the mass riots, violence and mayhem in the streets all over the world by Muslim fanatics in response to the publication of a few cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed in newspapers of some Western European countries.

“Death to America,” “Death to the Jews,” “Bush is the world’s greatest terrorist,” “Kill the editors, cut off their hands” were some of the slogans displayed.

According to an AP article in the Sun Journal of March 12, an American aid worker of Christian Peacemaker Teams, Tom Fox, was tortured and killed in Iraq by Islamist terrorists after he was kidnapped, together with a Briton and two Canadians. The fate of the other three is unknown.

More than 50 hostages have been murdered so far by Islamist terrorists.

Most of these innocent victims have been murdered in the most barbaric manner – by slow-motion beheadings accompanied by shouts of “Allah is great!”

Where is the so-called “Arab street,” where are the passionate and angry mass protests in the streets all over the world against these barbarities committed in the name of Allah and the religion of peace?

A great religion is being desecrated and all we are hearing is a deafening silence.

Klaus D. Kuck, Lewiston