Briefs

Four-day conference to explore bioethics
Emory will host the Fourth National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference, Oct. 4–7.

The biannual conference will include more than a dozen bioethically themed panel discussions ranging from science, art and the media; to international cultural conflicts; to spiritual and ecological perspectives on patients’ rights; to genetically modified plants and animals. Between 150–200 people are expected to attend.

Two keynote speakers will be featured. Glenn McGee from the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania will discuss issues of stem cell research in Cox Hall at 9 a.m., Friday, Oct. 5. Ursula Goodenough of Washington University will speak on the spiritual implications of scientific research that evening at 6:45 p.m., also in Cox. Both speeches—as well as all panel discussions—are open to the Emory community. Dinner, which is included at the Goodenough address, requires registration.

For more information on the conference, visit www.emory.edu/COLLEGE/scienceandsociety/ bioethics.htm.

Islam forum set for Oct. 4
All University faculty, staff and students are welcome and encouraged to attend an informational forum on Islam to be held Thursday, Oct. 4, from 7–9 p.m. in Glenn Auditorium.

The forum aims to educate the community about the beliefs, practices and history of Islam, and some of Emory’s leading Islamic scholars will be on hand to answer questions.

The event is sponsored by the Institute for Comparative and International Studies (ICIS), the dean of the chapel, the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, the Depart-ment of Religion, the Graduate Division of Religion and the Emory Committee for the Study of Islam.

For more information, contact ICIS Executive Director Gordon Newby at 404-727-8722.

Letter to the Editor

The participants in [the Sept. 19] forum, “Understanding: From Intolerance to Respect,” display a hopelessly naive view of the terrorists who perpetrated the horrendous attacks that killed thousands of innocent people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania on Sept. 11.

The very title of the forum, “From Intolerance to Respect,” implies that the underlying cause of the attacks was American intolerance and that such attacks can be prevented in the future if we learn to respect those who carried them out. This is utter nonsense.

The immediate goal of the terrorists is to kill as many Americans as possible, strike fear into the hearts of the American people and do as much damage as possible to our economy and society. Their long-range goal is to establish a pan-Islamic state governed by the same principles being applied by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Osama bin Laden and his allies do not care if the United States tries to pressure Israel to make more concessions to the Palestinians. They want to eliminate Israel. They do not care if we respect their culture and religious beliefs. They despise everything we stand for, including cultural diversity and religious freedom.

Eliminating this threat to our lives and our freedom will require a wide range of actions, including improvements in intelligence gathering, heightened security and skillful diplomacy. However, the terrorists are not going to voluntarily turn themselves in to an international court of justice for trial. Nor is it likely that the Taliban will turn over bin Laden and his henchmen because the Taliban depend on bin Laden’s organization to maintain their brutal rule over the Afghan people. Any successful policy to deal with the terrorist threat will therefore require the use of military force.

Alan Abramowitz
Barkley Professor of Political Science

Harvey Klehr
Mellon Professor of Politics and History

Editor’s note: The Sept. 24 article on the forum mentioned above incorrectly stated the event’s title. The correct title was “Understanding: From Intolerance to Respect.”