Right to speak valued by reader

It is obvious that from the article in our paper (Feb. 12) entitled “Israel to blame for drawing, Iran says” that Iran’s President Ahmadinejad does not understand the freedom of western culture.

Iran today is a country where everyone has the same religion and everyone thinks and does what he is told by the government. If a person in Iran has any ideas different from those of Ahmadinejad, he better keep them to himself.

Because of all the immigrants who have migrated to western Europe, today most western Europe countries are as heterogeneous as the United States. They have people with many different ideas, customs, cultures and religions. In most western countries the people are allowed the freedom to express their personal opinion. Naturally, this offends some people.

I personally found it very offensive when Ahmadinejad said that the U.S. and Europe were hostages of Zionist.

I agree, however, with the famous French philosopher, Voltaire, who said, “I don’t agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

People in western Europe and the United States have the right to say what we think, whether Ahmadinejad likes it or not.

Esther Rhines

Kenai