[At a time when Muslims are subject to discrimination and attack in the U.S., it's natural for many of us to want to protect the Islamic community. Fred Halliday's piece does not in any way challenge that instinct to side with those who are facing discrimination based on race, religion or national origin, but only insists that we distinguish between our opposition to discrimination and opposition to American imperialism in the world, on the one hand, and on the other hand the mistaken policy of being supportive of reactionary and violent tendencies in the Islamic world (just as we at Tikkun insist on distnguishing between forms of Judaism and Chrisitianity that preach love and forms that teach hatred or ultra chauvinst nationalism).]