I respectfully must differ with all five answers Professor Mark Cohen gave in his PAW interview (A Moment with, Nov. 3).

Although it is correct that anti-Semitism “originated” in Europe, nowhere in the world is it more relentless and deadly than in Muslim countries of the Middle East, where there is little or no credible evidence that the leaders or popular opinion will ever accept terms for the existence of Israel or a Palestinian state that Israel and its genuine friends could honorably be asked to accept.

Regarding the peaceable nature or religious tolerance in Islam generally, it is amazing that the world seems to be ignoring the real genocide going on against Muslims, inflicted by Muslims. What else can one call the horrific violence of recent decades in Algeria, Sudan, and the Iran/Iraq war, which cost literally millions of Muslim lives? And today, with the daily onslaught of sui cide bombings in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq costing thousands of Muslim lives, with ample evidence of attempted indiscriminate attacks against civilians in Western countries, necessitating the expense of hundreds of ­billions of dollars to combat what is euphemistically called “violent extremism”?

Perhaps the most remarkable and mystifying statement of Professor Cohen is that “Judaism is much closer in its belief system to Islam and practice than to Christianity.” This seems close to a slander of both Judaism and Christianity, especially the former.

Although I’d be the last to deny the horrific violence in Christian history, the point is that our civilization outgrew or transcended religious violence more than 350 years ago, while Islamic violence continues to grow, not least against fellow Muslims, as one only has to read the daily newspapers to see.

Ron Thompson ’64
Fairfax, Va.