To the Editor:
I wonder if is possible to dissuade commentators such as Nicholas Kristof (“Saudi Arabia, Exporter of Oil and Bigotry,” April 22) from using the cant expression “Islamophobia.”
A phobia is commonly defined as an aberrant and morbid state of mind, involving irrational fear or hatred. Common examples are arachnophobia (spiders), claustrophobia (confined spaces) and hydrophobia (water). A phobia is a state of mind for which there is no rational basis.
Does Kristof really believe that the revulsion one feels at reading stories of torture and murder is phobic in character? If so, would he kindly explain the basis for this view?
S.E. KING
Oxford, England
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