Muslim school plan, Spota mercy plea, Mangano's term, pool safety

Views clash on Muslim school plan

The editorial supporting fairness for the Muslim school plan hit the mark “Muslim school plan deserves fairness,” Opinion, July 23].

I have seen that school building. It is enormous — 120 boys with 30 staff will not come close to filling it. Opponents cite traffic, but who exactly is coming from outside to cause gridlock?

The editorial rightly called out anti-Muslim discrimination in the towns of Oyster Bay and North Hempstead.

As a Muslim, I am angry at being targeted. As a taxpayer, I am upset that we are wasting millions of dollars fighting religious institutions — costs that will raise our property taxes.

Mosques and Islamic schools, like the churches and Catholic schools, teach moral guidance for future generations. The Bay Shore case is blatant discrimination against Muslims.

— Habeeb Ahmed, Albertson

The writer is a board member of the Islamic Center of Long Island and a commissioner on Nassau County’s Human Rights Commission.

The editorial disparagingly referred to a group of Town of Islip residents as “a narrow-minded vocal minority.” That is unfair and inappropriate. It disrespects these people.

Few, if any, predominantly Muslim nations have sustained a genuine liberal democracy. And no major New York-area Muslim authority unequivocally condemned the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. For context, the White House did not censure the regional chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, but in December 2023 it did condemn remarks by CAIR’s national director, Nihad Awad.

This is not religious persecution or a matter of religious freedom. It is caution. Some Islamists have proved deadly in Europe — remember when a mass shooting and suicide bombings by Islamic State operatives struck the Bataclan theater, Paris cafes and the national stadium, killing 130 people?

Reasonable resistance will continue until Muslim community leaders clearly separate their faith from political Islamist ideology.

— Joseph Nolan, Rockville Centre

A one-party plea to deny Spota mercy

I totally agree with the Suffolk County legislators’ letter to President Donald Trump asking him to deny the request for clemency for former Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota and his ex-aide Christopher McPartland [“Pushback for Spota pardon,” News, July 24]. Presiding Officer Anthony Piccirillo is correct that elected officials are held to a higher standard and abuse of their office creates an atmosphere of distrust in our government.

My only concern is that their request was made without allowing any input from the minority caucus of the legislature even though they also agreed with the request to deny clemency.

When asked about the Democrats not being consulted, Piccirillo said they had their chance when the Democrats were in power. That remark, along with their silence on any of President Donald Trump’s pardons or his granting clemency to over 20 elected officials for corruption and abuses of their office, gives this request the appearance of being politically motivated, intentionally or not.

Both political parties have had their share of corruption, so this was certainly a missed opportunity to show a united bipartisan front against abuses and government corruption.

— Jim Kiernan, Holbrook

A reduced term, yes; those pardons, no

I don’t object to calling for a reduced prison term for former Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano [“Reduced term for Mangano won’t hurt,” Editorial, July 22]. However, when the editorial board brings up the revolting pardons by President Donald Trump of Jan. 6 insurrectionists and the disgusting commutation of former Rep. George Santos, I must object.

Those pardons should never have happened and wouldn’t have under any other president. It’s a slippery slope to the bottom when a president starts using unjustified pardons as a base case to make his point.

— Ray Xerri, Oceanside

A close call shows a hidden pool danger

Wearing neon-colored bathing suits and appointing adult “water watchers” are great suggestions to promote backyard pool safety, particularly for children ages 1-4 “South Shore staff hold drowning safety lesson,” Long Island, July 23]. But consider this, too: Remove floating rafts and other nontransparent objects from pools.

My daughter escorted her children to the shallow end at a pool party. She suddenly saw a toddler not moving under a float. She entered the water, pulled the child out, and hit him on the back until he expelled water to breathe again.

The lifeguard watching the children could not see through the raft. Even a brightly colored bathing suit would not have been visible. Parents are accustomed to scanning for dangers when their children play on land. They need to become just as knowledgeable about potential dangers in water.

— Elaine Catalanotti, Elmont