Firstly, I would like to say that I appreciate the Kirkland Reporter. I find that it encourages a sense of community here in Kirkland. However, I was angered by the final statement in the cover story “A Family’s Hope” in the Aug. 26 issue. To imply that “alcohol is possibly a factor” would be terribly insulting to the Muslim community, and the family in particular. Islam prohibits alcohol consumption. Given that the young man was fasting for Ramadan, it seems unlikely to me that he would have partaken in a practice prescribed by his faith at such a time. I am a Christian (Church of the Nazarene) and the manager at a Kirkland bookstore I feel that it is important to learn about the faith of others, especially in these times. I was disturbed that care was not taken to avoid such a statement, when the rest of the article was written quite well. I assume that the decision to put that statement in the article was done out of ignorance of Islam rather than any intent to be insensitive or insulting.

Lee Karl Palo, Kirkland