Refer to religious radicals as just that

I was heartened that federal judge James Jarvey dismissed the nuisance lawsuit filed by Sue Thayer against her former employer, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland (“Planned Parenthood lawsuit dismissed,” Dec. 29).

But why did the Associated Press and The Gazette call Thayer's mouthpiece, Alliance Defending Freedom, “Christian?” To me, that is as wrong as referring to Hezbollah or al-Qaida as “Muslim.” Just as many Muslims worldwide have repudiated al-Qaida as an undemocratic political organization, why does the American press have to implicate all Christians in the crimes of groups such as American Family Association, Family Research Council, or Alliance Defending Freedom?

Call such groups by their proper names: “radical religious,” “Christian fundamentalist,” or most honest of all, “American Taliban.” The press should also acknowledge the American Christians who have had the courage to confront their own political problem by condemning terror groups that wrap themselves in the mantle of legality and religion.

Proto-fascist terror groups, such as the Alliance, mock American freedoms. Instead of giving them a free pass, the press needs to dig deeper and expose what these groups are, name their members so they can be censured, and reveal where their funding comes from. The rest of us need to stand up to our domestic Taliban.

Jeff Klinzman

Coralville