What the world needs now.

When Andrew Sullivan asked for whom the bell tells, he articulated what I have been thinking since September 11, 2001 ["World War on Gays," April 11]. If our community is unable to invest anything else in George W. Bush, we must invest in the war on terror. At its core, Islamic fundamentalism is an assault on modernity and basic human rights--women's rights and gay rights in particular. We must equally invest in overcoming the root causes of Islamic terrorism such as poverty, prejudice, and lack of opportunities for Muslims. It is only with this two-pronged approach that peace and stability will prevail over terror.

KENT DUCOTE

Key West, Fla.

Granted, there is not a single word to say in defense of religious fascism. That should not lead to a mistake that Sullivan was a bit too eager to make--to sanctify someone who does not deserve it. Pim Fortuyn was gay. Pim Fortuyn was murdered in the streets of Hilversum in 2002. Pim Fortuyn was not, however, a gay martyr. He did not fight for the rights of gays in the face of Islamic threat. And most of all, he was not killed for doing so. Fortuyn was the political leader of a populist far-right party called Lijst Pim Fortuyn in the Netherlands. Apart from his profound criticism of Islam, he also spoke out against liberalism, immigration, and social responsibility. He was indeed open about his sexuality: He used it in favor of his political goals in order not to be called a far-right extremist. He did not ride out to improve life for gays. No person should be assassinated for their beliefs; however, neither should they be made a martyr just because they were gay.

PHILLIPP MAURER

Cologne, Germany

Andrew Sullivan's latest column scolding the gay community and exhorting them to do more to help gays worldwide was an exercise in irony. Andrew, who do you suppose is helping fuel this international backlash, if not the Administration you were so intent on seeing elected? This isn't one you get to pawn off on the community you so enjoy calling self-absorbed and shallow. You and all of your jackboot-wearing, wallet-worshipping Log Cabin Republican friends own this one. You spent the run-up to the 2000 election endlessly cheerleading Bush and company. You don't get to disown the damage they've caused just because you had an 11th-hour awakening, five years too late, and figured out Republicans and homos don't mix.

SCOTT CARPENTER

Oxnard, Calif.