Why was Carp’s Wespeak published?

To the Editors,

As recently as February 17th, in Matt DiBlasi’s “Editor’s Notebook,” you reaffirmed your right to screen, withhold, and reject Wespeaks, as a matter of policy and editorial discretion. Given this recent declaration of editorial rights, your decision to publish Evan Carp’s Wespeak on Friday sends a very clear message. You apparently have no qualms about providing space to voices, such as Mr. Carp’s, which categorize “many, many, MANY” Muslims as “animals” and “savages,” and which characterizes “the Muslim world” as monolithically violent, fundamentalist, and terrorist. When Carp declares that, “these are people who raise their children to be human explosives, who step onto a public bus and blow themselves up,” he refers to Muslims and “the Muslim world” generally, weak protestations to the contrary notwithstanding. In publishing Carp’s letter, you have made it clear that, though you draw the line at personal attacks, you condone hate speech against the religion of 1.5 billion people.