I began reading Will Englund's Dec. 22 front-page article, "Young Russians turn to an old faith," with appreciation and interest.

Appreciation turned to dismay, however, when I reached the section on how Muslims honor Ibrahim, "who intended to slit his son Ismail's throat but sacrificed a ram instead."

This is like saying there is a group in Egypt that is about to celebrate the birth of a martyr named Esa, who will die a violent, bloody death and whose followers ritually drink his blood. True as far as it goes, but Esa is the Arabic word for Jesus, and the group is Christian.

Substitute Abraham for Ibrahim and Isaac for Ismail, and Christians and Jews recognize their own holy story and are not left with the feeling that these Muslims in Russia are so very much other. Instead, they share the same Abrahamic roots to their faith.

Lisa Cobb, Laurel