Once an American friend asked me why people in Pakistan and other Muslim nations disliked America so much. After thinking over it for a few minutes, I said I couldn't figure out why? I mean to a person like me, people who dislike this great superpower that symbolizes advancement of mankind have to be morons. But I don't think all the people burning effigies of US president in the streets during this hot summer weather are morons. I realized that there must be a root cause for this intense surge of anger. After all, the American government does so much to help the poor and needy all over the world and also does the policing for international peace. Still Muslims all over the world seem to resent America. It wasn't until recently that I figured out why? The root cause why Muslims protestors are perennially protesting against America despite US aid providing free food and tent to their stricken is because US allows atrocities against Muslims to be committed by nations like Israel. These protestors hate America because they think Washington is responsible for delay or denial of justice to those being killed in the conflict like the one we have in Gaza at present. The US government should stop spending billions of dollars on think tanks whose sole work is to try to figure out why Muslim fanatics hate America so much. Instead they should try to resolve problems like Palestine through the UN. -SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER, Peshawar, via e-mail, January 6.