Important Note:
Opinions are fun. My friends tell me I am someone with lots of opinions and that's fine since I don't get mad at others when they disagree with me. In this same spirit I am interested in hearing yours views as long as you are able to share your views without boiling over. I look forward to hearing from you. I tend to write in the form of short essays most of the time, but contributions do not need to be in this same format or size. Some of the content here will date itself pretty quickly, other content may be virtually timeless, this is for the reader to judge.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1
A Mosque near the WTC site?
Posted at: Aug/19/2010 : Posted by: mel
Related Category: Watching America,
It’s the summer of 2010 and there is another debate raging in America. Actually, when isn’t there a debate boiling about something. I guess part of the beauty of this country is that we can publically debate so many things without risk of going to jail. This time the subject is a proposed Islamic center including a mosque near the ground zero site of the destroyed World Trade Center (WTC) towers. This is one of those subjects where I could expound for 300 words or 1300 words…let’s see where I end up. Emotions are running long and deep on this and I think I have to therefore begin with some terminology. The most important term is “Radical Islam”. Please note the “radical” term; Radical Islam is a small subset of the Islamic extremist community advocating a return to a “fundamental” application of Islamic belief and Quran interpretation. This is going to get complicated but it should be noted that “fundamentalism” as it is associated with religion actually has Christian origins associated with versions of the Protestant faith (fodder for another time). Back to Radical Islam; the destruction of the WTC towers brought Radical Islam into every American’s living room and ran it over and over again. In response to this horrific act by a few we now have another term called “Islamophobia”, fear of all things Islam. This is essentially bigotry which as an American I like to believe we don’t do. Unfortunately, extremism and intolerance in any form or flavor creates discontent and divides. Extremism unfortunately exists in all faiths. I absolutely despise the evangelist who come to my door and preach that if I don’t accept their beliefs I “will go to hell”. I personally find this to be rude and threatening, I have no patience for either of these behaviors…least of all on my front porch. “Convert or die”, sounds a lot like the Inquisition. In Israel there is a group trying to push through new rabbinical laws that would create an extremely strict definition of what is required to be considered Jewish. If these new rules are adopted at least two thirds of the worlds Jews would by that definition not be Jews, I refuse to fear all Christians for the actions of a few and I take this same tact with people of other faiths. I confess that I am a non-Muslim and my knowledge of the religion is sketchy at best, but this is something I also feel I don’t need to apologize for. This is America and I don’t need to know and understand the dogma of every faith. I need to know that where ever I go I will be treated fairly and I hope I will treat all others with the same respect and fairness. The opposite of extremism is tolerance which seems to be lacking. Unfortunately, tolerance in our country has not always been as easy to find as we like to claim. 150 years ago anyone with Indian features was treated with the same respect as the buffalo. At the beginning of WWII, our fear of all people with slanted eyes led to thousands being placed in internment camps. We are currently dealing with a crisis of immigration policy in this country and this is leading to over reaction to all peoples with Hispanic features. This list could go on and on, but the bottom line is that intolerance never yields a good conclusion. How you feel about Mosques in general? Action and spy movies along with other entertainment have created this image that behind the doors of every Mosque the Imam is recruiting and brainwashing followers for the next act of violence and public extremism. I find this as difficult to accept as the notion that within every church plans are being hatched for the next crusade to the middle east. One size fits all never works, whether it is prison jump suits or judging others. America has opened its doors to Muslims; much like any other faith they look to have their place of prayer close to home or work. Some are arguing that the approval and creation of this facility shows insensitivity. If we accept the insensitivity argument as true, than we are lumping the actions of a minority of Muslim’s in with the behavior of all Muslims. The site in question is a former retail outlet located a couple of blocks from where the WTC towers once stood. Current plans call for the facility to include a swimming pool, basketball court, auditorium, day care, a library and of course a mosque. Personally, this sounds like the kind of multi-purpose facility that a community in redevelopment needs. The debate of whether to approve the project has created a lot of international conversation. Muslims around the world seem to be following the ground zero mosque debate. I suspect that many look upon this debate as a litmus test for how American’s actually feel about Muslims. I am somewhat embarrassed to see that members of Congress are getting into the fray as well. President Obama made a statement support the Muslims right to build a place of worship where they like. I have mixed feelings about the President’s comments, but feel they are more right than not. My President’s job is to be the defender of the Constitution. In the aforementioned role I do not feel my President should involve themselves, their opinions, or their force of office in local or regional issues accept where there is a disaster. In Indonesia, Turkey, the Middle East, and other areas with a large Muslim population this debate is being watched with great interest. As Islamophobia runs amuck, the world is watching to see just how tolerant Americans really are. Some Muslim countries appear to be outraged at what is perceived as the bigotry of 'the majority' of Americans." It is important to note that I am not one to promote swaying public policy based on the international media pressure, but following the dialog is fascinating. James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute said that many Muslims around the world are “horrified and frightened by the tone of the debate.” Obviously, much as many Americans don’t have much understanding Islam, in a similar manner, much of the world does not understand the often hostile and ugly nature of open debate in this country. I am sure that for Islamists extremist this debate is a propaganda opportunity they could only dream about. Some feel that the desire to push the project was done specifically to provoke a raw nerve. I am troubled by the notion, but unfortunately in America the opportunity to push sensitive nerves is always present. Exposing raw nerves to salt is an ongoing problem with an open society such as the United Sates. Much as I would like to believe the project is being done with only the best of intentions, there are indications to the contrary. The Cordoba Initiative is at the core of the funding and has been openly raising money in Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iran. While the value to the New York Muslim community may be significant, by the list of funding countries it is clear to me this is being used as an opportunity to rub salt in that raw and open wound. I was taught years ago to “follow the money” if you are looking for motive. I personally don’t like the idea of treating a mosque any differently than the construction of a church or synagogue. Considering that there is already a small mosque a mere 5 blocks away from the WTC site in a different direction I find the whole debate bewildering. Clatter and open debate is part of how America get things done, bigotry is not. But the reality is that there is a difference here. The reality is that the rhetoric is not so much about location, as much as about Muslim tolerance. When an extremist Christian group takes a vocal position the mainstream Christian groups are quick to denounce the action and publicly distance themselves from this group. I mentioned “Muslim tolerance”, my concern here is not just with non-Muslim tolerance of Muslim’s; it is with mainstream Muslim’s. The mainstream Muslim community both abroad and in America has done very little to speak out against the actions of their extremist brethren. I don’t know if this quiet is because they culturally don’t know how, or carry a fear associated with saying something. At this point there is little to be done accept watch the project happen. For some, construction of this Islamic cultural center so near to the September 11 cemetery will be viewed as a tribute to the terrorist of that date. To some, construction of this center will be view as a monument to insensitivity. To some this mosque will be an insult to those who died in the tower devaluing their deaths. But ultimately, construction of this “cultural center” is going to be a tribute to the American Constitution and our open society; where else in the world could there be such a rousing debate with such heated emotions, and yet in the end allow the project to move forward. Freedom and Democracy often times come with a price. If the tables were turned, I can assure you that a similar project would never be allowed in Iran or Saudi Arabia. Our tolerance not just during good times, but during the worst of times is part of our American strength. Our strength is further enhanced by the diversity of our population, our tolerance for even those things we don’t understand, and the amazing way all this comes together. And yes, I know that sometimes we must also swallow a painful pill.
Comments (0) [Add Comment]
