Manhattan Mosque?

I usually don’t think about New York city.  I worry less about what happens there.  But now I’m bothered by the much publicized Muslim community center being built within two blocks of Ground Zero.  It’s a community center with a prayer room, not a Mosque.  So from the outset, we have a problem of communication – not unusual with emotionally charged issues like this one.  The question is, why do I have such an emotional response to this idea?  Well, that’s pretty obvious.  The people who perpetrated the 9/11 attack were radical Muslims. 

When someone attacks us in the name of a particular religion, it would seem very normal to me to get emotional every time I hear about that religion.  When I’m emotional, it’s difficult to distinguish the word “radical” from the word “Muslim”. 

So the first problem is one of a justifiable emotional, gut-level response that says, “hold on – don’t build that enormous reminder of 9/11 within sight of Ground Zero, let alone within two blocks.  And that response is understandable.

But then after I cool down, I am reminded of our constitution that provides for the freedom to practice (or not practice) any religion we choose.  And this includes Islam.  Of course we claim that this is what makes America so different.  Particularly different from many Muslim countries where other religions are barely tolerated.  And in some instances, are not allowed at all.  Which when I think about it, raises my emotional temperature again.

So I say to myself, “okay, slow down and think!  Try to be objective about this.”  It’s difficult, but I finally get to the place where I can see its more important to live according to our own values and not let anyone else define who we are going to be.  Then I read about one central belief in Islam that says that everyone on the planet should be a Muslim.  And that if I don’t convert, I am considered an infidel.  There goes my emotional temperature again.

Now I’m really hot under the collar.  So I go to the Koran to check it out.  There are verses that command Muslims to convert others.  But surely, most Muslims are like most Jews and Christians; we follow some verses and ignore others.       

I’m left hanging on the horns of a dilemma; which way do I go?  Should I be tolerant and not offended by a Muslim community center close to hallowed ground?  Should I take a stand that says, “wait just one minute.  It may not be unconstitutional but it’s downright offensive?

So then I go to this Muslim community’s website at park51.org and I find this vision statement: “Park51 will be dedicated to pluralism, service, arts and culture, education and empowerment, appreciation for our city and a deep respect for our planet.  Park51 will join New York to the world, offering a welcoming community center with multiple points of entry.  With world-class facilities, a global scope and strong local roots, Park 51 will offer a friendly and accessible platform for conversations across our identities.”

These are people who are trying to build cross-cultural and religious dialogue with all people.  People who are committed to peace.  People who abhor the terrorism that happened there on 9/11.  People who think that they should build a community center close to the event in honor of the memory of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Atheists and any other denomination of people who died there.  So why am I still concerned about this building?

I think it has to do with my fear of the unknown and other people fanning the flames of that fear.  So who are these people?  Are they just people who are doing it as an act of conscience?  Or are they doing to get publicity?  Let’s see, there’s Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Glen Beck.  Need I write more?

Robert DeFilippis