I just heard a piece on NPR about protests across America about the building of mosques. I'm sure anyone who doesn't live under a rock has heard about the controversy about building a mosque near Ground Zero. The president has weighed in and clarified his "weighing in." So I'm going to take a position. The opposition to the building of mosques in this country is simply wrong.
It grieves me that Americans can be so wrong-headed and wrong-hearted on this issue. I understand and agree that Ground Zero is holy ground; I sympathize with the hurt and anger of those who lost loved ones and agree that the burial place of those who died must be honored. I can't think of a better way to honor them than to extend a hand in friendship to moderate Muslims who seek a community center and place to worship, allowing them the freedom to exercise their religion in a land that is supposed to be free. I can't think of a worse way to honor them than to continue the cycle of violence through prejudice and hatred .
Islam does not = terrorism. Islam is not a cult. Islam is one of the 3 great monotheistic religions, which include Judaism and Christianity. Islam is not monolithic. Just as there are different denominations of Christianity and different forms of Judaism and Buddhism, so there are different types of Islam. Furthermore, fundamentalism and violence is not unique to Islam.
I hope Americans will take this opportunity to become more educated about Islam; I hope they will be compassionate toward Muslims; I hope they will not repeat the tragic mistakes we have made in the past toward people we viewed as "enemies" and wrongly persecuted.
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