The big debate in the world right now seems to be concerning the construction of a Mosque within spitting distance of ground zero (of the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York City).
This is precisely the kind of debate that works me up the whole wrong way.
Wouldn't you think that to accept all races and religions is as perfect a response to terrorism that a modern multicultural society could muster? Okay, that may have been a clumsy sentence, but you know what I mean. Even if it was an Islamic radical sect that perpetuated such evil against America, wouldn't accepting that the majority of Islam couldn't conceive of such evil reflect America's tolerance of all difference?
To prove America's (QED the western world's) tolerance and acceptance of diversity, surely permitting the construction of an Islamic place of worship and community is the very mark of a society's maturity.
But I have a problem with this.
The attitudes of the people behind this development have me grinding my teeth.
In this life I suggest that we just get on and try to be the best damn Barney's we can be. If you want an Islamic Community Centre, good for you. But doesn't a rational mind concede that putting such a centre within coughing distance of one of this centuries greatest atrocities fill you with any kind of remorse? I don't think even KKK middle America would for a second suggest that the terrorism committed on 9/11 was due to ordinary Muslim American faith. But to suggest that what happened that day was immune to radical religious faithism is naive at best.
So to put this basically, because I don't want to waste time. . .
The glut of anti muslim crap emanating from the US is proof that we live in a world of intolerance and decisiveness. But the fact that there is a movement of Islamists that seek to impose their terms of worship upon a city that is still reeling from acts of despicable atrocity is testament to their insensitivity.
As much as New York should welcome a Mosque at ground zero, Muslim America should respect that to build a place of worship there is just, frankly, taking the piss.
This whole argument is very similar to the Israel situation. One day wiser heads are going to compromise and move forward to a better, more peaceful, world.
xxx
2 comments:
The community center (American spelling!) isn't at "ground zero - it's in New York. I'm pretty sure it's not going to have minarets and they're not going to broadcast the call to prayer.
The people making such a fuss about this (and hurting everyone who lost people in the attacks in 2001) are opposing every Islamic center in America and for each one say "We're not against Islamic centers just not here".
Stephen, yes I agree.
How far from 'ground zero' is going to be far enough?
As I said, the mark of America and its claim to be a multi-cultural hub of modern acceptance will be judged by this situation.
But I also call upon those that are pushing for such a community centre in such a sensitive position to step back and ask just what result they expect from what is a very provocative proposition.
Again, I don't propose that I have the answer to this. But those on both sides need to look at what their expectations of this issue are and decide whether or not everybody's best interests are better served by backing off and opening broader debate, rather than getting adversarial on this.
Bottom line: New York does not want to get secular on this issue. And Muslim New York does not want to push an Islamic agenda down the throat of a society that has built its identity through accepting migrants from all corners of the globe. Especially in the wake of post 9/11 paranoia.
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