To build a mosque or not to build – that is the question
Ground Zero
So here’s the thing.
Seems that almost 9 years ago, a bunch of completely radicalised and extremist crazies decided to promote their version of Islam and kill more than 3,000 innocent Americans. You may remember. It Sure took up the headlines in the newspapers for a few days, and more. We know ubiquitously as 9/11.
So the more recent debate in the US, and some blog pages, is whether or not the local NY Moslemcommunity ought to be able to build a centre called Park51 about 2 blocks for Ground Zero. This centre will have a prayer hall, 500 person performing arts centre, swimming pool and restaurant. Not a small project. You can imagine the footprint in the Manhattan landscape this will leave. Right up front in the eyes for all New Yorkers, and Americans, to see and right next to what would have to be considered holy ground.
The respected Thomas Friedman in his recent column in the NY Times said “Personally, if I had $100 million to build a mosque that promotes interfaith tolerance, I would not build it in Manhattan. I’d build it in Saudi Arabia or Pakistan. That is where 9/11 came from, and those are the countries that espouse the most puritanical version of Sunni Islam — a version that shows little tolerance not only for other religions but for other strands of Islam, particularly Shiite, Sufi and Ahmadiyya Islam. You can study Islam at virtually any American university, but you can’t even build a one-room church in Saudi Arabia. That resistance to diversity, though, is not something we want to emulate, which is why I’m glad the mosque was approved on Tuesday”.
Rendering of proposed mosque
He makes two very valid points. One is that them folk over in the Middle East are not noted for their appreciation of cultural and religious diversity. Really? And the second being that we should not be trying to emulate them by banning the construction of the Moslem centre. No, Thomas, Americans, and dare I say Australian also, don’t ever want to emulate such blatant intolerance and disrespect for the many other diverse cultures and religions that contribute to the broad beauty that is called humanity.
From a different perspective, Marty Petetz in his New Republic article notes that “Most newspaper accounts of Manhattan’s mosque project have lauded its leader, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. Bloggers are quicker to note that he said after the 2001 attacks that US policies had been “an accessory to the crime”. He also proposes that “it will remind of the cool brutality and fierce passion that animated these ghoulish people of faith to murder on a scale so huge almost to daunt the imagination. Ironically it will backfire because it will (rightly) remind visitors of the religious identity of the perpetrators.”
Now I consider myself to be a pretty liberal and fair-minded individual that says “live and let live”. But I have to say that while recognising that the NY authorities have granted permission for the Moslem centre to be built, I honestly do have a problem with that.
Please understand that its nothing to do with the construction of a mosque per se or the right to freely practise one’s own religion. Hey go for it I say. There are about 8 million Moslems praying in 1209 mosques in the US so I don’t think we have an issue of religious freedom in the USA
What we do have is the issue of sensibility and respect for the USA with regard to the location of the mosque. What would be the problem to build it in another location? What was the motivation to build it right there next to Ground Zero? If it was to generate cultural awareness and inter-faith dialogue, I think they have made a major miscalculation. I tend to agree with the perspective that it will cause more disharmony than mutual respect.
And part of that disharmony will come from people’s realisation that the folk we are trying to befriend (and that is particularly the Arab folk) just don’t see things the way we do. Sorry to offend the trendy chardonnay left wingers, but that’s just plainly the reality. Sitting around the camp fire singing Kumbaya My Lord just isn’t going connect with these guys, If it did, surely we would have these countries, their leaders and the Ahmed on the street enjoying full freedoms for all people living in those countries, respect for equal rights for women and the vibrant defence of democracy and anyone with a political perspective somewhat different from the current ruling despot.
Woman being prepared for stoning to death (IranPressNews, Dec 21, 2004)
So the bottom line is this. If our Moslem neighbours really want to promote inter-faith respect in this world. Really want there to be brotherly love between people of all faith. Really want there to be peace on earth, maybe they should consider the woman in this picture as she is being prepared to be stoned to death. Anyway, isn’t that one of their sisters? I can sort of understand if they hate the Christians and Jews and Bahai, but isn’t she a Moslem also? Doesn’t she also deserve the respect as a human being to have a fair legal system that protects her human rights?
Maybe it is when we hear the Moslems who live in, and enjoy all the benefits of, our liberal democratic societies stand up and shout ENOUGH! to the abuse of their own people, maybe then we can begin the long and windy road towards mutual respect and understanding. Maybe then, we can take them a bit more seriously as equal partners in this world.
Because, by building a monument to the beauty of the Moslem religion, two blocks for the holy ground of Ground Zero just doesn’t cut it for me. It smacks of the two finger salute. It’s insensitive to the US nation and comes across as callous and uncaring.
And as such, they do themselves no favours. And that’s my opinion.
