Last week, I visited New York City for my first time. Despite all of the remarks I’ve heard all my life about how it’s the greatest city in the world, the unbelievable pizza, the miles of incomparable shopping, and the “Sex and the City” high class night life, what I always associate New York with is the biggest day of history in my life, 9/11.
It would just so happen that the week that I visited New York was also right in the middle of the most recent controversy concerning the 9/11 attacks—the Muslim attempt to build a mosque only a few blocks away from the site of the World Trade Center.
It would just so happen that the week that I visited New York was also right in the middle of the most recent controversy concerning the 9/11 attacks—the Muslim attempt to build a mosque only a few blocks away from the site of the World Trade Center.
So the real question is, who is right? Is it the Muslims who own the private property and have the constitutional right to build their mosque? Or is it the sensitivity of the families who lost loved ones after the attacks? In my opinion, both sides are very questionable. I had the privilege of speaking with protesters on both sides of the debate and honestly can’t really make up my mind to decide how this should be handled.
On one side, the Muslims do have every right to continue to build their mosque on their private property and have freedom of religion to use this site to pray. It is not just or fair to discriminate against every Muslim and associate the suicide bombers with each individual that supports these beliefs. Is every Christian responsible for the actions of the Nazis? Is every Jew responsible for crucifying Jesus? The generalized stereotype of the Muslim population as supporters of those that performed the attacks on 9/11 is very unconstitutional, and they should not be punished for the acts of a few. People held signs up that said “Mosque, Yes! Hate, No!”, “Love They Neighbor”, or “World Peace: Let it Begin with the US.”
However, the other side of the protest focused more on emotions and sentiments of the thousands of people that were lost in the attacks. Protesters mentioned that it was too soon for something like this, as well as too close. One woman was very passionate about this issue and kept screaming “No way! Noooo way are they getting that close after what they did!” In this instance, discrimination was very obvious. However, another couple was more peacefully protesting the issue, just saying that they lost a very close relative and a few very close friends, and that it just wasn’t time for something like that to be built. It hasn’t even been a decade yet since the attacks and everything is still very traumatic for some. In overlooking the issue, we as the people of the United States face a burning question: is it our responsibility to follow the guidelines of the Constitution and grant the privileges and freedoms to deserving citizens, or is it too soon to confront the blatant issue of anger and animosity, and continue to let the families of victims grieve? Hopefully this religious issue that has turned into political chaos will be resolved with compromise and peace, avoiding the hatred that it could potentially cause on both sides.
On one side, the Muslims do have every right to continue to build their mosque on their private property and have freedom of religion to use this site to pray. It is not just or fair to discriminate against every Muslim and associate the suicide bombers with each individual that supports these beliefs. Is every Christian responsible for the actions of the Nazis? Is every Jew responsible for crucifying Jesus? The generalized stereotype of the Muslim population as supporters of those that performed the attacks on 9/11 is very unconstitutional, and they should not be punished for the acts of a few. People held signs up that said “Mosque, Yes! Hate, No!”, “Love They Neighbor”, or “World Peace: Let it Begin with the US.”
However, the other side of the protest focused more on emotions and sentiments of the thousands of people that were lost in the attacks. Protesters mentioned that it was too soon for something like this, as well as too close. One woman was very passionate about this issue and kept screaming “No way! Noooo way are they getting that close after what they did!” In this instance, discrimination was very obvious. However, another couple was more peacefully protesting the issue, just saying that they lost a very close relative and a few very close friends, and that it just wasn’t time for something like that to be built. It hasn’t even been a decade yet since the attacks and everything is still very traumatic for some. In overlooking the issue, we as the people of the United States face a burning question: is it our responsibility to follow the guidelines of the Constitution and grant the privileges and freedoms to deserving citizens, or is it too soon to confront the blatant issue of anger and animosity, and continue to let the families of victims grieve? Hopefully this religious issue that has turned into political chaos will be resolved with compromise and peace, avoiding the hatred that it could potentially cause on both sides.
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