The Zero Mosque

I thought that there is no need to write about building mosque near Ground Zero site. The twin towers were destroyed by Islamic militants and to build a mosque next to the site would be too inflammatory to a lot of people. Apparently, the permission was given last year and the controversy started only this year. What ever may be the case the fact is that the decision to build Islamic community center and mosque next to the site where 3000 innocent people met most ghastly death was shocking and frankly, uncalled for. It is often pointed out that there is already a mosque few blocks away from Ground Zero. But what is not mentioned that the mosque was build before 9/11 happened. And no one is asking to remove or demolish that mosque. The mosque was there and it still will be there. Muslims have been praying in that mosque and will continue to pray in that mosque. The question here is why somebody wants to build the mosque right next to the Ground Zero? Let’s look at the issue point of point. Is building mosque legal?

The answer is unequivocally yes. Not only legal but the right to worship is part of American constitution. The Liberal media (including my beloved New York Times and New Yorker) often points this out. According to them there shouldn’t be any discrimination against building any religious structure as long as it’s on legal land. I couldn’t agree with them more. All though sometimes I wonder how Times gets away with jumping fence over from news reporting to opinion dessimating. If someone wants to build a mosque in uptown, you are most welcome! If someone wants to build mosque in midtown, you are most welcome! But if someone wants to build mosque near ground zero, where few years ago 19 well educated, middle class and well to do young men created havoc in the name of Islam, one has to think of other motives. I am not talking about Terrorist motive and that this community center will provide base for nefarious activities. There is no reason to believe as such. But the mosque builder surely wants to attract controversy and create upheaval by building so close to Ground Zero. They know there’s going to be qualified and peaceful dissent against their act. This is helpful in advertising in Muslim world that how America is anti-Islam. In fact American media does this job for them. Just look at see recent Time cover (talk about making non-sense issue instead of honest discussion!) If the mosque and community center is getting built to bridge the gap between Islam and West then creating such controversy isn’t exactly a good first step.

Bridging gap between Islam and West?
The mosque builders state that building community center and mosque has noble motive. They wanted to bridge the gap between West and Islamic world. What stupefies me is that it’s the Islamic world of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Arabia and Iran that’s opposed to west and if that’s the case then they should be opening such centers in those countries and not in freaking, downtown New York City. I don’t think you are going to find any city more liberal and multi-faceted than the New York City. I mean, that city is a living breathing global village. There is no misunderstanding in this side of Atlantic Ocean; it lies on the other side of African continent.

Freedom of Expression?
The freedom of expression comes with responsibility and to build a mosque next Ground Zero is, all though perfectly legal, is highly irresponsible. The opposition is specifically against building a mosque. I don’t think there would have been any opposition to build a Hindu temple or Buddhist pagoda. And this is simply because Hindus or Buddhist didn’t attack the twin towers, Islamic militants in the name of Islam did. The counter-argument is that by saying this we run into risk of labeling all Muslims as terrorist. But the thing is that more than the people who want to label all Muslims as terrorist, a lot of Muslims themselves want to label themselves as such and play as the role of victim. They love to do that. Iran does, so does Pakistan, Palestinians have been crying for I don’t know how long. Afghanis don’t cry they just kill! Of course this doesn’t mean all Iranians are whiners or all Afghanis are terrorists. They are not but that’s how their nations behave in international community. And Muslim community is behaving in a same manner in US too. A peaceful protest does not infringe any of their rights. Fox news network doesn’t represent whole of US and the Muslim community doesn’t understand this then they need to dedicate community center to bridge the gap of rationality in their own mindset.

In the end, the opposition is here is local, only to this mosque. (There are some instances of opposition to building mosque in Michigan and I think, in Tennessee but this opposition is certainly infringement of freedom of expression) And given the delicate nature of location, why somebody would want to build the mosque if it is rubbing so many people in a wrong way? It is so easy to paint all those who oppose as anti-Muslim…wait a minute, isn’t that something you Mosque builders and Mosque supporters oppose to do? Painting the whole community with wide brush!

There is another stupid point by pro-mosquers that there is a strip club next to Ground Zero. A person can be opposed to Strip Clubs in general because it demeans women but other than that why somebody will get riled up to see strip club next to Ground zero, I don’t know. But most importantly strippers did not attack twin towers. They didn’t kill 3000 people. So don’t give me this bull crap that if there is opposition to build a mosque then there shouldn’t be any strip club either. Because if that’s the case then you are basically comparing two things that you don’t want to even think of comparing!