Nine years after the most deadly terror attack on United States soil, zip code 10048, New York City, is yet again finding itself at the heart of a religious conflict. Only this time, the conflagration at the site of the 9/11 attacks is an entirely peaceful one, even if it raises fundamental questions about religious tolerance in America.
The controversy, which has been simmering over several months, boiled over last week when a local community board in Manhattan approved plans to build a mosque two blocks away from where the World Trade Centre stood.
Following the grant of approval, those supporting religious tolerance as enshrined in the constitution’s First Amendment clashed publicly and passionately with those who decried the mosque plan as a symbol of disrespect to victims of 9/11 and a surrender to religious extremists.
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The most recent development came this week as a right-wing group won approval to run on NYC buses an advertisement that showed a photograph of a hijacked airplane flying into one of the twin towers on 9/11. The advertisement also showed a high-rise building with an Islamic crescent and the label “WTC Mega Mosque” and the words “Why There?”
Though the initial application to run the advertisement was rejected by the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority this week, the MTA passed it after it was sued by the authors of the advertisement, the American Freedom Defence Initiative.
In a statement the MTA said, “While the MTA does not endorse the views expressed in this or other ads that appear on the transit system, the ad...was accepted after its review under MTA’s advertising guidelines and governing legal standards.”
Meanwhile critics of the mosque plan also raised questions about the State Department sponsoring a trip to the Middle East by the man behind Cordoba House, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. AFDI Director Pamela Geller said in her blog that the White House was “bankrolling” the Imam’s “Middle East Fundraising Tour” and it was clear that “Terror-tied Rauf is comfortably ensconced in the bosom of the Obama State Department”.
State Department spokesman Philip Crowley however cast such allegations in doubt, saying to media that Imam Feisal was travelling to Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE to discuss Muslim life in America and religious tolerance.
Mr. Crowley added that the Imam’s work on tolerance and religious diversity “is well-known and he brings a moderate perspective to foreign audiences on what it’s like to be a practicing Muslim in the U.S..”
He further clarified that the State Department’s discussions with Imam Rauf about taking this trip “preceded the current debate in New York over the Centre”.
Even as the debate raged, The New York Times reported a spike in the number of incidents of right-wing opposition to mosque-building plans across the U.S.. In particular, the newspaper cited instances of such plans being blocked by Republican, Tea Party, and Christian-group politicians in Tennessee, California and Wisconsin respectively.
Keywords: Ground Zero, mosque debate, World Trade Centre, U.S.
Excuse me people the Muslims don't want build a masjid on ground zero but
instead two blocks away from it.
These Americans are very racists because they do not want to build an Islamic center. These Americans are fascists because they are against tolerance and religious freedom. All Muslims are shocked because of this racism. Muslims respect any American who supports the idea of building an Islamic center in any site in America.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam
There are 1.5 billion Muslims across the globe or we can say 25% of the population in this world is Muslim and it is likely to grow in future, outnumbering other religions as well.
Why give punishment to the entire religion and it's followers when such a horrific incident,9/11 was committed by one terrorist. It is absolute stupidity of fellow Americans to relate the act of Osama to the entire Muslim world. When the terrorist committed such an act, did he get an approval from 1.5 billion Muslims?
If a church or synagogue is constructed in a site where hundreds of Muslims died in Iraq, does it mean that it is a deep offense to Muslims in Iraq?
Any religious monument should be a total no-no.
They are just rubbing salt in a fresh wound. Why would anyone want to do this and get 90% of Americans upset?
Superb decision, I really appreciate it. Long live America
Regardless of whatever type of building it is they HAVE the right to put it there. People need to remember that not ALL Muslims wanted 9/11 to happen. There are bad apples in every religion. Should we condemn every person just because of a religion?
President Obama has stated that America respects all religions. Why has he chosen a mosque for ground zero is a big question mark. What will the mosque denote to the people? People from all religions were the victims of 9/11. Therefore, ground zero should be a place from where the message of humanity is spread all over the world. The structure to be built may be named Temple of Humanity, the House of Humanity.
This is nothing more than rubbing salt in the wound.
It does make me wonder what their agenda is and are we really that stupid and lacking empathy (Obama) to disregard the emotions of those who lost loved ones and friends in 9-ll.
thats a very good thing .... that means no racism ..... really very good
Why have a religious building at Ground Zero at all? It looks like discrimination against other religions to have such a building at a famous place like Ground Zero. It just kicks up more controversy, something surely nobody wants, right?
The memory of the destruction of the World Trade Center is still recent and raw. America is land of liberty and religious freedom and there are so many places where you could build any religious structure.
No, no, no to the mosque near Ground Zero!
Dear editor, please correct this article. The intended building is an Islamic Center, not a mosque.
Nothing against this religion or the people who follow it, but if this mosque is built on ground zero I would be highly offended
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