America. The land of the free. Freedom of speech. Freedom of press. Freedom of assembly. Freedom of petition. Freedom of religion. Except that now, freedom of religion is nowhere to be found. The recent proposal to build a new Islamic center just blocks away from Ground Zero has ignited a firestorm that is raging across the country, polarizing people from sea to shining sea. This controversy that is gripping the nation truly illuminates the pit of religious ignorance and intolerance into which our nation has fallen. Rather then viewing this center as a union between Muslim and Christian America, people are using this issue to further destroy already strained relations between the two religions.
What is the real issue at hand? First off, the purported "Ground Zero mosque" is anything but that. The planned Islamic center (read: not mosque) is scheduled to be built two blocks away from the hallowed grounds of the World Trade Center. At eleven stories tall, this community center would serve as both a religious haven and a center for cultural growth, enabling local Muslims to reach out to citizens of New York. Unfortunately, opponents to the center use the issue as another way to attack and denigrate the Islamic faith, taking to the streets with signs such as "Don't glorify murder of 3,000," and "No 9/11 victory mosque." It is natural to recognize a sort of conflict of interest here. People associate Islam with the 9/11 attacks, forgetting that those perpetrators were radical Islamists, roughly analogous to the Ku Klux Klan - a very small percentage of individuals who have violently strayed from the mainstream beliefs of society. Saying that all Muslims are terrorists is like saying that all Christians are violent and racist bigots.
Where is the freedom of religion here? Since when has American become a center for hatred toward a single religion? Traditionally, America has been a beacon of light to the rest of the world - a safe country for people of all creeds and religions to practice their beliefs without fear of persecution. Islam, now, has reassumed the position of public enemy number one. How are Muslims supposed to feel safe and accepted in America when the freedom to build places of worship is derided and Islam is increasingly subjected to heinous acts of disrespect? The public outcry to this center is a knee-jerk reaction spurred by ignorance, racism and general intolerance - the exact opposite of what America stands for. Even New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been an outspoken defendant of this center, declaring on "The Daily Show" that, "there's already another mosque down there within four blocks from the World Trade Center, there's porno places, there's fast food restaurants, it's a vibrant community. It's New York." Bloomberg understands that the proposal for the center is a clear example of religious freedom in America.
Maybe the problem is political. After all, it is an election year. Politicians who take a polarized view of the issue, either for or against, are sure to attract constituents to vote them into office. If this is a political ploy, it is a shame that our nation's top representatives are using such an important issue as leverage to get voted back into office, pandering to the uninformed public to secure their own goals. Many Americans, however, are also to blame. As a nation, it is our responsibility to uphold the ideals whom most claim they hold so dear. If people are so "proud to be an American," how are they so proud to adamantly attack an integral group of our society? We take it for granted that our religious, political and societal freedoms will always be protected. But really, these protections seem to be limited and relative to the whims of who can yell the loudest or make the biggest sign.
This outrage toward the proposed Islamic center is a slippery slope. Once we start publicly limiting the freedom of Muslims to practice and expand Islam, are we to start limiting the freedom of Jews? Hindus? Even Christians? The Islamic center is supposed to represent a sort of olive branch - a way for Muslims to fix their shattered reputation and truly express their belief and culture in America. End the hatred and let the construction begin.
Danny is an Opinion editor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at d.digiulio@cavalierdaily.com.
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