Oh, the irony! Those so vehemently opposed to the building of a mosque near Ground Zero are sounding a whole lot like those who are so vehemently opposed to anyone drawing caricatures of Muhammad. Muslims don’t want their Prophet dishonored. Mosque opponents don’t want Ground Zero “dishonored.”
The First Amendment of the American Constitution protects both freedom of speech and freedom of religion. And this IS a First Amendment issue all the way around. Some people seem to think that the freedom of speech to insult Muhammad is fine, but the freedom of religion to insult Ground Zero is absolutely intolerable. Of course, whether or not it actually is an insult in either case depends entirely upon how you look at it. It’s a matter of opinion. It is not — I REPEAT — It is NOT a fact.
I can understand the emotions involved in opposing an Islamic center close to Ground Zero, but those emotions cannot be allowed to override or infringe upon the the First Amendment rights of American Muslims. There is, after all, something more important at stake here than protecting some offended sensitivities — and that is protecting and honoring the First Amendment. To forbid the building of a mosque, even at Ground Zero (and perhaps especially at Ground Zero), would be spitting straight into the face of our own Constitution. Muslims as a group are not responsible for 9/11. The religion of Islam is not responsible for 9/11.
One common theme of the mosque protest is to “Stop Islamization of America.” Now that is Islamiphobia, plain and simple. Every single ethic group that has ever come into the United States has brought it own native culture with it. And the blending of all these different cultures is what makes this country so culturally rich and diverse. I, for one, don’t have any fear whatsoever of any so-called “Islamization of America.” The foundations of this country are not so weak as to be overtaken by any fundamentalist ideology or religion. Christianity itself is proof of that. Fundamentalist Christians been trying to bring on the Christianization of America for quite some time now. And these scare tactics are perhaps just a projection of what some fundamentalist crusaders are most afraid of — that Islam might succeed where they themselves have failed.
If the new mosque/Islamic center does go up, I hope the planners will make time and space for some things such as: Sufi whirling, Rumi poetry recitals, Deepak Chopra healing, and a whole host of other good things that a healthy dose of “Islamization” could bring. This blond haired, blue-eyed American of northern European descent will be catching the next bus for lower Manhattan.
(This post is open for comments)
Bravo.
I could hug and kiss you and try to make you forget your husband for a brief moment or two.
I love you, you crazy woman.
michael j
suffering from a lack of JhanaJian
You love me, Michael, when I’m defending freedom of religion FOR Muslims, but you DON’T love me at all when I’m defending freedom of speech AGAINST Muslims…
Well at least you do love me sometimes…
Fickle love is better than no love at all!
Whose going to stick up for the minority anyway.
missed you. From both sides of the political spectrum.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=tCAffMSWSzY#t=28
Election of Muslim president 7 yeas after September 11 attack looks to me the same thing as if Japanese president were elected 7 years after Pearl Harbor and this mosque at Ground Zero is a one more spit into American face that Americans did to themselves.
Hey Americans, are you crazy? How many more of you should be killed until you understand who your enemy is? It appears to me that you have turned into a nation of complete idiots. You are ObamaNation!
The alien.
missed me. that’s nice to hear.
If Pearl Harbor and 9/11 look the same to you, Alien, it’s because you don’t see too well. Pearl Harbor was clearly the attack of one nation upon another nation. The September 11 attack was clearly the attack of some individuals belonging to a radical fringe.
As to the credibility of this video, it is dishonest from the get-go. The title says in big letters, Obama Admits He is a Muslim. Yet the legal disclaimer (which is easily missed) denies claiming that Obama claims he is a Muslim. ??? Whether Obama really is a Muslim seems to me to be beside the point. I think a better question would be: Why should anyone believe the lying, dishonest cowards who put together this video yet refuse to stand by their own claims?
But thank you for the video anyway, Alien. It makes me respect our President even more that he has spoken out against the Islamiphobic hate-mongering of the politically ambitious religious right of the western world.
This post was sent to me via “Contact Me.” I don’t know why the person didn’t post directly, but anyway, this is what he had to say:
“Build a mosque if one has the bucks and I’m sure the Saudi’s will ante up if need be but not just there. Ground zero is an open wound and a 13 story mosque is not the required medicine for healing. A public and national disclaimer by the long sought but thus far invisible and mute “moderate” Muslim community disowning the goals of jihadist, extremist Muslims, 9/11, Israel’s destruction and re-creation of a Caliphate would do wonders.”
You are absolutely right JhanaJian. Freedom of reliion is incredibly important, no matter whether the mosque is located near ground zero or not. Islamiphobia has gripped the Western World, myself (embarrassingly) included. The atrocites of 9/11 were caused by a radical few, not a whole religion.
So where are your relatives buried?
Freedom of Speech? What freedom should be honored to disrespect another?
You guys are jokes. Native Americans have their burial grounds respected? And your fighting for the right for another to disrespect you?
Freedom of speech works both ways. Should my family be murdered, you can rest assured the murderer would not be opening up shop next to thier graves.
Have some respect for yourselves
The hate in America is what is destroying America from the inside out not the terrorist……We are not growing our jobs are going to other countries because the people in greatest country in the world is against education for everyone health care feeding children in school’s that are hungry this is a shame wanting proof of citizenship witch is like being in a police state. I was born here and I am ashamed