Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Mosque planned to be built near Ground Zero

supersix2 · 07-20-2010, 06:01 PM

I came across this article today on cnn.com and actually I heard my dad talking about this last week when I was on vacation. I really can't believe all of the angst and uproar surrounding this. I liked to think that people in this country weren't really this fearful and reactionary toward anything Muslim but that belief is slowly starting to fade the more and more I see.

Here's the link to the article In battle to build mosque near Ground Zero, opponents ask 'why there?' - CNN.com

Basically this group of American Muslims would like to build a Mosque in New York City in the area near where the World Trade Center used to be. The reactions of the opposition to this are at times downright racist. I can't believe it.

My thoughts on the whole thing is that there are plenty of regular Muslims out there who would simply like to practice their religion and culture without harming anyone or anything. Sadly a small radical group gives them a bad name. I really doubt the reaction would be this great if a Christian organization wanted to build a church or even a Jewish organization wanted to build a Synagogue near that site. But because it was a Mosque and radical Muslim terrorists were responsible this is all of a sudden a big deal. Opponents are trying to get legislation to block the construction by trying to declare one of the buildings there a historic landmark. In my opinion this flies in the face of everything America was founded on. These Muslims are Americans and should have the same rights to practice their religion freely without having a legal process blocking it.

Now I am speculating that no one would have an issue with this if it was another religions building, heck I doubt anyone would care if Burger King wanted to build something there...but I truly believe because it is a Mosque people are having serious heartburn over this.

Reading some of the comments people left in that article on CNN...it just makes sad for America that people can still be that bigoted.

I am trying to see the other side of this as well, I was not personally affected by the 9/11 attacks and I did not lose anyone in those towers, maybe I would feel differently if I had experienced a loss there. I do understand why those people might have an problem with it. However, they are merely expressing a human emotion due to their loss but that is why we have laws and a Constitution so that human emotion does not govern us. I believe in this case that allowing emotions to spill over into this issue we are denying this group of people their rights as Americans to practice religion free of persecution.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

07-20-2010, 06:01 PM	#1 (permalink)
supersix2 Insane Location: Houston	Mosque planned to be built near Ground Zero I came across this article today on cnn.com and actually I heard my dad talking about this last week when I was on vacation. I really can't believe all of the angst and uproar surrounding this. I liked to think that people in this country weren't really this fearful and reactionary toward anything Muslim but that belief is slowly starting to fade the more and more I see. Here's the link to the article In battle to build mosque near Ground Zero, opponents ask 'why there?' - CNN.com Basically this group of American Muslims would like to build a Mosque in New York City in the area near where the World Trade Center used to be. The reactions of the opposition to this are at times downright racist. I can't believe it. My thoughts on the whole thing is that there are plenty of regular Muslims out there who would simply like to practice their religion and culture without harming anyone or anything. Sadly a small radical group gives them a bad name. I really doubt the reaction would be this great if a Christian organization wanted to build a church or even a Jewish organization wanted to build a Synagogue near that site. But because it was a Mosque and radical Muslim terrorists were responsible this is all of a sudden a big deal. Opponents are trying to get legislation to block the construction by trying to declare one of the buildings there a historic landmark. In my opinion this flies in the face of everything America was founded on. These Muslims are Americans and should have the same rights to practice their religion freely without having a legal process blocking it. Now I am speculating that no one would have an issue with this if it was another religions building, heck I doubt anyone would care if Burger King wanted to build something there...but I truly believe because it is a Mosque people are having serious heartburn over this. Reading some of the comments people left in that article on CNN...it just makes sad for America that people can still be that bigoted. I am trying to see the other side of this as well, I was not personally affected by the 9/11 attacks and I did not lose anyone in those towers, maybe I would feel differently if I had experienced a loss there. I do understand why those people might have an problem with it. However, they are merely expressing a human emotion due to their loss but that is why we have laws and a Constitution so that human emotion does not govern us. I believe in this case that allowing emotions to spill over into this issue we are denying this group of people their rights as Americans to practice religion free of persecution. Anyone else have any thoughts?