As this entry is written, there is very little that can be said on this topic that has not already been said many times; but I'm going to weigh in with my opinions anyway. The storm of controversy generated by plans to build a Moslem community center in lower Manhattan is a microcosm of 21st Century American political discourse, loaded with innuendo, exaggeration, and outright manipulation of the facts.
Begin with the way this project is identified in almost every discussion, including in the title of this article. This phrase will rank right up there with "Death Tax" in the dubious lexicon of inflammatory right-wing targeting of the lowest common denominator in the American opinion spectrum. The project in question is neither at Ground-Zero, nor is it a mosque. The proposed building site is in fact two blocks north of the World Trade Center site. I had the opportunity to visit Ground Zero last summer, and I can tell you that a trip of two blocks on the streets of that part of our largest and greatest city can seem like going to another world. Furthermore, the building in question, while it does have a worship center included in its plans, is not a "mosque". It is primarily a community center, with athletic facilities, meeting rooms, and an auditorium.
Of course, neither of these distinctions makes any real difference. If the organizers of this project legitimately acquired property that was part of the former World Trade Center site, and if they chose to build a true mosque on it, complete with domes and minarets; they should be allowed to do so, so long as they complied with all applicable zoning restrictions. That's what it means to live under the rule of law, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
For me, the important point is what all of this does to, and says about, us. If we let the 2001 terrorist attacks turn us inward, make us so frightened and suspicious that we sacrifice our ideals and freedoms, bin Laden has won. We do a grave injustice to the memory of the folks who were killed at the World Trade Center if we use their deaths as an excuse to step back from the principles that made this nation great. These concerns led me to write the following letter to The Montgomery Advertiser. It was published on Sunday, August 22, 2010.
I was pleased to read that President Obama has spoken forcefully in support of the right of the Muslim congregation in New York City to build a mosque in lower Manhattan. He is sworn to uphold the Constitution, and his words were very much in harmony with the First Amendment's ban on prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Beyond that though, Mr. Obama spoke, as he has on other occasions, for America at its best - a proud, self-confident nation that is secure enough in its ideals to welcome new ideas and faiths within its borders. He evokes a society that does not recoil in fear and hatred, but instead has the courage to be a positive force for peace and understanding in the world. Now, more than ever, we need that America to assert herself.
Thomas R. Borden Waugh, Alabama September 2, 2010