For all of those who have been reading the news recently, there is currently a hot debate whether a Mosque should be built near the site of the 9/11 attacks in NYC.
Basically the two sides break into the following. The first side are the ones who are looking out for the victim's families. They say that a mosque near the site is disrespectful to the dead.
The second side tend to cite the american constitution which says that the state cannot impose laws that establish one religion over another. They also tend to point out that Islam didn't murder the people in 9/11.
I'd like to tell you my 9/11 story for what it's worth.
At the time I was in my student residence. I was a Biochemistry student and had an old 21 inch TV in my room. I was online when someone told me to turn on the news. What followed was the longest time I've ever watched TV without moving (except for bathroom breaks) in my life. I spent a good 18 hours glued to the set.
The human suffering that I saw was mind numbing. People jumping from windows, screaming for help and trying desperately to survive. Then the towers came down.
I remember at the time thinking that this was long overdue. Not because I was looking forward to it, but rather, I expected something like this would be in the works. We had been far too lax with people who meant us harm. Be it bombing a US military sub to torching embassies, etc.
Anyways, I went to sleep and the next morning I got a call from my Mother. She wanted to let me know my uncle was ok. He was at the towers the previous day but was able to escape. I was floored. It was suddenly more personal and gave a whole new perspective on what I saw the previous day.
It's in that frame of reference that I appreciate the first side's argument. There's lots of raw emotion going around, even 9 years after the event. Families are still mourning and they are still upset. I get that.
However, I also appreciate the type of country that we live in. I appreciate the fact that life for everyone wouldn't be as good as it is if there wasn't the free exchange of ideas, the ability to choose (or not choose) your own religion and the ability to live free. In the US, this is guaranteed by the constitution.
The fact is that the victims of 9/11 weren't murdered by Islam. They were murdered by morons who happened to be Islamic. Oklahoma city was bombed by a moron, a moron who happened to be Christian. Ireland has been bombed countless times by morons who are Protestant or Roman Catholic.
There is this unsettling trend to associate people with their faith as motivations for their actions. This simply isn't a the case. Do you attribute Hitler with people who believe in Christ? His soldiers did indeed have the slogan "God with Us" on their belt buckles. Do you attribute Hitler with vegetarians? (Ok, maybe in voracity of what they're claiming, j/k)
My point is, that not only is it silly to blame the faith for the actions of the few. What's worse is that these people are now trying to deny the rights of innocent people (in relation to 9/11) based on their faith. Which is unconstitutional.
So I'd say let them build their Mosque. Wouldn't the fact that they were allowed to do something like that show the Middle Eastern people that we don't hate their faith and show that we really aren't as repressive as the country they live?
What's your thoughts on the matter?
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