The Ground Zero Mosque

About two blocks away from the site of the worst attack on our nation's soil, developers are planning to build a Muslim community center, complete with a mosque, a performing arts center, a gym, and a swimming pool. At the head of this community center is a controversial imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf, whom many consider to be a two-faced character when it comes to his stance on some sensitive geo-political issues. But he has also authored a book entitled What's Right With Islam is What's Right With America, and is on record condemning the September 11th attacks. But the outrage over the mosque has nothing to do with Feisal Abdul Rauf. The outrage is purely an opportunity for some to display their racist islam-ophobic feelings in a public setting.

One of the main arguments I've heard against the mosque is that it's insensitive to build it so close to Ground Zero out of respect for the dead. Why? A religious center that will hold daily prayers, family celebrations, and community events is exactly the type of building that should go up near Ground Zero. The fact that this community center happens to be of the Muslim faith should have no bearing. We all know the 9/11 terrorists claimed to be Muslims, but they were not. They were bloodthirsty murderers hiding behind the righteous veil of religion. They were no more Muslim than a Catholic priest who molests altar boys is a Christian.

To claim that it's insensitive to build a mosque near the hallowed site is no less than an indictment against an entire religion; a claim that over a billion practicing Muslims worldwide are no better than 19 psychopaths armed with box cutters. We were not attacked on September 11th, 2001 by Muslims - we were attacked by henchmen of an arch-villain whose treachery goes beyond most of our abilities to comprehend. To deny the right - or even to protest the right - of the developers to build this community center is one more victory for Al-Queda. What better way to show our defiance in the face of terror than by standing up tall with our fellow citizens - regardless of their faith - and defending their right to religious freedom and free speech?

As a Jew, I don't believe in the tenets of Islam, or Christianity for that matter. In fact, I don't believe in most of the tenets of Judaism. What I do believe in is that most people are essentially good, and that most religious people believe in the same things: a moral code to live by, a reverence for god above, and a love for all beings. We have an opportunity in this country, right now, to show what we're made of. By supporting this community center we can send a louder message than all of the F-15's and B-2 Bombers we sent to Afghanistan almost 9 years ago. Let's all help build this community center, and then let's build more community centers. In fact, let's build a community center for every loving human being we lost on that awful day.