Proposed plans of a mosque and community center two blocks away from Ground Zero are set to begin, despite an uproar of controversy.
We believe this is a step in the right direction toward promoting separation of church and state, and combating religious intolerance.
It may be true that those responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center were part of a terrorist organization whose main goal is to spread the word of Islam, but what many people need to understand is that the members of al-Qaida are extremists and are not accurate representations of the Muslim population.
All ideological differences aside, we must admit that as Americans we are allowed to worship freely and that although it may upset some people, Muslims do have the constitutional right to build a center of worship wherever they please.
This constitutional right is what makes America one of the best countries to live in; it’s no secret that in many countries, citizens have no choice but to adhere to the beliefs forced upon them by their government.
The freedom of religion we have in America is something totally unattainable to them.
Another element to consider is that the ongoing war in the Middle East is a war on terror, not on Islam. Just because members of al-Qaida choose to follow Islam doesn’t make Islam a bad religion. It makes those few extremists wrong for choosing to worship in a violent way.
Islam is in fact a very peaceful religion when followed properly, and you can’t ignore the fact that Muslims and Christians worship the same God, they just call it by different names.
The atrocious acts of a few extremists shouldn’t hinder religious freedom for everyone else.
One of the principles our country is built on is the separation of church and state, and the building of this community center should not be an exception.
Allowing the proposed mosque and community center would give many Americans insight into the peaceful nature of Islam and would be a step toward forgiving Muslims as a whole for the mistake of a few of their religious brethren.
This could potentially stop the racism and profiling against anyone who appears to be Middle Eastern or who wears a veil.
It has of course been difficult for the average American since the Sept. 11 attacks, but it has also been difficult for American Muslims who feel the sanctity of their religion has been tainted by members of al-Qaida.
“The joy of being a Muslim in America is gone, at least for now. All the progress we have made in the last 30 years is being reversed,” Shahid Athar, president of the Islamic
Medical association of North America wrote in an article for the website Islam For Today soon after the attacks.
“We have to start all over again. We American Muslims are going through the most difficult time in our history in this country,” he wrote.
We hope that the building of this mosque and community center will help American
Muslims on their path to achieving normalcy again and re-establishing a good reputation for their religion.
We also hope that those opposing the construction plans will behave rationally and respect Muslims’ right to worship.