The Mosque

Doesn't get any more touchy then this does it?

On one hand, we have the obvious heartache and pain from the survivors and families of those who perished in the attack. They [and many other Americans] find this Mosque, or "community center", an insult to the memories of those who perished in the attack.

On the other hand, we have the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution which guarantees their right to worship and build what ever the hell they want [with respect to building codes and what not].

Here we have a wound that still hurts, But on the other, we have the very foundations of what our nation is founded on.

To the credit of the planners, the new community center planned for Park 51 will include:

•outstanding recreation spaces and fitness facilities (swimming pool, gym, basketball court)



•a 500-seat auditorium


•a restaurant and culinary school


•cultural amenities including exhibitions


•education programs


•a library, reading room and art studios


•childcare services


•a mosque, intended to be run separately from Park51 but open to and accessible to all members, visitors and our New York community


•a September 11th memorial and quiet contemplation space, open to all"
 
On these grounds; what is planned and on the grounds of the Constitution and Equal Protection, I am 100% for the construction of this Mosque. I can see nothing inflammatory about the actual planned facility. I think that the actual community centre would be a great contribution to the area and had the potential to begin a healing process.
 
However, today I was forced to re-evaluate the situation regarding this Mosque/community centre. It had nothing to do with what was planned or even the controversial Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. It's tha fact that the Park 51 Community Center is being portrayed by radical Muslims in the middle-east as a triumph.
 
Mosque's in general, in Muslim society, are great symbols and the location of this particular Mosque is no lost on Middle-Eastern Muslims. For example, when Israel withdrew from Gaza and other regions, Synagogues were converted into Mosques within hours! This was done as sort of a victory celebration.
 
Now for a little history lesson. This story comes from a land that was plagued with sectarian violence and religious show-boating: Ireland.
 
Every year, all over Northern Ireland, there is a so-called "marching season" in which Unionist [and, therefore, predominately Protestant] groups such as the Orange Order and the Apprentice Boys of Derry organise a number of marched all over Northern Ireland to celebrate the Protestant William of Orange's victory over the Catholic King James II at the Siege of Derry.
 
During this Siege, the Protestants defiantly told the Catholics [who were laying siege on the walled city] "No Surrender" which has since become the battle cry of Unionist-Protestants. Ultimately, the Siege was broken and the Protestants were victorious. William of Orange went on to win the war, thus making the British Crown exclusively Protestant.
 
Following this victory, and in response to the growing popularity of the Nationalist movement which was very popular among Catholics, the Orange Order and the Apprentice Boys of Derry began organising victory marches that went through Catholic neighborhoods to intimidate Catholic Nationalists.

These activities intensified after 1921 after the Irish War of Independence when Ireland was partitioned. Keeping with the "No Surrender" mentality, Protestant Unionists marches into Catholic areas became bigger and the scene became tenser.

Tensions climaxed during "The Troubles" from 1960-1980 when Protestant Marches was the motivating factor behind a lot of sectarian violence. 

Sound familiar? This is what really alarms me. Now I see what other Americans see. Though the majority of American Muslims don't see this a triumphantalist and that may not be the intent the organisers, Muslims around the world involved in the "Jihad" against the United States see 51 Park as salt in the American wound. This is exasperated by the fact that people ARE hurting over this community center/mosque.

For these reasons, I strongly feel that this facility should be located elsewhere. I feel for American Muslims who, let's be honest, have had to put up with a lot of crap recently. I know that they mean no harm with the proposed Park 51 Community Center, but I sincerely hope they realize the heartache and symbolic significance of this Mosque. It's simply bad PR.

What I suggest: the American Muslim community withdraws it's application to build on 51 Park and build it elsewhere or change what they plan to build. Maybe turn it into an out & out, secular memorial or ecumenical center.