Do you have mosque debate fever? The "Ground Zero Mosque," as Sarah Palin called it, has sparked a series of oppositional tirades by supporters and non-supporters that has divided families of 9/11 victims and polluted congressional campaigns.
The issue has elicited callous remarks from politicians.
"Some of the Muslim leaders associated with the mosque ‘are clearly terrorist sympathizers,'" said Kevin Calvey, an Oklahoman GOP candidate for Congress.
"Those folks don't have any interest in reaching out to the community. They're trying to make a case about supremacy," former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich told the Associated Press. Gingrich also argued "there should be no mosque near Ground Zero in New York as long as there are no churches or synagogues in Saudi Arabia."
As a supporter of the mosque, I feel the need to point out several things. First, the man behind this center is Imam Rauf Abdul Feisal, who is also the imam (similar to a priest or rabbi) at a mosque in the nearby lower Manhattan neighborhood of Tribeca. Feisal was commissioned by the FBI in 2003 to help them better understand the Islamic faith in order to improve counterterrorism efforts. Furthermore, the proposed Islamic cultural center, to be called Park 51, would include a swimming pool, a gym, a public theater and a 9/11 memorial in addition to the mosque.
Nine years ago, the building was home to the Burlington Coat Factory. After the events of 9/11, the owners closed the store, but held onto the empty property until July 2009, when it was sold to Soho Properties, a real estate company. One of the real estate investors was Imam Feisal, who had been looking to acquire more space for his growing community. He believed Park 51 would especially benefit Muslims who work in the financial district where Ground Zero is located. They often have a short lunch break and do not have enough time to make it across town for midday prayers, according to Der Spiegel.
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What some people are unaware of is that the property has not actually been empty for the past year. Members of Feisal's congregation have been using the space as a makeshift mosque since the end of Ramadan in 2009. Many people are also misinformed and were led to believe that the Islamic community center would be constructed at Ground Zero.
"The average person [does not] know that you would not be able to see Ground Zero from the building, nor would you be able to see the building from Ground Zero," Howard Wolfson, deputy mayor of New York City, said.
Wolfson is correct. As a resident of New York City, I ventured to the area just before coming back to campus. An Irish pub and an Amish market sandwich the building and the Museum of Jewish Heritage and St. Peter's church are located nearby.
I believe that we all need a refresher on the First Amendment, especially considering Gingrich's comment about churches and synagogues in Saudi Arabia. Did you know that there are two freedoms granted by the First Amendment that are related to religion? The first, known as the establishment clause, prohibits the United States government from establishing an official religion or giving preferential treatment to a certain religion. United States leaders have interpreted this as the separation of church and state, a characteristic that makes our country unique. We pride ourselves on this. The second freedom is the free exercise clause, which states that the government will neither control nor prohibit the free practice of one's religion. Also, that the government will remain neutral. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, was founded on the basis of Sharia law, or the sacred law of Islam. It is also not a democracy and was not founded on the principle of religious freedom, so the lack of churches and synagogues is logical.
Considering all of this, there should be no doubt that Feisal and his congregation have the right to set up Park 51. The reasoning behind its location cannot be stressed enough.
"The idea of a cultural center that strengthens ties between Muslims and people of all faiths and backgrounds is positive," Lynn Rasic, a spokeswoman for the 9/11 Memorial, told the New York Times.
The center should be seen as a place of healing and tolerance and that what happened on Sept. 11 should not be associated with Muslims in general.
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