I should have known from the moment I chose to write about Ground Zero, it would follow me to the end of my days. There is always something to report and debate, it seems, involving that hallowed piece of Manhattan real estate. The problem is one that is ever present in a dense urban space like New York City: proximity. To honor the victims, must we purge every little thing that is not sacred from Lower Manhattan? From the whole Island? What exactly is and isn't appropriate to be near the site? Century 21? Burlington Coat Factory? That is what I want to ask people who oppose the development of a Muslim community center on Park Street, two blocks from Ground Zero.
Our national reaction to 9/11 was unifying, yet it was not monolithic. And I use monolithic instead of homogeneous in honor of my preoccupation with monuments. We bombed Afghanistan, yet politicians agreed that to beat the terrorists we would also have to win hearts and minds of moderate Muslims at home and abroad. Two very different methods. And as Fareed Zakaria wrote in Newsweek, the tenuous American relationship with moderate Islam could only be strengthened by the presence of a community center such as the ill-labeled "Ground Zero Mosque." It would be a celebration not of tragedy but of resilience. A manifestation of our constitutional protection of religious freedom and equality.
Here are my problems with the opposition:
1. Stop calling it the "Ground Zero Mosque"! It's not at Ground Zero. There is a specific, bounded section of Lower Manhattan that retains the sanctity and dignity of the Memorial, and then there is the rest of the city. It is not at the "epicenter" of 9/11. For in my thesis, I argue that 9/11 had no epicenter, since it involves the Pentagon and Pennsylvania countryside. Yes, plane debris and quite possibly human remains fell on the site at 45 Park, just like it fell on the entire area surrounding the World Trade Center. This hasn't stopped the development of other buildings for fear of insensitivity.
2. It's not just a mosque. It's a place for the American Muslims who are already in the city to congregate, along with anyone else who isn't a bigot. They own the building. They can do what they will with the building. The worship space is an improvement on the existent, cramped mosque not too far away from Ground Zero. Maybe those who are offended by its proximity should reflect on their own prejudice against an entire religion, while they have no problem with WTC souvenirs and tourism and corporations covering the area like ants at a picnic.
3. I searched for evidence that mosques are built as signs of victory. And I found no scholarly sources. Just conservative and alarmist blogs and articles. Listening to Rush Limbaugh is not research, people. One article even erroneously suggests that the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem was built to celebrate the destruction of the Temple. Oops. Romans destroyed the second Temple in 70 CE (That's AD for any non-academics). The mosque and the Dome of the Rock (built in the 7th Century CE) which now stand atop this sacred mount are not signs of victory over Judaism or Christianity, but examples of our commonalities. The place is sacred to us all. That's why they built on top of it during a period of Muslim conversion and rule. BTW, before the Crusades, Jerusalem was a city where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived in relative harmony.
4. We all want to tread lightly when it comes to the feelings of 9/11 victims' families. This is one reason why the rebuilding at Ground Zero has been so slow (apart from contracts and litigation). Yet these people should not be paraded (literally and figuratively) by opponents and politicians to shame anyone who supports the center. In fact, there are families who support it themselves. They want peace and closure. Understanding. They want to rise above the hate that drove the terrorists to kill their loved ones. How dare anyone try to make me or other supporters feel guilty? It's a desperate, personal attack that smacks of malicious zeal.
5. Seeing articles and blogs and facebook polls plastered with the face of Osama bin Laden just make me sick to my stomach. And I'm not even Muslim. Like I commented on a cousin's post, it's just plain slander. Not all Muslims are bin Ladens. How much do you want to bet that Osama would oppose the mosque due to its interfaith, inclusive nature? I'd bet my life savings. We should do the homework and make sure the funding has no ties to al-Qaeda. Yet the pictures go too far.
6. Remember our American values? Equality? Freedom? You're treating Muslims like criminals and second-class citizens. Regardless of your religious affiliation, you should respect the rights of others to deal with the tragedy of 9/11 and the rebirth of Lower Manhattan in their own way. The mosque is not illegal, as much as you hope it is. Our constitution does not support prejudice, though we have failed in the past. We have persecuted Jews, Catholics, Communists, Irish, Germans in the 18th century and in the 20th. When will we ever learn? (I have deliberately omitted slavery, here, for that is an issue all its own)
Anyone who reads this and feels like repeating the Fox News talking points, stop and think, please. Do some real research. There is no more a Muslim agenda than there is a gay agenda. Our culture can take it. We can all be friends two blocks away from one of the most sacred spots in America. Turn off Limbaugh and read some history. Shake hands with a Muslim neighbor (if you can find one...they might be scared of you) and learn a little about cultural exhange. Prove that you are wise enough to distinguish a radical terrorist from the family down the street.
The National September 11th Memorial and Museum are dedicated to the memory of those who died and the end of the cycle of hate. Don't help Sarah Palin, Limbaugh & Co. perpetuate the hate. Please.
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