We have to respect and honor the sentiments of every one who was a victim of terrorism and their friends and relatives who have suffered through this. The Ground Zero Mosque is engaging the American Public and bringing out emotions and intellectualism to the forefront to tackle the issue of co-existence. The questions abound; what is freedom of religion, what is first amendment, what kind of nation are we, do we want to emulate the very nations we condemn or should we lead the world and set the standards for co-existence. What does it take to build orderly societies? What does it take for you, me and others to feel safe and live in peace?
We have to consciously create institutions and systems that would become a catalyst to a positive change and bring about cohesive functioning of the society. It is our duty to keep law and order and faithfully guard the safety of every citizen.
This issue is engaging the American Public, both for and against, and as a Pluralist who believes in co-existence is the way for sustaining harmony, I will save the links of articles that come across my knowledge as a reference for the researchers.
In behalf of the men and women who have lost their loved ones, a few are genuinely opposing the building of the communtiy Center, a few are Altruistic and want the center to stand out as a beaocon of hope and peace and yet a few are falling prey to the political opportunists. At the end, if we envision an America that is good for all, we have to consider dropping the “me, me, and me” and yeild to what is good for America, the land of the free.
While the tragedy will never fade from our memories, we have to consider the political opportunists who are opposing the Muslim Center near Ground Zero? The revelations are as clear as the day light, the right wing politicians have gone berserk and hanging on to tiny branches to save their political careers, and it is an abuse of Patriotism to have political gains.
If you have surfed through the internet, you might reasonably conclude that the ones opposing are the right wing Republicans like Palin, Gingrich, Paladino, Corker, Tancredo, Rowe, McCain and others. They continue to fall in the abyss of ignorance and are out of touch with the American public. The pied piper Limbaugh had led them once and his cooked up support will blind them again.
Until they come up with concrete alternative solutions for the difficulties our nation is facing, they will continue to hang on to anything they "perceive" will save them. The American public does not like divisive politics and I hope they understand and honor it, and become conflict mitigaters and goodwill nurturers.
If Saudi is a bad country, why do we want to emulate them? Should some one point their fingers and say the same things about us, we say to the tin pot dictators and fascist regimes?
To ban any Muslim presence from the neighborhood because of the actions of 19 terrorists is to fall into the same flawed ideology of the terrorist who label all Americans as evil.
America has led the world in Science, technology, innovation and has remained a beacon of morality and a defender of human rights. Our constitution is an exemplary document of democracy and now the time has come to lead the world in Pluralism and co-existence.
We have to be a model to other nations. The other nations need to look up to us and not the other way around. We need to set higher standards of civility and NOT stoop down to the level of Talibans or some dictators and monarchs around the world. If we want other nations to behave, we need to lead the way. We need to stand tall and on a moral high ground and be an example of morality and civility to the world.
This is the very reason we need to support the Mosque to show to the world what freedom of religion means: to demonstrate our spirit of liberty and set an example of how a nation treats its minorities.
Bin Laden pulled two of our symbolic buildings down and murdered nearly 3000 Americans; He is still at large. We need to find this criminal and punish him instead of creating a deficit and ruining our economy with the war. Bin Laden is the most hated guy for American Muslims than anyone else; he has provoked prejudice towards Muslims and has made their lives miserable.
The right wingers on the other hand will pull all of us Americans down from the moral high grounds we have held for nearly a century and sink us in bigotry. We have stood up for the Holocaust survivors, the refugees and the oppressed people in Bosnia and elsewhere in the world.
Mike Ghouse is a speaker on Pluralism and Islam offering pluralistic solutions to the issues of the day, in this case, at least another point of view for us to be fair and human. He is a frequent guest of the Media and his work is encapsulated in 22 Blogs and 3 Websites listed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/
Both views are presented here in these links;
http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2010/08/ground-zero-mosque-articles.html
I urge you to take the time to read some of the articles offering historic perspective.
- Mike Ghouse in Washington Post
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/07/on_mosque_us_should_stand_on_moral_high_ground.html - Michael Bloomberg’s speech, several commonalities in my talking points with his http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/08/03/mayor_bloomberg_on_mosque/index.html
- Mike Ghouse on Hannity Radio Show
http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/08/mike-ghouse-on-hannity-radio-show-about.html - Newt Gingrich V Mike Ghouse on Cordoba House http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/08/newt-gingrich-v-mike-ghouse-on-cordoba.html
- Why Jews should Support this - by two prominent Rabbis.
http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/08/why-jews-should-support-mosque-near.html - Alan Dershowitz Anti-Defamation League Should Not Oppose Mosques at Ground Zero.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-dershowitz/anti-defamation-league-sh_b_667478.html - Mike Ghouse on Fox TV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQF0ips81jA - Dallas Morning News -Pastors and Rabbis who stood up for the freedom of religion.
http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/07/texas-faith-is-a-mosque-at-gro.html - Leonard Pitts in Louisville Courier journal
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010307220006 - Abraham H. Foxman: The Mosque at Ground Zero
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/abraham-h-foxman/the-mosque-at-ground-zero_b_668020.html - Kamran Pasha: The ADL Defames its Jewish Heritage
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kamran-pasha/the-adl-defames-its-jewis_b_666458.html - David Harris: Build the Cordoba Center?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-harris/build-the-cordoba-center_b_667893.html - Rabbi Arthur Waskow: Urge the ADL to Change Its Position on the 'Ground Zero Mosque'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-arthur-waskow/urge-the-adl-to-change-it_b_668655.html - Gingrich, Palin and the Anti-Defamation League oppose Ground Zero mosque
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/31/nyregion/31mosque.html_r=2&pagewanted=1&src=me - Mosque Plan Clears Hurdle in New York (August 3, 2010)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/nyregion/04mosque.html?fta=y - Is a mosque at Ground Zero religious freedom too far?
http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/07/is-mosque-at-ground-zero-religious.html - Ground Zero mosque protected by First Amendment--but it's still salt in awound http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/spirited_atheist/2010/08/ground_zero_mosque_protected_by_first_amendment--but_its_still_salt_in_a_wound.html
- Senator Crocker’s hate filled letter to Obama http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/userletter/?id=152489&letter_id=5537567546
- Republicans Against Mosque
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/07/22/2010-07-22_newt_gingrich_comes_out_against_planned_cordoba_house_mosque_near_ground_zero.html - Mischief in Manhattan http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Mischief+Manhattan/3370303/story.html
- John Mccain Videos.... Bigoted Ad: Kill the Ground Zero Mosque TV Ad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG2mupPwpyI&feature=player_embedded - A Muslim victim of 9/11: 'Build your mosque somewhere else' http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/06/AR2010080603006.html
- Mosque unbecoming - Zuhdi Jasser http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/mosque_unbecoming_QmXgG4QyGgz4ATF9v7cBDM#ixzz0w12H2Y00
- Why the Ground Zero Mosque is Counterproductive to the Islamist Cause http://www.meforum.org/2700/why-the-ground-zero-mosque-is-counterproductive
- ADL declares opposition to Ground Zero Mosque -
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-ward-iii/anti-defamation-league-de_b_665875.html - Broadway and the Mosque- Thomas Friedman http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/opinion/04friedman.html?_r=1
- SIOA Co-Founder: Kill Your Liberal Relatives and All Muslims
http://www.loonwatch.com/2010/08/sioa-co-founder-kill-your-liberal-relatives-and-all-muslims/ - Build the Ground Zero Mosque - Fareed Zakaria
http://www.newsweek.com/authors/fareed-zakaria.html - Photo Essay - Mosques in America: Faith and Anger http://www.newsweek.com/photo/2010/08/08/us-mosque-protests.html
- 'Museum Of Tolerance' Director Opposes Mosque But Built Museum on Muslim Cemeteryhttp://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/museum_of_tolerance_director_opposes_mosque_but_bu.php
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/06/AR2010080603006_Comments.html
ReplyDeleteghulammuhammed3 wrote:
Neda wrote:'There were many mosques in the United States before Sept. 11; their mere existence did not bring cross-cultural understanding.' Well, neither did they bring any cross-cultural mis-understanding before 9/11. Now there is an extra need to work against those misunderstanding. We cannot call it a day and close the chapter. People die and still life has to go on. For a handful of criminals, why should entire Muslim world suffer collective punishment of stigmatizing at the hands of some vested interest lobbies that wish to perpetrate the blame game.
8/8/2010 12:14:08 PM
Dear All,
ReplyDeleteThe views of relatives of one victim are not more valid than another
victim. If one wishes to be fair then those family members of the
deceased that are supporting it should be quoted as well. That would
be journalistic honesty and a fair way to debate. However not to mean
any disrespect for victims of any crime of course there is a limit to
what they are entitled to. If a particular state law does not have
death penalty then the wishes of the victims family would have no
bearing on it.
I also find it contradictory that she wishes the site to be one for
reflection and dialouge between faiths to promote harmony but then
goes on to oppose the project which aims at this very goal!
I would like to warn those who wish to take this slippery slope of
"respect/sensitivity" argument. How far this will go. Should I stop
traveling by air because it makes my fellow passengers uncomfortable?
What about carrying a copy of Quran and reading it in a public lounge?
I fail to understand that why we cannot see the trap which is designed
to treat all Muslims as coconspirators of OBL. I refuse to take any
responsibility for actions of OBL.
Now back to the discussion of the particular group that is supporting
Cardoba project. Do we think that all the secret agencies and law
enforcement are cluless and dumb? If these people had any terrorist
links or even inclinations those would have been exposed by now after
being under the microscope.
We can also talk about reconciliation process. I was in NY when the
famous handshake between Arafat and Ruben at Camp David flashed across
the globe. A number of my Jewish friends were unhappy at the gesture
shouting Arafat has blood on his hand. It was Ted Koppel who had the
courage to set the record straight. The world is a little better place
after that I believe. In the same spirit we should look at this
project.
Ideas must be fought with ideas. No personal attacks promote
understanding. Nothing personal against those who have opposing views
but only if they don't mind the critical analysis of their views.
Zahid Imran
Rabbi Levine and Rabbi Ellenson;
ReplyDeleteThe pastors and Rabbis from Texas stood up for the rights of other Americans. Your voice adds strength to the belief that a majority of us are inherently good people.
The indelible message of Passover needs to be re-learnt by all of us.
Last week I wrote here at the Washington Post about the issue and raised similar questions. http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/07/on_mosque_us_should_stand_on_moral_high_ground.html
The majority of Americans of all hues are recognizing the value of inclusion to create safer and sustainable societies, the right wingers are loosing it out and have resorted invoking a negative sentiment over the issue. I hope they quickly learn to be in tune with the American public who not like divisive policies and cheap opportunism.
I do hope the right wingers recognize that Bin Laden is hated intensely by Muslim Majority more than any other people; he brought misery to the ordinary American Muslim and messed up the name of Islam. Of course, good humans such as you know the distinction.
We have stood up for the Holocaust survivors, the refugees and the oppressed people in Bosnia and elsewhere in the world and we need to continue to stand on moral high ground. Let the world look up to our model of co-existence and follow us, rather than stoop down to the level of dictators and fascists.
Mike Ghouse
www.UnitydayUSA.com
Build Church, Masjid, Synagogue, and Art Gallery in one building. Don't build Masjid alone.
ReplyDeleteI think it is fortuitous that a Masjid is being planner near a place and there is so much support for the Masjid being there. It is strange that this should be getting oppossed by those who have been seeking build peace and justice. I stronger agree and happy to note that majority of the American are recognising the values of inclusion to create safer,better and cohesive societies with freedom or religion. The call of Mike Ghouse for taking up the moral high ground is timely and it is better that this should be respected by all concerned with safer,better and just world.
ReplyDelete