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
