Wedge Issues: "Mosque" in Lower Manhattan
I should really stop reading facebook. I mean really. Most of my friends have such a totally opposite world-view to my own that every-time I look at it I just cringe that people actually believe some of the things they post. The absolute worst is politics and religion. I think I'll tackle my thoughts on facebook in another post and instead focus on something more specific.
I feel I must comment on the most cringe-worthy "issue" of all ... Dare I even mouth the words ... a "mosque" at the site of the former world trade center.
Now I have a rule on the anti-blog and that is to refrain from offering my own whiny, ranting, opinion on whatever topic. My goal is to make you think and then make up your own mind. However, this being the anti-blog, and MY anti-blog, I get to violate my own rules! :)
So without further ado: If you really don't have a problem with a mosque in any place, let alone in Lower Manhattan then you can stop reading here. You are welcome to continue of course, maybe to pass this along to a friend or something but what I will write from this point forward is not directed at you. Now if you are the opposite and you do have a problem with a mosque in any place at all then:
I feel I must comment on the most cringe-worthy "issue" of all ... Dare I even mouth the words ... a "mosque" at the site of the former world trade center.
Now I have a rule on the anti-blog and that is to refrain from offering my own whiny, ranting, opinion on whatever topic. My goal is to make you think and then make up your own mind. However, this being the anti-blog, and MY anti-blog, I get to violate my own rules! :)
So without further ado: If you really don't have a problem with a mosque in any place, let alone in Lower Manhattan then you can stop reading here. You are welcome to continue of course, maybe to pass this along to a friend or something but what I will write from this point forward is not directed at you. Now if you are the opposite and you do have a problem with a mosque in any place at all then:
YOU ARE WRONG.
You are so blindingly, absolutely, painfully wrong it hurts me to even think that you actually believe that denying people the right to worship as they choose. It makes me absolutely sick. And no, I don't care if you're offended. You deserve to be offended. Your belief is wronger than wrong. It's the wrongest wrong that ever wronged. Your belief is rooted in nothing but cowardly fear. You've bought into the BS propaganda sold to you by pundits and politicians who want nothing but money and power. They are using you. They are making you afraid and turning that fear against you. They are wrapping up fascism in an American flag and calling it patriotism. You're stepping out on a slope slipperier than snot on an ice-sheet. What happens when it becomes politically expedient to deny rights to your race or your religion? If we've already denied rights to everyone else in the name of security, who will be left to speak out for you?
Oh and believe me, I've heard all the ridiculous arguments. Let's pick apart things I've heard from other wrong people:
Muslims are a political movement, bent on taking over the world! They've already taken over Europe, and they are coming here next!
Seriously? All Muslims believe the same thing? Come-on! We've been taught since childhood not to stereotype people. Grow-up and do a little research. Here I'll even help you, read those quotes by George Bush. (And quit getting your panties in a twist when Obama says the exact same thing. Unless of course you believe that George is a secret Muslim. Of course if you believe that go check into a mental institution.)
Islam is just like Christianity in that it has major and minor divisions. The main two are Sunni and Shi'ite, it's a little complex to get into the differences here but basically after the prophet Muhammad died the Sunni group followed Muhammad's religious successors (the caliphs) and the Shi'ite group followed his blood offspring (Imams). This article does a better job with an explanation. Within the two major groups there are several other divisions. Some of them are conservative, some of them are liberal. Most of them are just made up of people trying to live their lives.
Fundamentalism is bad whether it's Islamic, Christian, or atheistic. And usually it's rooted in dissatisfaction, not religion. Islamic law is not freedom, but it doesn't say to go blow yourself up for the cause either.
As for "Europe being taken over by Muslims" ... there's no doubt that there is a cultural struggle going on in some European counties, mainly France and some Spain (though in Spain it's less about Islam and more about the Basque people, proving that terrorism is typically about dissatisfaction rather than religion. But I said that already). This cultural struggle is about immigrants trying to find an identity and a job in counties that really don't welcome them. America is very integrated. France is not and it causes problems. However, there is no law that states women must wear burqas in public (quite the opposite, they were trying to pass a law saying women couldn't wear them in school). I don't think any such laws are coming to France anytime soon. France may have it's problems but they believe in the rule of law just like we do. France may have families where women are forced by husbands or fathers to wear burqas, it's sad but it's far from Europe being overrun by Muslims.
Such sad things happen in the US too ... which leads me to the final part of this idea, which is Muslims coming here: they already are. There are lots of muslims in the US. Are there attacks and suicide bombings happening? And before you reply that "the government must have thwarted them all!" ... again ... really? Occam's razor. Some guy drove a pick-up through a gate at Love Field (Dallas Airport) today in a police chase. You're saying someone determined couldn't easily blow something up? The FBI and CIA are not made up of armies of Jack Baurers and Jason Bournes. If you believe they, stop watching TV and go outside more.
Not only that but there were Muslims in the World Trade Center, who died when it fell. There are Muslims in the armed forces, many who have died in service to the country. You and your wrong belief dishonor the memories of brave Americans by seeking to remove their rights after they died in service to YOU. Screw that, you dishonor all veterans by trying to deny rights to anyone.
But, but, but, ... some poll said that 68% of people don't want the Mosque there!!! Or people have a right to vote to decide if it can go there!
Yeah and 37.2% of statistics are made up on the spot. Seriously people, do I have to bring you another lesson straight from kindergarden?? What's right isn't always popular and what's popular isn't always (and I'd say rarely) right. It's so cliche yet it's so true.
MOST people in the 60's didn't support the Civil Rights act, and thought separation of races was ok.
MOST people in the 40's thought it was okay to lock up innocent American citizens who happened to be of Japanese decent.
MOST people in the 20's didn't support women's suffrage (that's the right to vote for those of you who don't know what that word means)
MOST people throughout the 1800s (and even early 1900s) thought that taking native American land was A-OK and many thought it was okay to kill them as well.
MOST people through the first half of the 1800s thought that slavery was OK.
Can you really make any kind of argument that any of those examples are something we should be proud of and agree with? Denying religious freedom to anyone, is exactly the SAME thing as every single one of these.
Muslims can have a Mosque [in lower Manhatten] as soon as Saudi Arabia allows women to have equal rights
Newt Gingrich said something along these lines and I've heard others repeat it. It's the sickest statement of them all. Instead of bettering America, we should lower ourselves to the level of the people you just claimed are our enemy! The logic escapes me. What happened to American exceptionalism? What happened to us being a beacon of freedom and an example to the rest of the world? Have we truly decided that freedom of speech and religion is only reserved for people who look like us and think like us?
I can't keep going. The ridiculousness of that last statement fills me with incredible sadness. That anyone would say that makes me fear that America has already started down the slope and we may be going too fast to stop it. It isn't bad economies, or muslims that are causing our downfall ... it's our quickness to give into fear, to trade freedom for temporary security, to allow our politicians to perform dog and pony shows while we bury our heads in the sand and focus on the stupidest issues and ignore the real ones.
I write wedge issues to try to point this out, but I'm fighting a losing battle. The issues become more and more trivial each day, and the real issues that are rotting America from within continue unabated.
There are a couple of other things I'd like to share. Not that it matters since my insulting remarks have probably made you move on to some other page where people just as wrong as you continue to froth at the mouth at the sheer audacity of the evil brown muslims that would dare defile our sacred memory.
1. What's being built near the site of World Trade Center is not a Mosque, it's a community center that has a prayer room. Does one call the YMCA a church?
2. It is "near" the site, it is not ON the site. It is nearly 3 blocks away.
View Larger Map
2b. Here's a great article that drives the point home.
3. There is already a mosque about the same distance from the WTC site. It's been there for years. Why isn't anyone calling for it's destruction? Could it be that no one even knew about it? That it's not bothering anyone? Maybe Sarah Palin didn't see it.
Finally I want to note I do not use the words "ground zero" or "9-11". September 11, 2001 was a terrible day and many people were deeply affected by it. But the reality is that most of us were not affected personally. I don't use the date's buzzwords nine years later because it's propaganda pure and simple. "Ground zero" especially is used as some kind of rallying cry for political movements. It could happen again! Vote for us!
At the end of the day we need to collectively move on. And truly if we aren't moving on then why aren't we angry that the WTC site is still basically a big hole in the ground? Why aren't we angry at our government for the last nine years being busy with a war against a third party and not capturing or bringing those who are truly responsible for the attacks to justice? Why aren't we angry that political movements continue to play a tragic event to our fears and using it to continually erode our freedom. We're plenty angry in this country but we're angry about all the wrong things. These things are what desecrate the memories of the victims, more-so than any mosque or Islamic community center ever could.
Oh and believe me, I've heard all the ridiculous arguments. Let's pick apart things I've heard from other wrong people:
Muslims are a political movement, bent on taking over the world! They've already taken over Europe, and they are coming here next!
Seriously? All Muslims believe the same thing? Come-on! We've been taught since childhood not to stereotype people. Grow-up and do a little research. Here I'll even help you, read those quotes by George Bush. (And quit getting your panties in a twist when Obama says the exact same thing. Unless of course you believe that George is a secret Muslim. Of course if you believe that go check into a mental institution.)
Islam is just like Christianity in that it has major and minor divisions. The main two are Sunni and Shi'ite, it's a little complex to get into the differences here but basically after the prophet Muhammad died the Sunni group followed Muhammad's religious successors (the caliphs) and the Shi'ite group followed his blood offspring (Imams). This article does a better job with an explanation. Within the two major groups there are several other divisions. Some of them are conservative, some of them are liberal. Most of them are just made up of people trying to live their lives.
Fundamentalism is bad whether it's Islamic, Christian, or atheistic. And usually it's rooted in dissatisfaction, not religion. Islamic law is not freedom, but it doesn't say to go blow yourself up for the cause either.
As for "Europe being taken over by Muslims" ... there's no doubt that there is a cultural struggle going on in some European counties, mainly France and some Spain (though in Spain it's less about Islam and more about the Basque people, proving that terrorism is typically about dissatisfaction rather than religion. But I said that already). This cultural struggle is about immigrants trying to find an identity and a job in counties that really don't welcome them. America is very integrated. France is not and it causes problems. However, there is no law that states women must wear burqas in public (quite the opposite, they were trying to pass a law saying women couldn't wear them in school). I don't think any such laws are coming to France anytime soon. France may have it's problems but they believe in the rule of law just like we do. France may have families where women are forced by husbands or fathers to wear burqas, it's sad but it's far from Europe being overrun by Muslims.
Such sad things happen in the US too ... which leads me to the final part of this idea, which is Muslims coming here: they already are. There are lots of muslims in the US. Are there attacks and suicide bombings happening? And before you reply that "the government must have thwarted them all!" ... again ... really? Occam's razor. Some guy drove a pick-up through a gate at Love Field (Dallas Airport) today in a police chase. You're saying someone determined couldn't easily blow something up? The FBI and CIA are not made up of armies of Jack Baurers and Jason Bournes. If you believe they, stop watching TV and go outside more.
Not only that but there were Muslims in the World Trade Center, who died when it fell. There are Muslims in the armed forces, many who have died in service to the country. You and your wrong belief dishonor the memories of brave Americans by seeking to remove their rights after they died in service to YOU. Screw that, you dishonor all veterans by trying to deny rights to anyone.
But, but, but, ... some poll said that 68% of people don't want the Mosque there!!! Or people have a right to vote to decide if it can go there!
Yeah and 37.2% of statistics are made up on the spot. Seriously people, do I have to bring you another lesson straight from kindergarden?? What's right isn't always popular and what's popular isn't always (and I'd say rarely) right. It's so cliche yet it's so true.
MOST people in the 60's didn't support the Civil Rights act, and thought separation of races was ok.
MOST people in the 40's thought it was okay to lock up innocent American citizens who happened to be of Japanese decent.
MOST people in the 20's didn't support women's suffrage (that's the right to vote for those of you who don't know what that word means)
MOST people throughout the 1800s (and even early 1900s) thought that taking native American land was A-OK and many thought it was okay to kill them as well.
MOST people through the first half of the 1800s thought that slavery was OK.
Can you really make any kind of argument that any of those examples are something we should be proud of and agree with? Denying religious freedom to anyone, is exactly the SAME thing as every single one of these.
Muslims can have a Mosque [in lower Manhatten] as soon as Saudi Arabia allows women to have equal rights
Newt Gingrich said something along these lines and I've heard others repeat it. It's the sickest statement of them all. Instead of bettering America, we should lower ourselves to the level of the people you just claimed are our enemy! The logic escapes me. What happened to American exceptionalism? What happened to us being a beacon of freedom and an example to the rest of the world? Have we truly decided that freedom of speech and religion is only reserved for people who look like us and think like us?
I can't keep going. The ridiculousness of that last statement fills me with incredible sadness. That anyone would say that makes me fear that America has already started down the slope and we may be going too fast to stop it. It isn't bad economies, or muslims that are causing our downfall ... it's our quickness to give into fear, to trade freedom for temporary security, to allow our politicians to perform dog and pony shows while we bury our heads in the sand and focus on the stupidest issues and ignore the real ones.
I write wedge issues to try to point this out, but I'm fighting a losing battle. The issues become more and more trivial each day, and the real issues that are rotting America from within continue unabated.
There are a couple of other things I'd like to share. Not that it matters since my insulting remarks have probably made you move on to some other page where people just as wrong as you continue to froth at the mouth at the sheer audacity of the evil brown muslims that would dare defile our sacred memory.
1. What's being built near the site of World Trade Center is not a Mosque, it's a community center that has a prayer room. Does one call the YMCA a church?
2. It is "near" the site, it is not ON the site. It is nearly 3 blocks away.
View Larger Map
2b. Here's a great article that drives the point home.
3. There is already a mosque about the same distance from the WTC site. It's been there for years. Why isn't anyone calling for it's destruction? Could it be that no one even knew about it? That it's not bothering anyone? Maybe Sarah Palin didn't see it.
Finally I want to note I do not use the words "ground zero" or "9-11". September 11, 2001 was a terrible day and many people were deeply affected by it. But the reality is that most of us were not affected personally. I don't use the date's buzzwords nine years later because it's propaganda pure and simple. "Ground zero" especially is used as some kind of rallying cry for political movements. It could happen again! Vote for us!
At the end of the day we need to collectively move on. And truly if we aren't moving on then why aren't we angry that the WTC site is still basically a big hole in the ground? Why aren't we angry at our government for the last nine years being busy with a war against a third party and not capturing or bringing those who are truly responsible for the attacks to justice? Why aren't we angry that political movements continue to play a tragic event to our fears and using it to continually erode our freedom. We're plenty angry in this country but we're angry about all the wrong things. These things are what desecrate the memories of the victims, more-so than any mosque or Islamic community center ever could.
Comments