To build, or not to build: What the "Ground Zero" Mosque controversy tells us about today's America

Reactionary blogging can be dangerous, especially when it delves into a contentious and highly important topic. Yet, when an issue like the building of an Islamic center in lower Manhattan seems to be on the cusp of creating a dangerous precedent in the realm of Constitutional protection, a responsible American cannot keep silent forever.

I apologize if the intro sounds a bit conservative, especially with the "keep silent" bit, but with protection of the Constitution acting as a fulcrum for the Tea Party agenda, it seems only fair that those who put themselves a bit farther to the Left should be able to do the same.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

These are the first words of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution; the first words of the Bill of Rights. Without digressing into an elementary school history lesson, it's important to remember that some of the first English settlers in what would later become the United States came here specifically to ensure that this right was maintained and protected. The English government has long since usurped this power, and held the keys to anyone's ability to act in what they deemed to be a religiously faithful manner. Thus, 1620 rolled around, and the English separatists came to start a new life.

Yes, our defense of religious liberty has been a bit dicey from time to time. Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson has to escape a bit of religious zealotry. Jewish immigrants in the 1880s weren't always welcomed with open arms, and as we all might remember, it wasn't until 1960 that the American public became sufficiently convinced that a Catholic could be President without being subservient to the wishes of the Pope. It hasn't been easy, but step by step, we've insured that Americans, whatever their national origin or faith tradition, can practice their religion in peace.

This of course brings us to the present day, where heat is building over the proposed building of an Islamic Center on Park Avenue in Lower Manhattan. Opponents cite the building's close proximity to Ground Zero as an automatic nix on construction moving forward. Calling the proposal "disrespectful" and "insensitive." Being two blocks away from the site of the September 11 attacks is too close for comfort for many Americans, bringing back bad memories, and ultimately being seen as a slap in the face of those who lost loved ones on that day.

I can sympathize. September 11 was a traumatic day for all Americans, including then young kids like me, who couldn't understand the true gravity of the situation. I remember being glued to the TV for days on end, waiting to see what would happen to the country that I love so much. To many, the talk of building anything associated with the Islamic faith brings these memories washing back, and no one likes to relive those.

However, reactionary tendencies CANNOT be the building blocks of our public policy, or even minor land-use decisions in urban settings.

We have to remember a few things. The proposed building is going in an abandoned Burlington Coat Factory. It's not being built anew, and like any other legitimate establishment, the property was bought legally, and is up to this point following all the necessary building procedures. But that's all technicality.

What potentially disturbs me the most is how the terrible memory of 9/11 is being used as a guise for what is, in my opinion, true religious bigotry. The proposed Islamic Center--and I must outline the obvious difference between an Islamic Center and a Mosque--is being constructed by The Cordoba Initiative an organization whose stated mission is "to actively promote engagement through a myriad of programs, by reinforcing similarities and addressing differences." By bringing up the memory of 9/11, so many opponents of the building are making the huge, uneducated mistake of lumping all Muslims together--insinuating that al-Qaeda, Hezbullah, Hamas, the Cordoba Initiative and the Muhammed family down the street, all practice a monolithic faith which preaches hate, intolerance, and murder. WRONG. We as Americans really should know better.

Not to say that we haven't made the same mistakes before. We often forget the differences between Christian denominations. I had to explain to so many of my classmates how it was that I was born, considering my father was a "minister." Of course, it's only Catholic priests (and other priests in more stringent Eastern Orthodox sects) who take a vow of chastity. I also had to remind a lot of angry gay friends of mine, that the United Church of Christ, and many other mainline protestant churches, don't decry homosexuality, and instead welcome all people regardless of sexual orientation. It's very easy make rash generalizations in lieu of actually learning the truth for one's self, but when we risk labeling people "terrorists" or "murderers," we really need to be a bit more prudent.

Then there's the overall issue of religious liberty. Talking with my Dad a bit earlier today, I expressed my knowledge and overall sympathy with those who would prefer that anything to do with Islam not be built so close to Ground Zero. But, he said, is anywhere far away enough? Would people really think that it was better if the Center was built on Staten Island or Jersey City? The underlying issue my father raised is that if we are truly serious about defending religious liberty in this country, people of conscience, and dare I say, patriotic persuasion, need to stand up to defend the Cordoba Initiative's Constitutional right to build the center wherever they choose. They've followed the law, they've hurdled the red tape, and now it seems perfectly LEGAL for them to go forward. If we allow the objections of some to overshadow the larger principle, then we're sending a very dangerous signal. If you shout loud enough and evoke enough emotion then you can get your way.

The hubbub over this particular project has drawn attention to other proposed Islamic centers and mosques in places like New Jersey and Tennessee. Issues which showcase far more religious intolerance than their New York counterpart, but shed light on the much larger issue. If we truly want to champion religious liberty, it's not good enough to say, "we support Islam and the building of mosques, just not here." Religious liberty doesn't have qualifiers, it doesn't cede to people with signs that read "don't glorify murders" (above photo courtesy of CNN.com) and it certainly doesn't get choosy when its ability to protect members of all faiths steps on the toes of a couple of people.

Although he's regrettably backtracked a bit, President Obama restated this principle in his recent address to Muslims gathered at the White House to celebrate the beginning of Ramadan.

"This is America. And our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country and that they will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are. The writ of the Founders must endure."

This is what we have to remember. However much we may not like it, or approve of it, or consider it insensitive or imprudent, we must respect the right of faiths to practice peacefully.

Furthermore, we should be helping, not discouraging groups like The Cordoba Initiative in bridging the gaps between people of faith, and people of no-faith. In this age where we're quick to label Muslims as "terrorists," Christians as "intolerant homophobes" and many other religions as "weird and inappropriate," we need to be making a much more concerted effort to encourage religious diversity and dialogue and thus refrain from immediately attacking and maligning those and that which we don't completely understand.

What this entire episode has shown us is that we have a long way to go before we will be a truly tolerant society. Some people will never get there, others are praying that we can simply see and respect different, let alone begin to understand it. We don't have to agree. We don't have to fly a star and crescent outside of our house. We don't have to know Five Pillars by heart. All we need to do is remember why we love our country so much, and remind ourselves that so much of what makes this country great is that we allow people to be different, allow them to forge new lives here, and allow a public forum to be maintained where ideas can be shared, cultures and religions can coexist in separate but equal stature, and ultimately, we can live together in peace.

Martin Niemoller was a German theologian who lived and worked in the era of Nazism. At first he was in support of Hitler's rise to power, but he soon became disillusioned with what the Third Reich stood for and eventually became a leader of a group of German clergy opposed to Hitler's policies. One of his most famous works was a short poem which he presented as part of a speech to the Confessing Church in Frankfurt in 1946.

"THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

THEN THEY CAME for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up."

Niemoller's moral is at the heart of what I'm trying to say. It's easy for me as a progressive Christian, who has no familial ties to 9/11, and who has numerous Muslim friends and acquaintances, to speak out against what I see as clear religious bigotry. But my message isn't to people like me.

To people who feel that building an Islamic Center at its current location is insensitive, think of the message that you're sending. We're welcoming, but we get to choose when and where. We're saying: we consider ourselves intelligent people, but obviously all Muslims are just like Osama bin Laden--so building anything associated with Islam in Manhattan is ceding victory to terrorists. I know it hasn't been directly said, but this IS what we're insinuating. This IS how we're supposedly shining our "beacon of freedom." This is the example we're setting for the "free world" which we unabashedly claim to lead.

Allowing others to peacefully practice their faith, as well as educate others does not disrespect those who died on 9/11. Instead, allowing the center to exist and operate is a direct example of the liberty which this country embodies.

We love freedom in this country, or at least we claim to. Let's take this opportunity to show it.