Being mindful in his choice of words, President Obama stated that Muslims have the right to build a Mosque in order to practice their religious beliefs - even if the mosque is to be built near Ground Zero. Although Obama did not say if he thought this was a good idea, or even an appropriate one, according to a poll taken by Quinnipiac University 52% of New Yorkers are against it, 31% are in favor of it, and only 17% are undecided on the matter. According to the poll director, Maurice Carroll, New York is one of the most tolerant places in America yet most New Yorkers find this to be a bad idea and do not support it.
Whether or not this infringes on the rights of people to exercise the religion of their pleasing, it is easy to understand why some see this as a sign of disrespect and even mockery. However, there are two sides of this story that must be observed.
Whether or not this infringes on the rights of people to exercise the religion of their pleasing, it is easy to understand why some see this as a sign of disrespect and even mockery. However, there are two sides of this story that must be observed.
The first idea that we should observe, and perhaps the one shared by those who are in favor of building the mosque, is that we should move on, honor those that lost their lives, and learn to live together in a peaceful world. The fact that a group of people committed such terrible crimes does not mean that everyone is like that. It's like saying that all Muslims are the same, when in fact we all know that nobody is ever the same.
The second idea is that Muslims should recognize that a terrorist group supposedly representing them killed almost 3,000 people in terrorist attacks. Should Muslims, especially those supporting the building of the Mosque in New York, realize that "yes, our people messed up" and for that reason they should be a little more considerate to those who lost loved ones in the attack?
The second idea is that Muslims should recognize that a terrorist group supposedly representing them killed almost 3,000 people in terrorist attacks. Should Muslims, especially those supporting the building of the Mosque in New York, realize that "yes, our people messed up" and for that reason they should be a little more considerate to those who lost loved ones in the attack?
Edgar is a writer for [http://www.smorgasbuzz.com/]. Smorgasbuzz.com is a blog in which people can express their feelings, ideas, and knowledge about social topics, technology, entertainment and current events. To post your thoughts about building a mosque at ground zero post your comments here [http://www.smorgasbuzz.com/current-events.html]