Damaj: To Build or Not to Build a New Mosque in New York

Opposition to mosque building in America appears to be increasing significantly these days. From Tennessee to New York and California, groups of citizens are protesting against the development of mosques, afraid that they will become hotbeds of extremist activity. Probably the best known one is the Cordoba House in New York City, called misleadingly the "911 mosque" or the "Ground Zero mosque."

Indeed, the Cordoba House is not exactly a mosque, nor is it at Ground Zero. It is proposed as a 15-story community center with an auditorium, child care services, gym, art exhibition space, and Muslim prayer hall, and it will be located two blocks from Ground Zero. The organizers are describing it as a Muslim-inspired institution similar to the 92nd Street YMCA. If so, it means a facility truly open to the entire community in the area, fostering peace and coexistence.

Even though the opposition to building the Cordoba House raises obvious First Amendment and religious discrimination issues, certain opponents of the project argue that we should instead consider that some Muslim countries do not allow the construction of churches, and they argue that we should reciprocate. The problem with this argument is that it implies that American Muslims, who have been part of this country for generations, should not have the same rights as other non-Muslim Americans. This argument portrays American Muslims as outsiders.

Furthermore, one cannot but ask: Since when do other countries serve as the model for American religious liberties? Do the constitutionally protected religious rights of Americans depend on the actions of a foreign government? In addition, based on this argument, one wonders whether all mosques and other non-Christian houses of worship should be banned in the United States.

Critics are saying it would be disrespectful and insensitive to the 9/11 victims' families since the proposed house of worship will stand as a reminder for those who practice the same religion as those who deliberately, intentionally killed innocent Americans at their place of work. Certainly it would be immoral to add any burden to the unimaginable pain already carried by these families for the past 10 years. However, this argument is in essence accusing all Muslims of participating in the 9/11 atrocities.

The reality is that Ground Zero is a sacred ground for all Americans and not a particular religious tradition. Indeed, numerous Muslims were among the innocent victims on 9/11. While it is hard to overlook the religious motivation of the 9/11 terrorists, it is critical to draw the sharpest possible distinction between Islam and a murderous terrorist organization that claims, but has no right or mandate, to speak in its name. Most American Muslims do not tolerate extremism in their mosques. They don't want it, need it, or care for it. They are simply striving to practice their religion and get closer to God through the acts truly prescribed by Islam -- charity, prayer, and justice.

While I am not discounting the impact of some politicians who might see the matter as an opportunity to score easy points with constituents by supporting or denouncing the "Ground Zero mosque" or some members of the media who might see it as a "hot" piece of news and therefore pursue whatever means to keep the controversy alive, deeper issues are at play: fear and anxiety.

Somehow we are to believe that the construction of an Islamic community center in New York City will be a tipping point leading to the decline of American civilization, a sign of the decline of the Christian faith, and the reversal of hundreds of years of Western legal traditions. In the midst of the fear, opponents of the Cordoba House might learn something when they discover that a small Muslim congregation has been meeting two blocks from the proposed Cordoba House and four blocks from Ground Zero, for the past 30 years. They will be also surprised to know that the director of the project has been an imam of a mosque in the city for the past 25 years.

The constitutional rights of Americans and the cohesiveness of their communities must not be left in the hands of those who exploit and promote fear of the "other." Our faith traditions call us to love our neighbors and remind us that God calls for compassion, justice, love, and peace. No doubt, our religious diversity is at its peak and one wonders how all these different religious groups will live, study, and work together in American cities and towns without creating large and deep conflicts and tensions.

While Americans are generally living in peace with one another, this peaceful coexistence came after difficult years of struggle and suffering. What is certain is that fear and anxiety will not help but will simply perpetuate a vicious cycle of hate, suspicion, and division.

We must commit ourselves to mutual understanding and reconciliation and we must realize that some people will always use the power of religion to foster hatred and conflict. Building the Cordoba House will honor the great American values that the terrorists sought to destroy.

Donna Marsh O'Connor, who lost her pregnant daughter on 9/11, said it best: "This building will serve as an emblem for the rest of the world that Americans . . . recognize that the evil acts of a few must never damn the innocent."

M. Imad Damaj is the president of the Virginia Muslim Coalition for Public Affairs. Contact him at vmcpa@vmcpa.org.