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A lot of controversy is generated in recent days about the
proposal to build a
mosque or an Islamic cultural center near
the Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center once stood. It is
true that the World Trade Center was destroyed by a bunch of
Muslim fanatics. It is also true that USA is a democracy where
people have the freedom to practice their religion and build
places of worship within the confines of the law and the
constitution. Now we cannot tell Christians where they can build
their churches, can we? Nor we can tell the Muslims where they cannot.
The American Muslims have as much right as the Americans of
other faiths to practice their religion. We cannot lump them all
together and condemn them as terrorists. At the same time we cannot ignore the fact that the World Trade
Center was brought down by overzealous Islamic fundamentalists,
who did not care for the lives of innocent people because they
had a score to settle. Let us not forget that some of these
fanatics are still alive and active in various parts of the
world.
In these circumstances what is the best course to follow? What
is the best way to stop the construction of the mosque, without
breaching the fundamental rights of our people and without
infringing upon their right to practice their respective
faiths?
Now some
people on the Fox News Channel and some rightwing blogs argue that Muslims cannot build a
mosque near Ground Zero, because Muslims were primarily responsible for
9/11 just as we cannot allow Japanese to build a Shinto temple
near Pearl Harbor! This is a fallacious argument. The same
people would not talk about Italy or the Italians in the same
vein, although they were in league with Germans during the 2nd
World War and were as much to blame as the Japanese for
waging a war against Americans, because the Italians are
primarily Christians and it is where Vatican is located. It is
also doubtful whether the same people would argue that no churches
should ever be built anywhere in Japan, especially
in Nagasaki and Hiroshima because some Christian Americans
invented the nuclear bombs and nuked these
places. To say so would be stupid and unrealistic.
It is our
objective opinion that no decisions should ever be made based on
the religious
identity of people or purely on religious grounds. Every nation
is made up of diverse groups of people who hold different
religious beliefs and may come from diverse cultural and social
backgrounds. We cannot deal with them based upon their color or
creed. Every major religion of the world represents a minority
group in some part of the
world and minorities everywhere suffer from certain social and
religious disabilities in the hands of the majority. Just as the Hindus cannot say that Christians cannot
build their churches in the Hindu religious centers of India (in
fact it is where Christians build most of their churches), the
Christians in the USA cannot decide where people of other faiths
should or should not build their places of worship in the USA.
At the same time, we must acknowledge that it was religious
fundamentalism and fanaticism, which precipitated 9/11. We must
remember that it was religious narrow mindedness and bigotry which
caused the death of thousands of innocent people on that fateful
day. Let
us admit that 9/11 was precipitated by certain religious beliefs
held by some people, who used religion to make a statement and
provoke the whole world. If we accept this as true, we have then
two options in front of us regarding the cultural center.
1. Allow all religious faiths to build their places of
worship near the Ground Zero as a mark of universal brotherhood,
religious amity and tolerance.
2. Since religion was responsible for all the trouble, let us
not allow the construction of any religious shrine or monument
anywhere near the place.
Since in the present circumstances the first option seems to
create more controversies than it resolves, the second option
seems to be more appropriate and effective in putting the
controversy to rest. Let us allow Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Jews
alike to open their shops or do their
business or practice their respective professions near the
Ground Zero, including in the new buildings that are coming up
there. But do not give them permission or to any religious group or
institution, however powerful and influential they may be, to build a place of worship
representing a particular religion anywhere near there.
Alternatively, permission may be granted to an inter religious
faith organization to build a place of worship
in such a manner that people of all faiths may go and worship God
in their own individual ways. But let us ensure that no one
particular group should be favored or allowed to have their say
in this matter because they represent a majority or a minority
opinion. Whatever may be the final outcome, let us not forget
that it is not religion but the wickedness of man against man
which is responsible for most of the human tragedies or in the
political jargon, "man made disasters" (Of course we are not
speaking here about the oil spill in the Gulf or the mortgage
meltdown!).
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