Let's begin this discussion wrought with emotions and controversies with facts. Muslims have the Legal and Constitutional Right to build a Mosque at Park51 even though it is close to Ground Zero. What's more if Ground Zero belonged to a private party that wanted to build a mosque there, they would have the legal and constitutional right to build a mosque there. No American Law enforcement agency or government agency can deny this fact.
That said, this controversy is not about law it is about (pardon the pun) Sense and Sensibilities. It is about unconscious or subconscious biases and fears. It is about lack of accountability and a disconnect from reality.
The predominant argument is that because Islamic Fanatics destroyed the Twin Towers it is hurtful for the families of Ground Zero victims to see the symbol of Islam - religion of those fanatics that killed their loved ones - standing proud close to the graves of their loved ones. The argument against this feeling is that these families are calling all American Muslims collectively responsible in some way for the 9/11 attack. The families and their supporters in turn say that they recognize American Muslims are peace loving but still a mosque so close to the Ground Zero Hurts!
Now, let's understand this argument with an open and rational mind. Are the 9/11 families subconsciously and indirectly holding American Muslims accountable? YES. The answer is a resounding Yes. The next question is:
"Is it fair to make American Muslims accountable for 9/11?"
No American Muslim wanted 9/11. No American Muslim condones 9/11. American Muslims are moderate and peace - loving but they need to understand that when a religion gets corrupted every person following that religion is accountable. If Hindus exploited a large section of Indian society in the name of caste system every Hindu and specifically Brahmin is accountable till date for that corruption as remnants of it are still visible in the Indian society. when the Indian newspaper reports that a woman became Sati (Widow burning herself at the pyre of her husband's funeral) in the interiors of Uttar Pradesh (State in India) every Hindu sitting in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Dubai, Atlanta, New York, Chicago or Denmark is accountable for that corruption in the religion. No Hindu is responsible for the death of that woman at her husband's pyre but they are responsible for the "corruption" of their religion that made the woman burn at her husband's pyre and then made her family rich because people started worshipping the poor lady as a goddess.
Similarly, American Muslim is not accountable for 9/11 but American Muslims and Muslims world over are responsible for the corruption of their religion.
My following statement is admittedly a hypothesis but one I completely believe in. American Muslims and Moderate liberal Muslims all over the world failed Islam and humanity when they did not raise a strong Muslim voice against the 9/11 attack on America in the name of Islam. Even those Muslims who rejoiced an attack on America for political reasons should have stood up and said that America should have been attacked in the name of politics and national interests NOT in name of Islam. Islam does NOT allow terrorism. Islam does not allow killing innocents. Islam stands for peace. It stands for surrendering yourself to God. If American Muslims had raised not just an American voice against 9/11 but "Muslim Voice" against the 9/11 attacks, the building of mosque near Ground Zero perhaps would not have met with as much opposition.
Muslims world over need to acknowledge and accept that they can not sit quietly in their homes and wash hands off Islamic Fanaticism. Islamic fanaticism can not be cured by Non - Muslims. It needs to be fought by Muslims and when the world does not hear strong moderate voices against Islamic terrorism, moderate Muslim becomes accountable and responsible for the corruption of his religion.
Coming back to the controversy of Park51 Mosque, all said and done the argument that the mosque will hurt sentiments of 9/11 victims is dangerous. It is dangerous because by feeling hurt by seeing the mosque the 9/11 families and their supporters are subconsciously holding Islam responsible for acts of Muslims. A religion can not be held responsible for the acts of its corrupt followers.
America and specially the 9/11 families stand at the brink of making a very important decision. They can go with their emotions and risk a downward slope for the civil society of America or they can work with New York City and come up with an alternate plan the sorts of which I will be discussing in the next post.
So, does this mean that I support building a mosque at Park51? Not necessarily. I disagree with the emotional reason of 9/11 families but I do have my own reservations.
My reason for not supporting Park51 Mosque is simple. Fundamentalist Muslims sitting in Afghanistan and other Islamic countries that applauded Islam's attack on America will see this mosque as a sign of support from Muslim brothers in America. They will not see the good intentions of moderate Muslim behind this mosque. They will not see it as an attempt to bridge the gap between Islam and other religions. They will see this as a raised finger to America. They will see this as a sign of solidarity and support. Therefore, I strongly believe the Moderate American Muslim should desist from building a Mosque at Park51. It will only encourage the Fundamentalists and give them the wrong signal that American Muslims support them when American Muslims do NOT support them.
Just as the 9/11 families need to acknowledge the subconscious mistake they are making of tainting a religion because of it's followers' actions and need to accept this mistake and desist from opposing the Mosque, the Muslims need to accept their responsibility to raise a strong voice against radicals and desist from sending the wrong signal to the Fundamentalists by building a mosque at Park51.
