I’m going to do something out of character because I’m going to post about religion and politics.
Currently there is a debate raging in the news, on facebook and in coffee shops about the placement of a mosque at the site of the World Trade Center buildings. People say it’s distasteful and shouldn’t be done out of respect to the people that gave their lives during this heinous event. The families affected will be offended by the mosque being so close to this precious site. And that the American people DO NOT WANT IT.
Guess what, I DO WANT IT!
I’m not a practicing muslim and I’m barely a practicing christian but I’m a full-fledged American that believes in people’s right to practice their religion where they deem fit. One thing that our country has been fighting for in a foresaken war is for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan to practice the religion of their choice without persecution. Yet, within our own borders, we want to tell people where they should practice. These people that WERE NOT responsible for 9/11 want to worship in the method that feel fits their beliefs are being denied because of location, location, location.
We don’t state to christians to remove the crosses at the Oklahoma bombing site that christian Timothy McVey caused because they are offending the families of those that died. We don’t tell people to allow only for Japanese based religions to only build shrines and places of worship where we interned them during World War II. And honestly, if 9/11 had been caused by christians would people react in this harsh of a manner? No, the right wing would probably ask for us to forgive them.
Muslims, please build your mosque and know that not everyone believes that you should be stymied by where you worship. That there are some people that can look at your plans with reason and welcoming arms because this country was built with people like you in mind. (Okay, not really but I’d like to think that the underlying intent is there.) One of the reasons America was created was to get out from under the thumb of the King of England but now America is taking on that role.
*Gets off of my soapbox*







