Focus U.S.A. / Should an Islamic center be built near Ground Zero?
Haaretz.com
With midterm elections looming, it is no wonder Obama waited until the last minute to express his views on the Ground Zero mosque issue.
Even for some liberals, it's not easy these days to raise a voice in support of the Islamic community center meant to be built in lower Manhattan. "Sure we support freedom of religion and your right to build it wherever you want. But... couldn't you be just as sensitive as we are, and build it somewhere else? Not two blocks away from Ground Zero..." And "of course we trust you, you are moderate Muslims. But can you please tell us, where does the funding money come from?" Plus "we might see it a symbol of tolerance, and celebration of diversity, but imagine how the extremists will interpret it!"
Three months before midterm elections, which may prove tough for Democrats, it's not surprising that U.S. President Barack Obama postponed taking a stand on this controversial issue, (and a number of other controversial issues), until the very last minute.
At his second White House Iftar dinner (the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan), it would seem that he didn't have much choice but to address this issue. Just a reminder for some oversensitive readers who love to go on about Obama being the "Muslim president" - President Bush hosted an Iftar meal during every year of his presidency.
"We must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of lower Manhattan," he said. "The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. And the pain and the experience of suffering by those who lost loved ones is just unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. And Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground."
"But let me be clear. As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances," he said.
"This is America. And our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country and that they will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are. The writ of the Founders must endure," he concluded.
That sounded like a pretty clear message, calling not for common sense (how far from Ground Zero is it okay to build a mosque?), but for commemoration of what the U.S. stands for. But when 68% of Americans object to the project (according to a CNN poll), and Republicans are quick to attack the president's endorsement of the mosque, it's not so easy to remain principled.
In Florida on Saturday, Obama modified his message a bit: "I was not commenting, and I will not comment, on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding. That's what our country is about."
So White House deputy spokesman Bill Burton had to clarify yet again that "the president is not backing off in any way from the comments he made [at the Iftar dinner]. It is not his role as president to pass judgment on every local project. But it is his responsibility to stand up for the constitutional principle of religious freedom and equal treatment for all Americans."
It's not clear whether his Iftar remarks will help Obama reclaim the support of the Muslim world that has eroded since his election. Some will probably appreciate his support of the American Muslim community's rights. But then again, a Middle East peace agreement is not yet on the table, the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan has yet to lead to more positive results, and the Guantanamo detention facility is still operational. So some might well say that sweet words and symbolic gestures are nice, but are not nearly enough.
As for the Cordoba House project, as the planned Ground Zero Islamic center is called, the main fear, I suppose, is that after it is built, it might become a flash point for protests. Some people, who are too creative for their own good, have suggested they would "sell bacon" in front of the building, "to make them feel as bad as we do." Even the daughter of a Muslim victim of the 9/11 attacks has publicly called for the project developers "to build your mosque somewhere else."
Regarding possible future obstacles, Sharif el-Gamal, the developer of the Cordoba House said: "I don't have a crystal ball." But even without a crystal ball, it's safe to predict that this issue will remain high on the national agenda during the upcoming elections.
Haaretz interview with Sharif el-Gamal, developer of the Islamic center in Manhattan
Did you consider any alternative locations for the center?
I've been trying to buy this building for five years. I've been looking for almost ten years within this vicinity. It's not easy to find real estate in New York. [But] I had no concerns at all. We did not expect this type of attention. And once we started getting this attention, we realized a need for real dialogue. The intention of this project had nothing to do with Ground Zero. It was about the needs of the Muslim community. There are over a million Muslims in the Tri-state area, there is a need for prayer space, and there is a need within the community to have a community facility.
Aren't you afraid it will become a place for protests, and maybe even violence?
No, I don't. I believe that people are good, at the end of the day. When good people come together, and good intentions are behind something, something good is going to happen. I feel so blessed to be an American, to have my local officials, to have my friends, neighbors. To have my Jewish brothers and sisters, my Christian brothers and sisters. To be a New-Yorker. It's an historic moment for the Muslims in this country. It reaffirms what the foundation of America is.
Won't this debate impact negatively on the Muslim community in the U.S.?
I think this reaffirms why we need this project to happen. It's going to be a community center serving New York and lower Manhattan. If you look at Manhattan and the city, there are no community centers in lower Manhattan. It's in dire needs of community centers. The mosque will be a small component of a larger facility, and it will be run as a separate non-profit. There will be a gym, a pool, a restaurant, a spa, multi-use facilities, and also a September 11 memorial space to honor the victims. We've been discussing it with the families of the victims, involving them. When they meet us face to face, it's different.
There are a lot of questions about the funding for the project...
We are pledging to all New-Yorkers and all Americans that by no means will we accept support from persons with anti-American views or agendas. Our fundraising strategy will incorporate hiring top-notch security consultants and auditors to make sure that every step of this strategy is secure and sound. And we plan on being fully transparent with the whole process.
Author Paul Berman recently claimed in his book The Flight of the Intellectuals that moderate Muslims are more dangerous that extremists because they mislead Westerners. For example, they do not reject violence in all cases, they're willing to accept violence when it comes to Israel.
We condemn violence anywhere around the world. We condemn violence, we condemn terrorism. But we are not a political organization, we are a community center that will house world-class culture and art, recreation for all New Yorkers, all Americans, all people from all around the world. We are not a political institution, we do not have a political agenda.
Were you offended by some of the protests?
I feel very blessed to be a small part of this process, and I believe that there is good in everybody. I believe in America and the freedoms that Americans have, and I believe that there is good in everybody. And I believe that it's what separates America from the rest of the world, that people can disagree on certain things but still be civil human beings and be friends and neighbors. That's how I feel about that.
Our support exceeded all our expectations, from the Mayor of New York, to 9/11 Families for Peace, to the Jewish community, J Street, the American Jewish Committee, the Arava Institute, the JCC in Manhattan, the Reform movement. I am a member of the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan on the Upper West Side. I've been blessed this year with my first Jewish niece. I have a Jewish sister-in-law.
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