I know that my view on the Park51 Mosque in NYC is very unpopular, but it shouldn't be. I believe in the Constitution, and I believe that "freedom of religion" means freedom of religion for ALL, not just those religions you approve of. We cannot accuse all Muslims of being members of Al-Queda (an evil and radical group), just as we cannot accuse all whites of being members of the KKK (an evil and radical group). Yet some of us persist in doing so. Why? In my view, that is painting Americans, in the rest of the world's eyes, as being intolerant. That is unacceptable. Our nation is built on diversity and tolerance, that is why it was written into the Constitution in the first place.
One of the most well thought-out opinions I have read yet on this topic was written by Mark Green at The Huffington Post, and you can read it here. He says it much better than I ever could.
Americans have worked too hard and too long to make this a country that believes in civil rights for everyone. Please, let's not take a step backwards.
Cat
1 comment:
I am against the mosque, but not for the reasons everyone is talking about, being close to the old World Trade Center. I am against any organization that promotes unequal treatment of women. And the Muslim religion is the worst of the lot. Catholics and Orthodox Jewish people also discriminate. they don't allow female priests/rabbis, etc. But at least they don't make women cover themselves up in scarves.
When Islam denounces their misogynist heritage, I'm all for letting them build as many mosques as they want.
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