The Ground Zero Debate

As I woke up to a new day on the morning of the 13^th of September, a post on the wall of my Face book account chilled me to the bone as it read “the holy Quran has been allegedly desecrated in America”. There I glaciated and prayed for it being a faux pas. Only a day back, Terry Jones, the infamous Pastor,assured the world that there won’t be any desecration. But, unfortunately nothing worked, not even the eloquent appeals of Barack Obama, the leader of adoration and the unpardonable vice did take place in America. A big jolt to the long time romance of the country with “freedom of religion” and a reason good enough to infuriate the Muslim world. Sigh! Being a Muslim, I too am hurt, annoyed and maddened but amidst this outrage and irritability, I ask; why is it that the hitherto ‘Tolerant’ American society has turned into a hothouse? There has to be a reason why they are acerbic and if I am good at interpretation, the reason is PARK 51, the site for the proposed massive 15 storey ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ and the Islamic  community centre and ofcourse, Imam  Feisal Rauf , the founder of the mosque,is the most hated man in America.God! Bin Laden has competition!! Firstly, we might yell at the top of our voice that “What is in the name?” but, the name’ Ground zero mosque’ is definitely a misnomer as the proposed site is two blocks away from the hallowed ground zero and the name has indeed added fuel to fire. Anyway, if this is the way America is reacting, the big question to be addressed and answered is ; Should the mosque be there? Period.

As Sarah Palin tweets,’ Mosque in Manhattan is grotesque’, one can smell the division of opinion in the American civil society. The 9^th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks was way different from the eight behind it. This time, mourners read the names of the victims, rung the bells and then divided themselves into two groups. Emotions provoked. Some outraged and some celebrating diversity. Some screaming that building the mosque will stab hearts and some trying to draw the sharpest possible distinction between Islam and radicalism. Indeed a grave situation and opining about the building of the mosque in such a situation is an ordeal as people with different identities have different answers. The opinion about the question asked definitely depends on who you are? A Muslim or a non-Muslim, a victim of 9/11 attack or a victim of the post 9/11 war, a moderate believer ( of any religion) or an extremist?

Let’s first put the question to the Muslim world.  The answer ofcourse will be a big yes. Islam is invincible and a Muslim knows the importance of Da’waa ( call or invitation). In order to make Islam the most celebrated religion, why only Lower Manhattan, we should have a mosque everywhere to embolden our religion and make ourselves an unbeatable community. So, the mosque should be there even if others think of it as a demonstration of supremacism and triumphalism. But, what troubles Americans is, how would the Muslim world react, if the mosque is build? Will they be thankful of America’s openness and Tolerance, or will they laugh at its weakness and stupidity. Will they smile and admire the American republic or will they think of it as a potential insult to the country. Whatever, the Muslim world says ‘YES’!

The other side of the story belongs to as many as 3000 mourners who lost their dear ones in the 9/11 attack. Their opinion has equal value. While thinking, how they would respond, I am reminded of a story I read, a while back, in reader’s digest, a story of 30 plus Rosaleen Talon. The attack splintered Rosaleen as she lost her husband in the attack.  Her story of struggle and endeavour wrenched my heart and her lackadaisical eyes made me cry. The memorial she built for her husband, a bird bath, fascinated me to no end and I am sure she would never accept the idea of building a shrine to the ideology that inspired the attacks on 9/11 and she surely will be backed by many more. The attack might have been a reprisal to the deeds of the then sanctimonious and snobbish President of America, but that does not explain why a common citizen’s life should be smashed to smithereens. The wounds are still fresh and one should not add salt to injury. Another survivor, Charles Wolves who lost his wife in the attack staunchly opposes ‘Quran burning’ but at the same time vehemently says ‘NO’ to the mosque as it, according to him, is ‘insensitive’ and ‘audacious’. Fair enough. So, the West says ‘NO’!

The discussion doesn’t end here. The story has a third side also, even more ghastly and macabre. Howsoever composure one might try but on cannot turn a blind eye to the terror that was unleashed on the Muslim world post 9/11. A Muslim was looked upon as a scoundrel, a rotter and scrutinisation of Muslims at every step in the west rendered them reticent as the American civil society lost equilibrium while satirizing Islam. Not to mention the brunt that nations like Iraq and Afghanistan are still bearing. If it was unfair to punish 2977 Americans for the misdeeds of one man it is equally unfair to punish the whole Muslim world for an act of an almost non-existent organisation. Isn’t it?

Analysing every aspect of the story one clearly understands that each one of us has been directly or indirectly effected by 9/11 and it is rather difficult for everyone to make a decision on ‘whether the mosque should be there or not?’, if an American finds it insulting, a Muslim necessarily wants the mosque to embolden himself. The situation is perplexing and the scuffle is expected to go on. And if the hilarity of the issue is to be believed, the mosque row is nothing but a phoney-baloney publicity stunt by the govt. Whatever, the common man must understand that digging in this soil is difficult and one must exercise control on his emotions. While the politicians are busy in playing power games, a common man has to be tolerant. All religions teach tolerance and a believer cannot ignore this. Let’s make sure that desecration of holy books and vandalism of the places of worship does not take place as inflexibility, at this point of time, is unaffordable. We must show restraint till the ideological tempers and political issues settle and of course not to forget to pray! GOD BLESS!!