The number of Muslims in the United States continues to increase. Of the 330,000 buildings used for worship in the U.S., only 2500 are mosques. Proposals to build new mosques, or to convert an existing structure into a mosque, consistently attract the ire of rabid neighbors. (“Muslims in USA face fears, bias to build, expand mosques,” USA Today, July 4, 2010)
Some of the ire has nothing to do with the religious tradition requesting to build a new place of worship. These people oppose the increased traffic and demands for parking that the facility will likely generate. This frequently causes problems for Christian groups who want to build a new facility in the States.
Misplaced animosity toward Islam, however, generates much of the most strident opposition. For example, some of the families of those killed in the World Trade Center on 9/11 characterize the proposal to build a mosque near ground zero as a travesty that insults the memory of the deceased. Some of the opposition to a mosque that is in fact animosity toward Islam will masquerade as more socially acceptable protests, e.g., concern about noise. People similarly attempt to disguise other forms of socially unacceptable bias.
Islam is a religion of peace that teaches its adherents to respect their neighbors. The one God created all life. The fanatics who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks are no more Muslim than the Branch Davidians were Christians. Killing Christians and Jews, the elderly, and children violate specific Koranic injunctions.
Ignorant prejudice is a form of hate. Islamicists – fanatics who operate under the guise of Islam – sow seeds of hate through their violence. When people respond with hate, the Islamicists win. Hateful responses – slanderous rhetoric, intolerant laws and policies, enforced injustice, unprincipled military action, etc. – give victory to the Islamicists.
The free exercise of religion is a fundamental human right recognized by the U.S. Constitution and basic political documents in other nations as well as the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. Unless that right extends to all – Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, Christian, animist, atheist, etc. – that right has little substantive meaning for anyone.
People who seek to walk the Jesus path should especially support the journey of people following other, kindred religious traditions. For example, Trinity Church Wall Street, which owns St. Paul’s Chapel adjacent to ground zero in New York City should welcome Muslims to worship there until they construct their own mosque. This type of gesture, crossing religious traditions, affirming the dignity and worth of all people, is a basic building block in the campaign to establish a more just, peaceful society, a society that more closely resembles the Kingdom of God.
2 comments:
I agree with most article, and I, as an individual, believe and know that Islam is not a violent religion. However, what I find greatly lacking in American Society is a respected Islamic leader condemning violence when it's done under the Islamic hat. I haven't searched for it, but I shouldn't have to. If Islamic leaders fear that Muslims are developing a bad reputation in America as violent extremists, where is the news coverage of Islamic leadership saying they condemn the violence? If Christians or Jews committed violence and claimed their religion as justification, there would plenty of religious leaders speaking out against them.
Ideally, the press would more fully report statements from faithful, responsible Muslim leaders than the reports it provides on extremists. However, the latter sells papers, attracts viewers, etc., and, in a media driven by the profit motive, that is what determines coverage. Thankfully, non-extremist Muslim leaders do exist. Some are academics; the others are mostly known in their own geographic area and do not have a national platform. Sunni Muslims (the majority) have a non-hierarchial clergy that makes it difficult for any one person to gain true national stature.
Post a Comment