Mosque in Manhattan

There has been a very heated debate over this Mosque that is planned to be built near the site of the World Trade Center attacks, ground zero. The plan has inflamed wounds time has not yet healed, IF they can ever be healed. The attacks were in the worst terror attacks in the history of the world and they were executed in the name of the same religion that wants to build a worship center near the site where massive buildings and human life were left in rubble.

The plan for this Mosque has allowed a bit of a role reversal for the two political parties in the United States. I have always said that Democrats do things that feel right but do not pass the logical test while Republicans champion ideals that make sense but give the appearance of being cold hearted. In the case of this mosque, the Republicans oppose the plan because it just does not seem right to replace the Twin Towers with a symbol of the terrorists themselves while Democrats use the rule of law to defend the rights of the Muslims who want to build this place of worship of a religion cited as justification for the horror. Definitely a role reversal, but who is right?

There is no doubt that any American should have the right to do with their property what they choose, so why the debate? The outrage lies in the intention of the property owner. They claim that this structure will be used to bring religions together but why do they feel the need to choose a location which causes such violent reaction to so many Americans. Its true that most Muslims are peaceful good citizens but the fact that the property owner choose this site to build this structure of peace definitely makes Americans challenge their intentions. If their intentions are good then why not choose a different location. If their intentions are evil then it becomes the ultimate insult to all affected the the disastrous attack. For that reason I believe we need to look beyond the rule of law when asked to accept the plan.

Questions must be asked not usually asked when someone is asking to do what they want on their own property. We need to know what is in their hearts. The only way to get a glimpse of their soul is by examining their past actions and saying and relationships. Nothing can tell you more about a person than the company he keeps. We need to examine the sayings of the people he looks to as spiritual advisers, they papers they have published and the books they have written. We need to know where the money is coming from. If they are funded by people who share similar believes as the 9/11 attackers we need to know.

On the surface, I find it hard to find a reason to deny this property owner the right to build what he wants on the property he owns but the perceived insult to so many Americans to build a tribute to the terrorists who perpetrated this attack which changed the world requires American leaders to look even deeper than the whole this disaster created.