More on the Mosque

More continues to be written on the controversial mosque and Islamic center to be built close to Ground Zero in New York City, including a recent piece in the Poughkeepsie Journal written by a pastor in our area.

In that piece, and others I’ve read, those opposed to the mosque are being called intolerant, and their opposition is assumed to be because of hate. While I’m sure that’s the case with some who oppose the mosque, labeling all who oppose it as bigots, hate-mongers, and (worst of all) intolerant is, in itself, hateful, intolerant, and bigoted. Why must we always demonize those who have opinions different from ours? It seems that when all else fails, call them names.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, most opposition to the Mosque is because its planners are showing a lack of sensitivity to the families, friends, and co-workers who lost people in the attacks of 9/11. The planners have a right to build there, but is it the wise and sensitive thing to do? Given that these 3,000 people died at the hands of misguided fanatics operating in the name of Islam, I would think that building a new Islamic center in that neighborhood is not a good idea. And we should always remember that the Qur’an considers non-Muslims to be infidels (see my earlier post).

Need a word picture to get the idea of why building this mosque isn’t a good idea? Think of it this way: It’s like somebody wanting to build a Japanese cultural center at Pearl Harbor. Even after all these years, I suspect most people would consider it unwise and in poor taste. So come on, you who support the mosque, what about the sensitivities of those who lost loved ones? Don’t you care about them?