This controversy over a mosque being built in New York City has really evolved into something big over the past year. It has grown into such an issue that it is now found in politics regularly. It started from the purchase of an old clothing store by a real estate partnership and a plan to construct a cultural center and mosque; now it has turned into an issue where even foreigners are posting videos to voice their opinions. Not only is the issue growing, the momentum is shifting frequently.
Before I discuss the different arguments everyone is making, there are some points that people might not be aware of. The mosque is not on ground zero, it is two blocks away. Also, it is not strictly a religious building. There is a place for religion, but it is a community center including a basketball court and such. I’m not sure if everyone is aware of these two things before they decide their stance, but they should be.
The controversy seems, for the most part, to be split into two distinct sides. There are some neutral people who, for the most part, just want the location of the center to be moved further away from Ground Zero. However, the debate seems to be very polarized; many people find the mosque to be a terrible proposal and others support the ability to build the mosque.
The supporters of the mosque mainly use the freedom of religion to defend their stance, using the First Amendment as their source of power. This side believes that the building should be built and nobody can stop them. Many people believe that building the mosque would define America’s religious tolerance, and it would be the right way to honor those who died in 9/11 because it would show that America will not change due to the terrorists. Many also believe that building the mosque will help “heal” the United States and it will help jump start Americans’ forgiveness for the happenings on September 11, 2001. This side also does not agree with restricting those who follow the Islamic religion from having the mosque because they feel that they should not be punished, for they did not partake in the attacks.
On the other side of the debate, most people oppose the mosque being built. Polls have shown that 44% of Americans find the mosque an insult while only 23% find it to be a symbol of religious tolerance. This shows us that the majority are on the side of opposing the mosque. Many people on this side think the mosque would be like a victory to the terrorists from 9/11. They believe that it would be similar to giving in, and it would not be the correct way to honor the victims. Those who stand on this side of the argument believe that not having the mosque would be the right way to honor the victims because it will show that we have not forgotten about them and still want to make strides in stopping more attacks. They protest the center and believe that it should not be constructed; they find the mosque being so close to ground zero to be almost disgraceful.
The issue in politics seems to be a accurate reflection of most Americans because many oppose the idea of the center. Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, Pamela Geller, and Newt Gingrich are some of the famous names that do not believe the mosque is a good idea. They do not believe it is the right thing to do. Even so, there are some politicians who support the mosque. Obama is one of them. Ron Paul is another that sticks to the freedom of religion. Even the mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, supports the building of the center despite all of the uproar he has had to deal with on the issue. Along with him, many civil rights groups as well as religious groups have joined the side supporting the mosque.
Which side are you on?
I feel like you only skimmed the surface of both arguments. I would feel a greater connection and see a greater meaning in the issue if you would have delved into the debate more. Also, the deviating sides could have been separated into different paragraphs to further dissociate the views. When you mention the polls, it would have helped if you pulled out the statistics from the articles instead of just linking the article. However, I liked the clarification of location of the mosque before you started debating. It helped clarify before we continued with the topic. The first sentence of your last paragraph... I hope you didn't mean to say that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with URB.
ReplyDelete@URB and Dr. Frost...
ReplyDeleteI have done what you asked. I split the two sides into seperate paragraphs, added a little more information to each arguement, and added the statistics that you had wanted.