I am about religious tolerance, but for the last ten years I have slowly watched my religious freedoms go out the window. That is besides the point. The point I would like to make today is the proposed $100 million Mosque that is being build next to the burial ground of the victims of 9/11. Why there? There is a millions places you can build your super center and yet you want to build on top of a massive burial ground of thousands of people who today have never been found yet all perished there, at that place, where you are going to build a Mosque where you claim is of peace and understanding. What are you trying to get us to understand Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf? If you want us to see your peace and understanding than why not understand that the pain is still there from that horrible day on September 11, 2001. By building your Mosque you are mot creating tolerance but friction. It may not be right, but it is true. You can build a Mosque anywhere, yet you choose this location, and you seem to have no regard what so ever to the feelings of those who have lost love ones on that day or felt the terror, Yes It affected all of America, United we Stand (at least we did at the time). I know that Muslims were lost that day too, but the fact remains that it was not an attack on Muslims, but on Americans. So with your tolerance that you so preach and your wanting to be Muslim in America, then please act like it. This is America after all. Please respect what happened on that day and do not build your Mosque there.
Gamal Abd Al-Gawad, director of Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo stated something that I think is a very valid point he stated that "Many Muslims fear that the mosque will become a shrine for Islamists, which would remind Americans of what Muslims did on 9/11,". I agree with Mr. Al-Gawad, many Muslims who may sympathize with the extremist may and I am certain will come to this Mosque and they will it as a victory center. I for one do not want to go to the world trade center site and see a Mosque and be reminded of something that was in some way a part of something terrible.
I am not gong to be politically correct here. This is not the place for a Mosque. Further more, there is talk that the Governor of New York would like to have an open discussion with the developers about possibly moving the site due to tensions over the building. So far the verdict, THEY WILL NOT MOVE! So much for tolerance. This is not about religion, this is about respect. To me, showing that you will not have an open discussion or take into consideration the feelings of those affected by 9/11, you Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and your followers have no tolerance. If you would like to show a relationship between American's and Muslims how are you doing that by dis-respecting the feelings of the majority of Americans? Tolerance, Peace and Understandings on your terms Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf.
So I ask on behalf of many Americans, that you please take into consideration, to move your Mosque. The pain is still fresh. I know that my voice will go unheard, or I will be told I am one of intolerance, but remember I have no problem with you in my country and I would give you the same respect in your country. So please give me the same respect in mine.
On a side note, all this religious freedom that so many people are screaming about, remember who is over there fighting for our freedoms, and remember who we are fighting. Remember why we are fighting, for the very same reason almost 9 years ago this September those towers came down, we are now fighting to not have a Mosque erected at the grave site.
Did you ever think we would be having this discussion in America? Nine years ago did you think that this would have been a possibility? Think about i
