The proposed Islamic community center known as Park 51 in New York City has drawn a lot of criticism that, quite frankly, makes Americans and the media look absolutely foolish.
I want to address all the misconceptions about this center. There are so many wrong generalizations and criticisms of Park 51 that I don’t even know where to begin, but why don’t we start with its name.
So many critics and members of the media continue to incorrectly refer to this building as the “Ground Zero Mosque.”
Is it at ground zero? No. In fact, you can’t even see it from ground zero.
Is it a mosque? No. It has been made very clear that while the building will have a prayer space, it will not be a mosque. There is a difference. The Park 51 leaders have noted if it is a mosque, any member of the faith must be allowed in, regardless of ideology. However, if it is considered a prayer space, leaders can control who is let in. Essentially, because it is not a mosque, leaders can stop terrorists from coming in and using the center. Let’s stop referring to it as the “Ground Zero Mosque” and recognize its official name as Park 51.
So many of the critics have an us-versus- them mentality and claim that building this center is a triumph for the terrorists who attacked the United States nine years ago. Those people would also be wrong. This is an Islamic center for Islamic Americans. Connecting an entire religion with one international terrorist organization is nothing short of nonsense.
While it has a small area for prayer, the majority of the building will be home to community-involvement areas, including an auditorium, performing arts center, fitness center, swimming pool, child care area, bookstore, culinary school and an art studio.
The center would be a place for people of a particular faith to come together, similar to the YMCA and Jewish Community Centers.
Critics also have said building this center is insensitive to families of those lost on Sept. 11. But again, the center is not being built for terrorists but for American citizens. In fact, many family members of Sept. 11 victims have come out in support of Park 51 for that very reason. To really hammer home the point, this center will actually have a Sept. 11 memorial inside.
The brain behind the center, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, is an activist who has worked to improve the relationship between the Muslim world and the United States for years.
Rauf condemned the actions of the terrorists and said terrorism has no place in Islam.
This is exactly the type of person who could help improve relations between Americans of all religions and remind us that at the end of the day, regardless of religion, we are all Americans.
Even if you don’t support the location of the center, you have to respect the decision and recognize that the group has a right to build it.
The First Amendment gives everyone the right to freedom of religion and, as such, there is no basis at all to stop the building of this center.
This is an opportunity to come out in support of cooperation and civility between people of all faiths.
Instead, some people are choosing to turn it into one more example of American ignorance.
Chris Dodson is a first-year journalism and finance student. His column appears every Monday.
