Letters from Linden
by JACK LINDEN
Why in America can a cross be erected just about anywhere? Not only can they be erected anywhere, but seemingly at any height. Recently in this state, a rather large cross was erected west of San Antonio and the courts upheld the right of the builder to do so. People who opposed it were called names and letters were written to newspapers condemning them. There was no widespread public opposition to it, nor did it cause a stir nationwide.
When a leader of a small group of people in Florida, I am not sure I want to call him a man of God, decided to have a Quran burning day, I did not hear a hew and cry of being sensitive to the feelings of Muslims from many Christians. While most of them agreed that the man had a right to burn the Qurans, they did not condemn him for doing so. I wonder if they would have felt the same had someone been burning the Bible. Yes, national leaders expressed concern, but one did not see polls concerning the burning.
The concerns raised were about the safety of our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, not about the sensitivities of the Muslims. Unlike the building of the mosque in New York City where the sensitivities of Americans are the emphasis, no one raised the sensitivities of the people whose Quran is their most holy book.
The building of a mosque in New York City has been used by pundits and some politicians as a political issue. They have argued that the site of the former Twin Towers is sacred and that building a mosque near there is an insult. Too many of those are using half-truths and inflammatory statements to arouse the unknowing American public. Too little is known about the towers and New York City.
Referring to the ignorance about New York City, people should realize that you can walk two blocks and seem like you are in another country, let alone another city. The city is a maze of nationalities, beliefs and commerce. Especially where the towers stood, the city is a collection of canyons, housing about every conceivable enterprise from hamburger stands to strip-joints. Having a mosque where it is proposed would upgrade the area.
Secondly, most Americans do not know that there was a prayer room in one of the towers, as well as one at the Pentagon. There had been issues about the separation of church and state, especially at the Pentagon, but the fact remains that places of worship were in both locales. Why was there not more said about prayer rooms prior to the proposed building in New York City? We must also remember that mosques and prayer rooms are used everyday since Muslims are required to pray five times a day.
Thirdly, if the site of the Twin Towers is sacred, why then is there no protest about building commercial buildings on the site? There are four commercial buildings planned for the site and at this time, we do not know what will be housed in those buildings. Will there be restaurants? Will there be cocktail lounges? How much commercialism concerning the attack will there be? Will there be a kiosk selling replicas of the old buildings? What amount of crass commercialism will there be?
Comparing burning the Quran to building a community center with a mosque in New York City is ridiculous. Yes, the destruction of the Twin Towers was a heinous act, but we must remember that not just Christians were killed that day. People of the world’s religions and non-believers were killed that day. Don’t let radicals of any faith destroy one of America’s strengths.
Those who try to compare what is happening in America with what happens in other countries are denying what makes this country what it is. America is the country we hold out to the rest of the world as an example of freedom. We are the ones who brag of our religious freedom and tolerance. There is no logic to compare us to those who burn our flag or yell death to America.
One of the great strengths of Americans is our acceptance of others. Let us not be hypocrites in the eyes of the rest of the world.
