Zero tolerance at Ground Zero
A campaign of vilification against Islam continues unabated.
No event in human history has transformed the world as did the 9/11 tragedy. The worst consequence has been the religious divide and conflict among faiths. The fact that the hijackers were Muslim has been exploited by rightwing clergy and radical Jews to paint Islam as a religion advocating violence and its follower’s purveyors of hatred and intolerance.
It has been nine years and yet efforts to dispel the growing hatred and mistrust between the communities and inter-faith dialogue have proved feeble and ineffective. A campaign of vilification against Islam continues unabated.
The latest controversy in New York over the proposed construction of a $100 million Cordoba House, has brought to surface again the deep hatred for Islam. The proposed complex is primarily a cultural centre with a reserved area for prayers. Protests have erupted and a campaign has been launched to block the construction, the sanction of which was granted on August third. The protestors maintain that the complex is an “insult to 9/11 victims and a victory for terrorists”. Major political leaders like Sarah Palin, a vice presidential candidate in the last elections, former house speaker Newton Gingrich and former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani have joined the dark forces.
President Obama at an Iftar dinner hosted by him for Muslim envoys in the White House, categorically stated: “Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in the country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community centre on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.”
Obama’s remarks created an uproar. Reaction was swift and strong. The political fallout particularly on the forthcoming elections scared the president to retract his statement. It is pathetic that the president should give into the forces of intolerance and bigotry against a move which is protected by the US constitution.
The episode has highlighted the ingrained prejudice and intolerance towards Islam. Opinion polls suggest that 68 per cent of Americans are opposed to the project.
It is reassuring that there are elements in the US, equally determined not to let the feelings of hatred and religious intolerance prevail. Fareed Zakaria, former editor of Newsweek and a CNN anchor, has returned a national award given to him in 2005, in protest of the anti-mosque campaign. New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Jew, has also denounced the hate campaign, declaring that “Muslims are as much a part of our city as people of any faith.”
The mosque controversy is not an isolated incident. Similar provocative reactions are being reported in Wisconsin, Tennessee and Florida. While the voices against such bigotry are becoming stronger, it is scary that at the public level the image of Islam be so distorted. It does not augur well for a super power like the United States of America and is inconsistent with its leadership role and global responsibility.
Published in The Express Tribune August 30th, 2010.
It has been nine years and yet efforts to dispel the growing hatred and mistrust between the communities and inter-faith dialogue have proved feeble and ineffective. A campaign of vilification against Islam continues unabated.
The latest controversy in New York over the proposed construction of a $100 million Cordoba House, has brought to surface again the deep hatred for Islam. The proposed complex is primarily a cultural centre with a reserved area for prayers. Protests have erupted and a campaign has been launched to block the construction, the sanction of which was granted on August third. The protestors maintain that the complex is an “insult to 9/11 victims and a victory for terrorists”. Major political leaders like Sarah Palin, a vice presidential candidate in the last elections, former house speaker Newton Gingrich and former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani have joined the dark forces.
President Obama at an Iftar dinner hosted by him for Muslim envoys in the White House, categorically stated: “Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in the country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community centre on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.”
Obama’s remarks created an uproar. Reaction was swift and strong. The political fallout particularly on the forthcoming elections scared the president to retract his statement. It is pathetic that the president should give into the forces of intolerance and bigotry against a move which is protected by the US constitution.
The episode has highlighted the ingrained prejudice and intolerance towards Islam. Opinion polls suggest that 68 per cent of Americans are opposed to the project.
It is reassuring that there are elements in the US, equally determined not to let the feelings of hatred and religious intolerance prevail. Fareed Zakaria, former editor of Newsweek and a CNN anchor, has returned a national award given to him in 2005, in protest of the anti-mosque campaign. New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Jew, has also denounced the hate campaign, declaring that “Muslims are as much a part of our city as people of any faith.”
The mosque controversy is not an isolated incident. Similar provocative reactions are being reported in Wisconsin, Tennessee and Florida. While the voices against such bigotry are becoming stronger, it is scary that at the public level the image of Islam be so distorted. It does not augur well for a super power like the United States of America and is inconsistent with its leadership role and global responsibility.
Published in The Express Tribune August 30th, 2010.