Mosque in New York: Religious Freedom or Political Statement?

Pastor Terry Jones projected his strong anti-Muslim feelings to the American people after his rant against the Quran when he pleaded with others to join in turning its pages to ashes. This anti-book battle cry stems from the outrage he felt after hearing a mosque would be built near ground zero. American Muslims and Christians alike pursued efforts to halt Jones’ proposition to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11.

Jones responded in outrage instead of Christian love when he told CNN that burning the Quran would be a necessary step to speak out against the Muslim community.

While it is questionable to construct a Muslim community center so close to the site of the Sept. 11 tragedy, Jones’ reaction surpassed simply expressing his opinion and went into kamikaze outrage.

“As a pastor and as Christians, we are held to a higher standard and just because Jones was mad about the mosque at ground zero, his reaction should not have been to burn the Quran but to pray for those Muslims,” missionaries working in a Muslim nation said.

Naming the Quran as a book “full of lies” and Islam as being “from the devil,” Jones made his radical decision to burn what he claims to be an unholy book. Later, Jones agreed to stand down from his Sept. 11 book burnings but did not guarantee to withhold his fury from the Quran in the future, according to CNN.

“As Islam pervades all of a Muslim’s life and is more than a mere religious affiliation, to attack Islam, Muhammad or the Quran is to attack a Muslim friend,” professor of Islamic studies at Liberty and 10-year Middle Eastern resident Edward Smither said. “If Rev. Jones has any missionary motivation, which I’m doubtful that he does, he has succeeded in losing his audience before ever having the chance to share the gospel.”

All Sept. 11 victims whose hearts were ripped to pieces after seeing heavy clouds of black smoke rise to the sky and loved ones massacred, want to see this building moved and not desecrating the sacred area. Furthering their despair, the mosque was originally proposed to open on an anniversary of the terror attacks, which serves as a slap in the face to the American people.

Two-thirds of New York citizens, including those claiming to be in favor of the new mosque want for this project not to perish but moved to a new location, according to a poll printed in the New York Times.

Still, it is hard to separate politics and religion as they bleed together, creating controversy. The U.S. Constitution gives the Muslim community, which consists of about 600,000 people in New York, the right to build a mosque just as much as any Baptist or Pentecostal can build a church. However, the decision to do so in a place that holds haunting memories courtesy of radical Muslims in the name of Allah creates more tension than peace for many Americans.

“Religious freedom is a cherished American value that extends to ‘Mayflower pilgrims’ and to the millions of Muslims that have immigrated to the U.S. for centuries prior to Sept. 11,” Smither said. “Most Muslims I know have endeavored to distance themselves and Islam from the events of Sept. 11; so I am a bit surprised that a Muslim community would want to build a mosque at ground zero — an act that would seem to perpetuate horrible memories.”

It is true that the Muslim community, as citizens of the United States, have every right to build their mosque. However, the timing and location could not be any worse. If these Muslims are sincerely peace-seeking, they should work with New York City to find a mutually beneficial compromise. If they do not, they will leave many Americans, however misguided, “Jones-ing” for an ole fashion book burning.