Letter to the Editor
Khourtni J. Hester, Student
September 12, 2010
Filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Brandon:
Recently, I have been reading and hearing about this huge uproar about a mosque being built near the site of the September 11th tragedy. Perhaps I am just more open-minded then some of my fellow citizens, but I do not really see a problem with a mosque being built near the site. I think the good folks that are causing such a stink over this issue need to remember what country they are in.
Those who are against the mosque being built are saying rather outlandish things as the basis for their anger and displeasure. They claim that it is immoral, unjust and dishonors the memory of all those that lost their lives at the World Trade Center. However, that is not the case, because, at worst, it is simply bad taste, like drinking in church or cursing at a sporting event, because neither action is illegal, just frowned upon by society.
Unless I am mistaken, one of the reasons this country was founded is religious freedom. The Bill of Rights clearly states that every American citizen has the right to practice the religion of their choosing and, by extension, create a place of worship for themselves and others to congregate. It does not say that Catholicism, Judaism and Christianity are the only religions allowed to build churches, synagogues and temples in this country. If we choose to forbid the building of this one mosque, then how are we any better than the tyrants and monarchs from which our forefathers fled.
Many Americans have it in their minds that Islam is a religion that breeds terrorists, but it is actually a peaceful religion. In fact, Islam and Christianity are both founded upon the writings of Abraham, and both religions simply want their followers to live a good life, be kind to neighbors and enemies alike and have faith in God/Allah. Also, many people today like to ignore minor events in Christian history called The Holy Crusades and the Salem witch trials in which war and murder were committed under the guise of religious cleansing. As with any religion, there will be zealots who do horrible things in the name of their deity and rationalize their murderous behavior by deluding themselves into thinking God/Allah “told” them to do it, but do we have the right to judge an entire religion based upon the horrific acts of a few extremists? No, we do not have that right nor do we have the right to forbade people from building a place of worship, regardless of location.
I understand why some people may be offended by the building of a mosque near the World Trade Center, but that does not make it morally wrong or even illegal. If we, as a country and people, want to show just how great we are to the world, then we would embrace and support the building of this mosque to show that we will not condemn the Muslim nation for the terrorist acts of a few of its followers and that we truly are the land of the free and home of the brave.
–Khourtni J. Hester
Loading ...