how can i

if you doubt yourself

Muslims

Who cares what religion President Obama practices! As long as he runs the country properly I don't care if his holy day is Friday or Sunday, whether he eats pork or not. There has been so much press regarding our Presidents religious identity. I fail to see why everyone is so confused and concerned, if the man says he is a Christian then that is what he is. So what if he has a "Muslim name" and his father who he barely has any connection with is a Muslim. Even if he was "born a Muslim," a Muslim who denounces his "faith" is not a Muslim. It is as simple as that.

If I am not mistaken, the separation of church and state is a major concept in the United States Constitution. Freedom of religion appears in the FIRST Amendment, it is a constitutionally guaranteed right!

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievance.

So why do we put so much emphasis on Obama’s religious faith. Everyone is so concern about how many times Obama prays, where he prays, what church he belongs to, etc etc. But seriously America, how many of you go to church? Most people I know hardly go to church if at all. Why should the man who runs the country have to prove that he prays to Jesus? Does he not have enough on his plate?

It is truly sad that there is so much intolerance in a country that stands for freedom. The very idea that Obama might have some cloudy association with Islam is so terrifying for many Americans. Terrifying enough to withdraw support for him. It’s saddening to see that this judgment is placed not due to his merits or actions, but due to a confusion in his religious identity.

So what about the millions of Muslim Americans who call the United States their home? Particularly the Muslim American who live in New York. They have been equally affected, if not more by events of 9/11. Muslims are not only stigmatized for the radical fanaticism of a few, but everyone seems to always forget that Muslim lives were also lost that day. Muslims New Yorkers have also lost brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, uncles, etc. on that day. In addition to this loss they have also lost the respect of city they call home, due to this terrorism generalization. The hate that prompted the hijacker to attack has shown its face on Americans also, as they generalize and place blame on everyone that is Muslim. This can be seen in the attacks of Mosques in New York, the harassment faced by many Muslims on the subway and at work, and the systematic profiling of Muslims by NYPD. So where does this leave Muslims in America? We have cried and suffered just the same, and yet we have to constantly defend our faith and prove our patriotism.

Muslims have the same rights as any other religious group it is a Constitutional right! Although I am not surprised that that there was so much negative press and disputes regarding the construction of the WTC mosque. Initially I thought that it would be best to move the mosque to a different location in order to avoid the controversy and chaos. However I soon changed my mind as I heard more and more comments from the opposition party. Signs like “Don’t Glorify Murders of 3,000; No 9/11 Victory Mosque,” made me realize many Americans still hold all Muslims responsible for 9/11. In addition to this there are countless threats and lawsuits such as the Republican Daniel Senor statement that anybody who works with the center “needs to know there is going to be a real stigma associated with the project…Do they really want to be involved with something so detrimental, that might set New York back?”

It is not just about building a mosque, it is about the statement. The main argument is that it is offensive to the victims of 9/11. I say what about the victims who were Muslims? This argument is not enough. The mosque does not take away from the memorial as the mosque would include a memorial inside to honor the lost lives. In addition to this the mosque is a CULTURAL center, its purpose is to promote interfaith dialogue!

Signposts for Phil