True Ian, everyone does use symbolism, but in this case it is extremely important. In their culture it will be perceived as a victory. If they are "winning" then more fanatics will want to join them because they must be God's sword to make Islam the omnipotent religion in the world. Everyone likes to be on the winning team and their perception of winning is much different than ours.
I agree with that.. no matter how good intentioned the clerics might be that want to build the mosque there.. it will be preached abroad as "we brought down the infidels towers and built a mosque on their graves" and will go to reinforce their radical beliefs and encourage more attacks... as I've said, if they want to preach tolerance and peace they can build down the road where it won't be such a provocation... if they insist on building there I can't help but doubt their motives...
So you all see all of Islam as terrorists?... because that's what you're saying. Every time you talk about the terrorists as if they were real believers of Islam. What is reinforcing radical beliefs is how we are treating the moderate majority.
The important thing here is that they, radical Muslims , care what they think. And they would see this a a symbolic "win" over the West. Victories often encourage further conquests. 9-11 was perpetrated in the name of Islam. A mosque on the site of that horrific event would be seen by most of us as a symbolic "slap in the face" to all those that perished, their surviving families and loved ones and the West, as a whole. Do peaceful followers of Islam have the right to build a mosque on the site? Probably, assuming no laws are contravened. Is it wise or right to do so? No! On many levels.
No, I'm saying the radicals will USE this to their advantage to create more hatred and encourage their followers.. and that if the people involved don't want to offend they won't build their mosque there.... I'll be having coffee with a few Muslim friends from Lebanon this week more than likely.. I'll try to remember to get their opinion on this... although I'd bet they won't think a mosque has any business being built near the site of such an atrocity as 9/11...
How can the radicals use the building of a mosque to help their cause. *L* "Oh look how evil the West is. They let a mosque be build close to where the twin towers stood". I really don't see that causing any hatred. *L* Your argument makes no sense. How can being inclusive drive people away? Brewster, what you're showing is that you care what the terrorist's think. Who cares what they think. In my best motherly voice: If the terrorists think you should stand on the bridge, will you jump off it just to spite them?
I'll quote myself.. and of' course this is only my opinion... They need to just rebuild the towers as they were (if not a bit more sturdy) and be done with it and not try to make ANYTHING religious on the site... I can't believe we still have a big empty spot there almost 9 years later...
4biddenpleasrs: Leslie Mahaffy and Kirsten French were to young Ontario girls, kidnapped and held in a home near St. Catharines by Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. They were raped and and later brutally murdered by the two. That home has since been demolished. But legally you may be completely within your rights to purchase the land it once stood on and erect a statue of Paul and Karla on it. Imagine the reaction from the families of those girls and the population as a whole. I realize the circumstances are different and am using the example to illustrate that for many people, a mosque of the site of the twin towers would be as insensitive and provocative. Knowing this, why would any moderate Muslim, desiring to foster peace and understanding, support such a project? "Know thine enemy" paraphrases a quotation from Sun Tzu. That's is why it's important to care what they think. It may be meaningless or harmless to you, or perhaps a gesture of peace and community towards moderate Muslims. But to radical Muslim's, the ones responsible for and celebrating 9-11, it would represent a victory shrine which would embolden and further their cause.
Life, they want to build it a couple of blocks away. Not on the actual site. Brewster, A mosque is not a statue of Osama Bin Laden. It is a mosque. If Bernardo had done this in the name of Christians or Catholics we would NEVER lay the blame on the religion. Sun Tzu's actual quote is: It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle. basically know yourself AND your enemy. I know this. Symbolism actually doesn't mean anything to the enemy. All they care about is causing as much fear and death as possible. Every anniversary of 9/11 the media is filled with experts that talk about how the anniversary is the least likely time for an attack because they don't care about that stuff. Why else would they chose subways in England, a train in Madrid, or target downtown buildings in Toronto? If they were really into symbols they would have targeted Big Ben in England or the CN Tower in Toronto. I don't know what there woudl be in Madrid. I love living in Canada and being Canadian but I know this. We are collectively afraid of anything we don't understand. Collectively we rallied against Women's rights, integration, inter-racial marriage, gay marriage, and anything else we were afraid of. We need to stop being fighting against it and work to understand it. Man I sound like a hippie saying all this stuff but it's true. Over and over a read most of everyone's comments here and you are all still talking about Muslims like they're all in with the terrorists.
4biddenpleasrs - Go read my comments again. I know my history thoroughly. Once again I'm referring to those in the Military & Government regimes who held power, knew what was going on, and have responsibility for their citizens. It's NOT about blaming all of Islam for 9/11 attacks. In fact, the primary reason for building the Mosque near ground zero isn't purely about religion. Like I said before, building this Mosque near ground zero is a political statement and monument to ideology. This article is written by Muslim woman who lost her Mother on 9/11. She knows building the Mosque isn't as the Imam would have you believe. Its shamful those who want to build the Mosque couldn't care less about her pain, or the pain of all the other families! A Muslim victim of 9/11: 'Build your mosque somewhere else' http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/06/AR2010080603006.html ”I try to take solace in the notion that her death has forced a much-needed conversation and reevaluation of the role of religion in the Muslim community, of the duties and obligations that the faith imposes and of its impact on the non-Muslim world. But a mosque near Ground Zero will not move this conversation forward. There were many mosques in the United States before Sept. 11; their mere existence did not bring cross-cultural understanding. But a mosque nearby -- even a proposed one -- is already transforming the site from a sacred ground for reflection, so desperately needed by the families who lost loved ones, to a battleground for religious and political ideologies."
