Sunday, August 22, 2010

Unhappy Sunday

Today is an unhappy Sunday for me. The reason it is unhappy is because I have not been up to date on the news lately and today I learned about the whole debate over the Muslim "Mosque" that's not even an actual Mosque, several blocks away from Ground Zero.

I know there is still so much racism, bigotry, and prejudice of all sorts in America. And I know that there is a lot of hatred and fear of Muslims since 9/11. But what I did not know is how much of it is still so prevalent? Maybe it's sad that I am/was that ignorant that I didn't think it was as much as it is.  Of course I would have expected there to be protesters and haters to the idea had I known about it before today, but the actual amount of ignorance out there for some reason appalls me!

People are out there protesting with signs that say:

"Everything I Ever Needed to Know about Islam I Learned on 9/11."

"Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all the terrorists were Muslim."

Really?? What about the unibomber, or the psychotic "Christians" who bomb abortion clinics or go to the funerals of fallen soldiers because of "fags"?

But let's be honest here, a lot of these people against it are the ignorant ones that still have something good to say about Sarah Palin. Oh, and by the way, she is against this as well.

I don't like to talk about politics or religion on my blog because I understand everyone has their own views and they have reasons behind it. But this issue really saddens me for several reasons. I understand how sacred Ground Zero is. But are these people forgetting Muslims were also killed in 9/11 in the WTC? As far as I'm concerned, Muslims are probably the biggest group of people who should fear acts of terrorism post 9/11.

The fact of the matter is, that this "Mosque" is not even a Mosque, but an Islamic Community Center that holds a Culinary school and basketball courts, and only two floors for prayer. Not only that, it's several blocks away from Ground Zero (I have heard between 2-5), they already changed the proposed name they were going to have to appease to the people against it, AND it is just going to look like a regular building!  I am just dumbfounded by the amount of people that are opposed to it. If it were the other way around it were to have been Christian extremists that bombed the WTC, and then a church was built in the same location, there would not be protesters like there are right now. Call that a crazy comparison, but I beg to differ.

Anyway, I could go on and on about this issue as it truly saddens me. America is supposed to be the land of freedom, the melting pot, the land of opportunity. Yet people have forgotten about our forefathers like Abraham Lincoln or John F. Kennedy, that wanted this country to be a beautiful, free one. These people have forgotten what this country is actually about.

Note: I grew up and was baptized Christian.  I am half Iranian and have Muslim members in my family; though my father is not Muslim.  I do not practice any specific religion.  Therefore, I do not have a bias on this issue.  I just truly believe it is wrong.

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