A Minaret in the New York Skyline!

I took a walk downtown, toward the site of the World Trade Centre, to 45-51 Park Place to be exact, the purported site of the Ground Zero Mosque. I wanted to see the site for myself. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. As I rounded the corner, there was no mistaking which building was 45-51 Park Place. The police presence was up and down the street and two policemen were permanently stationed outside the doors of the building. There was a huge stakeout by the media and journalists from around the world, randomly interviewing passersby to see on which side of the divide they fell.

The building, which is to house the new Islamic cultural centre, looked desolate and run-down. Not only in need of a good paint job, it was in need of an overhaul and complete renovation. The doors were open but not for the general public to enter. From where I stood I could see that plastic sheets were hanging from the interior walls, a sign that construction work would take place. A few African American men dressed like the men of the Nation of Islam (the Farrakhan garb) greeted the policemen and went in. I lingered around 45-51 Park Place and listened to the comments from passersby. My ears perked up at words such as: mosque, terrorists, Muslims, freedom, religion, Islamic centre, Cordoba House, moderate Islam. It was apparent that not everyone had the same idea of what it was that we were all looking at, because after all, in the land of the blind, the one-eyed Jack is King.

So what are the facts related to 45-51 Park Place? We know that it is not going to be a mosque but rather an Islamic cultural centre, modeled on the Jewish and Christian community centers. The plans include a prayer and interfaith room, an auditorium, a fitness centre, swimming pool, childcare facilities, bookstore, adult classes, a food court catering for halaal food and an art studio. It is not in or at Ground Zero. As a matter of fact the two sites are not even across the road from each other; you can’t see the one when you are at the other. They are two blocks away from each other, a walk of several minutes. At least, 300 steps, and I counted.The name, (unlike the Jewish and Christian centers) will not have any kind of Islamic connotation. It is to be called Park 51, referencing the street address. And the name Cordoba House - an inference to the 8^th -11^th century Cordoba in Spain, the Islamic period of peaceful co-existence between Muslims, Christians and Jews - will refer only to the interfaith and religious area within Park 51. Finally, unbeknownst to many, this site is already being used by Muslims for prayers and reading of the Quran. The building, which was damaged during the 11 September 2001 attacks, was abandoned until it was purchased in 2009. And since September 2009 the building was used as an overflow prayer space for Muslims, who were not able to fit in at the smaller TriBeca mosque nearby.

If there are no plans to build a mosque, if the location is not in ground zero, if the name does not speak of Islam and if Muslims have already been using the building for prayers - then just what is the fuss all about?There are some (not all) families of the victims of the 11 September 2001 attacks who say that it is offensive to the memory of the victims and the family of the victims to build a “mosque” so close to Ground Zero. There argument is an emotional one. Whilst this can be understood, it is nevertheless based on the idea that Islam, rather than Islamic radicals were responsible for the attack.There is the right wing (mainly Republicans), who are the catalysts that sparked the protests and caused all the controversy. Why? Because to these people it does not matter whether you are Muslim or Mexican, it just matters that you are not white and your origins cannot be traced back to the first wave of immigrants that founded this land. These so called “tea-baggers” want to see an America for Americans only. But no such an America exists because today Americans are of all races, all nationalities, all religions, and all cultures and from every geographical area on the planet. The problem is these people don’t like it so they taint it with their hate mongering and closed minds.There are the politicians such as President Obama and Mayor Bloomberg who support the building of the Islamic cultural centre. They support it because they assert a belief in the freedom of religion and in the diversity, equality and rights of all Americans. Whilst this may be true, they are also interested in the political leverage of lending their support to moderate Islam, and in a complex world such as ours, this is key.Then, there are those freethinking Americans who truly believe in the American constitutional values and the rights contained therein. They see the building of the Islamic cultural centre as an opportunity to put these values into practice so as to protect the rights of all Americans.

Is the fuss about the relationship between the USA and Islam? Is it about the confusion that many Americans have felt about Islam since 11 September 2001, when, for many, Islam first came onto their radar? Or is it about the partisan politics of the USA, the Democrats vs. Republicans, the right wing vs. the liberals? Is it about racism? Or religious intolerance? Or is it just ignorance? The answer is not simple because the answer is: all of the above.

I left 45-51 Park Place and decided to walk to the site of the Word Trade Centre. It was the eve of the 9^th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Centre (and the next day had been deemed by some so-called Pastor and religious ignoramus in Florida as Burn a Quran Day). The area was choked with people; some had come to pay their respects and others, to marvel at what once was, and what is now. There were a few Americans flying the American flag in the downtown breeze, in a display of loyalty and patriotism, to what and to whom becomes blurred in a country so divided by its national politics. Then there was also a group of Americans holding a small demonstration and voicing their opinion with placards that read, “Real Americans don’t burn the Quran” and “Muslims are welcome here."

As I stopped off at a halaal vendor, one of many located directly opposite Ground Zero, to buy a falafel sandwich, I looked up at the number of construction cranes overhead where the World Trade Center used to stand. And then it dawned on me: The reason there is such a fuss is because currently Ground Zero is the only symbol of the relationship between the USA and Islam. It is a symbol of violence, of death, aggression and hostility. What is needed is a new symbol, something that signifies a new beginning and a new understanding. A symbol of tolerance and acceptance. And short of a minaret in the New York skyline, the Islamic cultural center should be that symbol.