Now I have to admit the 1st time I heard "Mosque at Ground Zero", as someone whose father worked in the Twin Towers, I almost flipped out out of Pure Ignorance... but once educating myself I was able to be more understanding. Moral: There are 3 Sides to Every Story, What He Said, What She Said and the Truth.
Controversies
1) "Mosque At Ground Zero"
How the heck you going to make a place for Religious Worship at the site where people of that faith killed thousands of people? It seems as if it is a tribute to their Accomplishment.
Well, it was NEVER the idea of Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf for the building to be a Mosque (Islamic Worship Center). It has a Mosque inside of it (ran by a completely separate entity), but it is an Islamic Community Center.
For those asking "What's the Difference?" You should know there are Christian Chapels in most Hospitals in the US, but it doesn't mean the Hospital is a Religious Center does it?
The overall view portrayed by the Leaders is more of a YMCA for Muslims with a Mosque as opposed to a Religious Center for the Islamic faith.
The center has been planned to have a Fitness & Performance Arts Center, Culinary School, Day Care, Bookstore, Art Exhibitions so on and so forth.
2) The Original Name "Cordoba House"
The makers chose the named based off the city of Cordoba, Spain during an era called La Convivencia (beginning in the 8th century), in which people of Islamic, Christian and Jewish faith Coexisted in Peace (for the most part).
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| Learning To Understand |
A name Symbolizing Religious Tolerance... What could possibly be wrong with that?
Well, during this same time frame Islamic Moors celebrated the conquest of the Southern Iberian Peninsula by constructing/remodeling "The Great Mosque of Cordoba" over the Christian Cathedral Church of St Vincent. The symbolism in that aspect is pretty offensive so close to the site of the 9/11 terror attacks by Radical Militant Muslims.
(in Lieu of this the owners have referred to this project as Park51 due to its location on Park Ave)
3) Funding: Domestic or Foreign?
Politicians of course want to know... Where are these investors coming from? And it is a valid question. Terrorist cells operate under front organizations all over the world; this is No Secret nor is it an Opinion. Investors are like customers, you have to keep them Happy or they won't support you. So what if one of the Investors is someone who is openly Anti-American and gloats about Terrorist Attacks such as 9/11? Wouldn't that be a genuine cause for concern to the insight of this Buildings purpose?
On the Flip side... Where do the funds from your Church/Synagogue come from? Has the government looked into that? Hell have you looked into that? Christians and Jews have been responsible for some of the most heinous crimes throughout History yet we are only checking in this because it's a different religion?
Now I'm not saying we shouldn't be cautious but we can't pick and choose when we want to be fair. Either keep Religion and Government separate like the Constitution states or Check EVERYBODY.
I actually hope this project gets a fair shot and Unbiased Scrutiny. A place for Religious Freedom and Education being approved in an area where a $100million structure, built by Local American Construction companies, that will employ over 650 people seems like the reason why a place like America was pursued in the 1st place. Denying it based strictly on religion means that in the 390 years since Pilgrims fled England for Religious freedom... we haven't Mentally Evolved AT ALL... Think About It
I actually learned a lot researching this so I want to give a HUGE shout out to @FadedToLuv for sparking up a convo regarding the topic.
Check out the official site: Park51.org for any further Details from the Owners
So... How do you feel about this being a Possibility?
