Mosque Planners Should Show Restraint
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In the 11th hour, thanks to a phone call from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Florida pastor Terry Jones, of the Dove World Outreach Center, has apparently decided not to burn copies of the Quran on the anniversary of 9/11. Good!
I write this on Friday, so I suppose Jones could once again change his mind and follow through with his plans. But for now, he seems to be showing some restraint. Our troops in Afghanistan can perhaps rest a little easier knowing that deadly Muslim protest around the world has, for the moment at least, been averted. So - what about Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf's plans to go forward in building a mosque near ground zero?
Will Muslim leaders now come forth and call for Rauf to also exercise restraint? At least one American has. He is M. Judhi Jasser, whose article, "Questions For Imam Rauf From an American Muslim," appeared in Friday morning's Wall Street Journal.
Dr. Jasser asks of Rauf, "Where is your sense of fairness and common decency? In relation to ground zero, I am an American first, a Muslim second, just as I would be at Concord, Gettysburg, Normandy Beach, Pearl Harbor or any other battlefield where my fellow countrymen lost their lives."
These are powerful words spoken from one American Muslim to another in an extremely potent article that should be required reading for everyone, of whatever faith or nationality. This part of it brings to the debate on the proposed mosque another piece of the argument for why it shouldn't be built.
The first part of the argument is: While it is Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf's constitutional right under the First Amendment to build a mosque near ground zero, he is wrong when he says it is the right thing to do. It shows a lack of good judgment, sympathy and prudence.
It is neither sensible, reasoned, wise nor considerate. The law of the land guarantees him the right to build, but pursuing a greater good often means setting aside the law in favor of what is the decent and honorable thing to do.
This idea of honor and the ability to police or restrain ourselves is uniquely American. It is at the heart of our founding principles and freedoms. Our founders knew, no matter what their personal religious beliefs were, that standing alone, freedom of speech and religion didn't amount to a hill of beans if we didn't understand how to properly exercise these "God-given rights."
The only way "we the people" could be responsible enough to deal with the type of liberty proposed for us was if our characters would be guided by a higher power. What faith or religion didn't matter. Our conduct and characters would be guided by "God" and short of that, our founders felt that the American experiment would be likely to fail.
So far, Imam Rauf has chosen to argue that religious freedom by itself satisfies his decision to build the mosque. Strength of character, honor and restraint do not seem as important to him.
Dr. Jasser brings up the other critical point, and it's one that has not garnered the public attention it deserves, from either the American government, the press or the American Muslim community. When it comes to ground zero, Jasser understands that we are at war with terrorists. He rightly views the World Trade Center bombings as an act of war. As such, he says his allegiance to his country comes first, his Muslim identity second.
Let's suppose that since 9/11, the American Muslim community had continually and loudly declared the same sentiment. One can almost hear the echo that would reverberate around the world. One can only imagine how much closer we might be to peace if American Muslims who identified themselves as Americans first had with constancy called on their wayward and radical brothers to stop the terrorism against innocents.
We owe a debt of gratitude and allegiance to American Muslims who have called for their radical brethren to stop jihad. Sadly, these voices are not as yet concerted or loud enough. As Americans first, this united voice would be more powerful than anything we can generate from a war on terror.
Geoff Cutler is owner of Cutler Tree LLC in Southern Pines. He writes for PineStraw magazine under the heading "Thoughts From the Manshed."
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Comments
kiki 2 years, 8 months ago
Geoff,
Nice presentation of the argument over the Islamic Center near ground zero. I agree with your's and Dr. Jasser's points. We may have the right to do somethng but common decency should steer us in a different direction.
My only concern is how can we ask an American Muslim to place this country above their religion when we have so many Christians that can't seem to do what we are asking the American Muslim to do. I am not saying that placing the US first above a religion is necessarily a bad thing. We have many Christians that even go so far to declare the US a Christian Nation (this has been debated many times on this site.) Many Christians place their faith above this country. The New Testament actually tells Christians to do just that if eternal life is a primary objective for an individual. I will say that the NT also says (paraphrasing) to respect the laws of the land - paying taxes, etc.
My questions is "Can a person be a religious person and place their faith (regardless of their faith tradition) above our great country and still be a patriot?" Does there have to be a first or second place? Can I as a Christian, place my highest level of devotion to Jesus Christ, love my country, and still be a patriot? I think from most people, the answer is yes.
I would also say that there are people in our country that take their "devotion" to a faith tradition to extremes like the pastor in Fla ("God told me to do it.") or the KKK (The burning cross stands for our closeness to the crucified Christ.) or Muslin extremist (killing people in the name of Allah).
What I would like to see is what happened to the pastor in FLA. He received a strong condemnation of the act from his "own kind", namely Christians. Even the Vatican had an extremely strong condemnation of the act of Koran burning.
I would like to see / hear more of the rational, mainstream Muslim American (or American Muslim, however you want to list it) continue to be a voice of reason and condem the extremist faction within their own faith tradition. After all we are all from the same God. We (Christians, Jews, and Muslims) are all monothestic religions that have foundations that can be traced back to Abraham.
My thoughts . . . yours?
leciat 2 years, 8 months ago
i find it disturbing that the pastor received world wide condemnation and the violence in the "muslim world" from his action received world wide acceptance. apparently muslim violence is justified if they are offended
kiki 2 years, 8 months ago
leciat,
I did not hear of acceptance of the violence except by extremest Muslims. Most of the world I listened to (including the BBC, et al) also condemded the violence.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 8 months ago
"I should like to assure you, my Islamic friends, that under the American Constitution, under American tradition, and in American hearts, this Center, this place of worship, is just as welcome as could be a similar edifice of any other religion. Indeed, America would fight with her whole strength for your right to have here your own church and worship according to your own conscience. This concept is indeed a part of America, and without that concept we would be something else than what we are."
President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1957
They just don't make 'em like that any more.
geoffcutler 2 years, 8 months ago
Kiki, Appreciate your thoughtful comments. I'm not sure that American Christians have put their faith above country. I do, however, feel that American Christians have felt threatened, right or wrong, for quite some time from secular forces within our nation. You'll have to send along some examples of what you refer to so that I can get a better understanding of your premise. I think we can both agree, however, Imam Rauf is clearly putting Islam in front of America.
kiki 2 years, 8 months ago
Geoff,
My primary point is that I feel we do not need to rank our devotion or dedication.
I did mention a couple of extreme examples in my comments - KKK, etc. - but I think we can find examples all around us if we look.
I certainty place my faith above my country. That does not mean I don't also love my country. Actually if my concern on earth is eternal, everlasting life then my country would obviously be less of a focal point than my faith because my country is only a temporary existence.
BTW . . . (and I am not a grammar expert) but I think that by placing the religious description in back of "American" I think it actually places the religious description as the noun and the "American" as the modifier. Therefore by saying that the person is an American Christian it says that they are Christian first and American as a modifier. Small point but . . .
You are right we do agree on the Iman . . .
teufelhunden 2 years, 8 months ago
This is not and has not been just about religion or their freedom to worship as they choose. Dig deeper...
nothingspecial 2 years, 8 months ago
Still waiting for Muslims (not Americans and not the creator of this center) who are complaining about their unfair treatment by Americans related to resistance to this center. They might be out there I just haven't heard them.
geoffcutler 2 years, 8 months ago
teuf- Whatever do you mean? Some backdoor insinuation of Sharia Law in America while we're at each others throats about "freedom of religion?" Surely you don't any such a thing! We're much too smart for that...
fugitiveguy 2 years, 8 months ago
" I'm not sure that American Christians have put their faith above country."
I was thinking the same thing. I have seen no evidence that this is the case in any significant numbers.
fugitiveguy 2 years, 8 months ago
One of the biggest lies about this whole situation is that somehow Muslims are having their rights trampled on, of course those on the left are the ones singing this phony baloney tune. I say, 100 or so mosques in NYC alone are all you need to know to expose this bold faced lie. Had their been 200, the leftist would still be attacking those opposed as hate filled Islamaphobes. Imam Ralph is a phony but the left has already adopted him, my guess is there is a Nobel Prize with his name on it.
leftfield 2 years, 8 months ago
I love how the media can make a story about some redneck burning Qurans into a full out media blitz. Then to top it all off, Fox News compares what Rolly Fingers was doing down in FL to what the Muslim community is trying to do in NYC. It really is no wonder we are hated so much.
fugitiveguy 2 years, 8 months ago
Who was the lefts boogie man before Fox News came along?
nothingspecial 2 years, 8 months ago
fugitiveguy, I think it's interesting the lashing out aimed at neutralizing opponents that goes on the past few years. Fox is "horribly biased" but also the most watched news channel. Christians are ignorant bigots and 'phobes. Teapartiers are something similar. Palin (a pied piper for the dreaded conservative women's vote), the same. No coincidence that these are three of the biggest anti-incumbent and powerful voter blocks.
This paragraph is of course also great fuel for a retort by the enlightened ones.
teufelhunden 2 years, 8 months ago
nothingspecial, you are right on and going strong...
MikeNC 2 years, 8 months ago
On DR's quote by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1957. "They just don't make 'em like that any more." ......It would be interesting to hear what Ike's comments would be today in 2010. Alot has happened in the past 53 years that just might influence a person's thought process.