Embrace the Islamic Cultual Center

For a long time I've been embarrassed to be a member of a generation that gets most of its news from Jon Stewart. However, in response to Denise's post, I must apologize to Mr. Stewart. This "mosque (i.e. Islamic cultural center)" debate is the most absurd debate that the tea party has yet raised. Ok, not as bad as the conspiracy that the President was grown in a Kenyan lab by Nasser, Saddam, and Gadaffi as part of an intricate plot to place a sleeper agent in the White House...but almost.

As the Daily Show's investigation showed, intolerance towards Mosques is a growing trend in America. What is your goal Tea Party, to emulate the Know-Nothing Party and its fears of "Romanism (Catholicism)"? The cultural center will be blocks from Ground Zero, farther than an actual Mosque that already exists. Charles Krauthammer, the conservative Washington Post columnist, has compared building the cultural center to building a German cultural center at Auschwitz. While I sometimes agree with Mr. Krauthammer's views, he could not be more wrong with this analogy. Every Muslim is not a member of al-Qaeda, and virtually every Muslim-American was mortified by the events on 9/11. Just because the terrorists acted in the name of Islam does not mean that they represent the views of Islam. I certainly am not represented by deranged individuals who shoot up abortion clinics in the name of Christ.

I understand why people are uncomfortable about the location of the cultural center, although I suspect that is mostly because of a lack of information and the way the story has been covered by the media. There is of course nothing I can do to stop my own party from opposing the cultural center, as it continues to become increasingly beholden to the Tea Party. However, I am ashamed to see the Democrats rallying around the nativist banner as well. Incredibly Harry Reid and Howard Dean have publicly come out against the building of the mosque, but I suspect that this has something to do with the election in November.

I was pleasantly surprised when President Obama came out in support of the cultural center, and was bitterly disappointed when he backtracked the next day. Again, I suppose this is simply politicking, but I would urge the President to stand by his convictions here. Obama's term has been full of bold leadership and decisions on many issues, not all of which I agree with, but I respect that the President is focused on improving the country and not re-election. Mr. Obama, no American president has ever been more popular in the Islamic World. Come out in support of the Cultural Center. Explain how this shows America's openness and diversity. Make a tangible demonstration of why freedom and democracy should be embraced over sectarianism and bigotry. Show the world why bin-Laden and Ahmadinejad are wrong, and why America is better than them.