Ground zero –is sacred to most Americans. Sacred, not in religious sense but in humanity sense. Grounds, where once stood the very famous twin towers of World Trade
centre, epitomize the loss of thousands of near and dear ones who lost their relations to one of the world’s most tragic attack on humanism.
An attack which, not only saw a nascent militant group by name Al-Qaida become notorious for its gruesome and heinous crimes but also gave rise to sheer hatred for another word -‘ISLAM’!!!
Chicago Tribune quotes-“Our Constitution guarantees the freedom of all faiths. Not just the ones most of us are comfortable having as neighbors. Not just the ones that attract the most members or the ones whose faith traditions resemble our own, but all faiths. Yet, the notion of an Islamic center two blocks away from a site many New Yorkers view as sacred ground is sure to produce visceral responses”
Post 9/11 many citizens of US who were Muslim by religion were tortured and harassed under the reason of ‘doubt’. Here I recall a movie by title ‘Khuda kay liye’ which I happened to see couple of years back. It was based on the living condition of Muslim people in US and how they were picked up from their houses simply on the basis of doubt and questioned and tortured for months in the cell… Indeed, what happened in US on 9/11 was horrendous act of crime but what happened after that was equally horrendous for sure!
Nobody can justify the act of crime meted out to Americans but neither can one understand the abandonment of a particular religion on sheer basis of few people stooping low on their morals and going on rampage destroying peace and harmony in the society. Society is built on the foundation of assimilation and acceptance. If any one particular person/group tries to rule and create his monopoly, democracy gets compromised. And that is something which is precisely happening in America and for that reason in world over.
Americans on other hand are taking this a notch higher by turning it into a political drama. There are thousands of people protesting against the mosque saying-‘Islam is not a religion... it’s a political and militarist group’. Forget about civilians, there are people like Sarah Palin who is busy giving her anti-Islam bytes as well. There were demonstrations that happened in US where people wore "Vote for Jesus" T-shirts and carried signs that said "No Sharia law for USA”. The mosque opponents are referring to this as not a constitutional issue but rather one of sensitivity to the New Yorkers, most particularly the families of 9/11 victims who lost their loved ones.
The most powerful story of the new century is of course 9/11 with its 2700 dead wherein myth of American invincibility came shattering down and the realization that there were foreigners who hated them enough to trade their lives for the Americans came to the fore. !!! 9/11 has infused a deep hatred in the minds of Americans for anything remotely associated with Islam. In process Muslims throughout America are being attacked because of their religion and this is making ‘bigotry’ worse than it ever was.
Although, Barack Obama is making all the kinds of bold statements to ensure that American Government is supporting ‘Freedom of all Religions…’ Streets of America are echoing different sentiments altogether.
Sitting in India we often, complain about government making political issue out of religious sentiments of people but I guess, world over the picture is same!!! Why can’t we truly understand that what we give to others comes back to us in equal and proportionate measures…? And this applies to only the American-Islam feud but to every individual’s life in all the respects…it’s time for self introspection!!! Indeed!!!
Facts courtesy: Chicago Tribune, the Huffington Post.
centre, epitomize the loss of thousands of near and dear ones who lost their relations to one of the world’s most tragic attack on humanism.An attack which, not only saw a nascent militant group by name Al-Qaida become notorious for its gruesome and heinous crimes but also gave rise to sheer hatred for another word -‘ISLAM’!!!
Chicago Tribune quotes-“Our Constitution guarantees the freedom of all faiths. Not just the ones most of us are comfortable having as neighbors. Not just the ones that attract the most members or the ones whose faith traditions resemble our own, but all faiths. Yet, the notion of an Islamic center two blocks away from a site many New Yorkers view as sacred ground is sure to produce visceral responses”
Post 9/11 many citizens of US who were Muslim by religion were tortured and harassed under the reason of ‘doubt’. Here I recall a movie by title ‘Khuda kay liye’ which I happened to see couple of years back. It was based on the living condition of Muslim people in US and how they were picked up from their houses simply on the basis of doubt and questioned and tortured for months in the cell… Indeed, what happened in US on 9/11 was horrendous act of crime but what happened after that was equally horrendous for sure!
Nobody can justify the act of crime meted out to Americans but neither can one understand the abandonment of a particular religion on sheer basis of few people stooping low on their morals and going on rampage destroying peace and harmony in the society. Society is built on the foundation of assimilation and acceptance. If any one particular person/group tries to rule and create his monopoly, democracy gets compromised. And that is something which is precisely happening in America and for that reason in world over.
Americans on other hand are taking this a notch higher by turning it into a political drama. There are thousands of people protesting against the mosque saying-‘Islam is not a religion... it’s a political and militarist group’. Forget about civilians, there are people like Sarah Palin who is busy giving her anti-Islam bytes as well. There were demonstrations that happened in US where people wore "Vote for Jesus" T-shirts and carried signs that said "No Sharia law for USA”. The mosque opponents are referring to this as not a constitutional issue but rather one of sensitivity to the New Yorkers, most particularly the families of 9/11 victims who lost their loved ones.
The most powerful story of the new century is of course 9/11 with its 2700 dead wherein myth of American invincibility came shattering down and the realization that there were foreigners who hated them enough to trade
their lives for the Americans came to the fore. !!! 9/11 has infused a deep hatred in the minds of Americans for anything remotely associated with Islam. In process Muslims throughout America are being attacked because of their religion and this is making ‘bigotry’ worse than it ever was.Although, Barack Obama is making all the kinds of bold statements to ensure that American Government is supporting ‘Freedom of all Religions…’ Streets of America are echoing different sentiments altogether.
Sitting in India we often, complain about government making political issue out of religious sentiments of people but I guess, world over the picture is same!!! Why can’t we truly understand that what we give to others comes back to us in equal and proportionate measures…? And this applies to only the American-Islam feud but to every individual’s life in all the respects…it’s time for self introspection!!! Indeed!!!
Facts courtesy: Chicago Tribune, the Huffington Post.
