Plans to build a 14 story mosque and Muslim cultural center are being met with increasing opposition from the American public. Despite many newspapers including the Washington Post supporting the construction of the mosque, sentiment around the country is still very much opposed to its construction.

Proponents of the plan say that to block the building of a mosque would be to stifle religious freedom and unfairly discriminate against Muslims simply on the basis of their faith. They argue that the peaceful majority of Muslims should not be blamed for the actions of a few radicals and hence there is no good reason to block the construction. They also point out that the cultural center would help to promote tolerance and understanding and heal the rift which is present in American society.

Opponents however argue that the opposition is not restricting religious freedoms but is simply respecting the wishes of the family’s of those who died when the twin towers were attacked. They point out that it is simply culturally insensitive to build a mosque on the site where Muslim fundamentalists killed so many Americans. The analogy has been given that you wouldn’t build a Catholic church on the site of an IRA bombing not because you blame all Catholics but because you realize that it would act as a reminder of what happened and would simply not be appropriate.

They point out that mosques can and have been built all over America and that they are not trying to stop Muslims from practicing their faith. They simply argue that the site of one of the greatest tragedies ever on American soil should be reserved for a more appropriate memorial.

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