Ground Zero Zealots

by Priya Patel – University of Florida Graduate

“Let me be clear: as a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are. The writ of our Founders must endure.” – President Obama

These are the words of a President forced to quell controversy and take a stand on a divisive issue. It is a shame that the ‘issue’ in question is that of religious freedom – a right so fundamentally protected by the Constitution of the United States, a right so formerly respected by the citizens of this country, a right so essential in preventing discrimination or governmental tyranny. And yet, this is a right that is blatantly being ignored because of a wide-spread, misinformed fear of the Muslim world that exists in America.

Protestors are outraged at the proposal to build an Islamic center two blocks from Ground Zero. Media headlines, in a typically sensationalist fashion, read something to the effect of, “Mosque to be Built on Ground Zero.” Somewhere along the way, “near” becomes replaced with “on,” thus creating a controversy inducing mistruth. Prepositions aside, any sentence that includes both “mosque,” and “ground zero,” is grounds for objection to the millions of Americans whose patriotic duty tells them that Islam is the enemy. But the last time I checked, we’re not in some sort of holy war, and every American citizen, immigrant or not, minority or not, Muslim or not, deserves the same entitlement to the country’s laws. This includes the erection of a community center and mosque that promotes freedom of expression, including religion.

It has been nine years since 9/11 and yet discrimination against the Muslim community shows no signs of slowing down. This is a serious problem that has gone largely unnoticed or has been quietly accepted; FBI hate crime statistics state that there were about 30 victims per year prior to 2001, with a dramatic spike of 554 victims per year after 2001. What these numbers fail to include are acts of unreported crimes and harassment, residential and employment discrimination, and all the looks and comments of prejudice and intolerance to those who are blamed for an attack they did not commit, an attack that the religion they practice in their homes and mosques actually condemns.

And yet the idea festers and lingers; their God is not your God or my God. Their God causes evil and condones violence. Their God imprisons women and corrupts youths. I am not Muslim, but as a Hindu I know something about being a part of a religious minority in America. I also know something about being Brown in a country that has ignorant members who cannot and are unwilling to differentiate between an Arab and an Indian or Muslim and Hindu (or for that matter, those “towel-head” Sikhs).

It is an unfortunate reality that we are judged based on our religion, race, nationality, gender, or sexuality. However, it is an unacceptable reality that the representatives we democratically elect to this government fail to recognize the fundamental laws of this land and instead publicly advocate discrimination that explicitly goes against the Constitution. Various vocal conservatives have condemned plans for this Islamic center, and spout anti-Islamic and anti-freedom of religion rhetoric. It is our turn as conscientious constituents to voice our opinions against the discrimination that our fellow citizens face in not only the obnoxious opposition to the “Ground Zero Mosque,” but the ignorance and injustice that American Muslims deal with throughout all facets of their everyday life.