Postcards from Downtown Manhattan: On the "Mosque"

I understand the concerns of 9/11 families, and they are completely legitimate. I watched the towers fall from my elementary school window. In the eyes of someone so young, the event was chaotic, the motives perplexing, and the experience horrific. Every year, I take time out of my lunch on September 11th to visit Ground Zero because I, like most Americans, do see it as sacred ground that deserves respect. I'll admit that when I first heard of the proposal, I questioned the project's wisdom, much like many Americans are doing right now. (I still have legitimate questions of funding that I would like answered.)

At the same time, the neighborhood has learned to move past the events of 2001. Part of the spirit of New York City is pushing forward and learning to embrace the future while remembering the past. It's exactly what this project, as well as the construction of the Freedom Tower and memorial, is about. They're all about understanding the past, understanding why these events happened, and using our new-found wisdom to move forward. Ten years later, the area has returned to being a bustling downtown business district.

It is unfortunate, then, that people are not taking the time to understand the motives of the project's director, who comes from a moderate sect of Islam that we all seem to be searching for (after all, moderate Muslims are the people we are fighting to protect in Afghanistan). One can't compare this project to a Nazi shrine at the Holocaust Museum because the center has a distinct message of peace and understanding. It's providing Tribeca with a familiar community resource that is distinctly American. Just as the JCC provides secular programs that include classes, workshops, and lectures, the new center would be doing the same. Unfortunately, like the JCC, it is likely that the new center would face the same kind of vandalism that its model faces. No doubt the center will be a target for hate, both in infancy as an idea and in the future when (or if) it is built. That is the real war we are fighting, a war against intolerance. If we fail to understand the motives of the project, then we have lost the war for good.

The local community board approved the project and the Landmarks Preservation Commission did as well. At its core, this center is a local issue that has unfortunately become a national political football. What is truly insulting is not the building of this center but the fact that it's turned into another political ploy to distract from real pressing issues that national politicians should be debating. I don't care what Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Harry Reid, or even Barack Obama have to say about this project. If New Yorkers disagree with the project, I will respect their opinions and listen to what they have to say, but I will not tolerate politicos who are using this as another midterm campaign weapon as much as Palin wouldn't appreciate me meddling in Wasilla, Alaska issues. This is a decision for New Yorkers to make, and I, as a New Yorker, see the center for its merits in the local community.