Villanization of Islam

Now, I did not want to get heavy handed this early on, but as I was looking for something to write about, I came across the ongoing persecution of Muslims. More specifically, of course, the whole Park51 controversy. Or as its better known, 'Ground Zero Mosque'. First of all, I want to make it known that I do not necessarily follow any particular religion. I was raised, baptized, and confirmed as Catholic. As a matter of fact, I think my only two sacraments that I have left is to get sick and die. In part of my childhood I was very much into religion, I looked at the bible as the word of God and what he wants us to do in this world. However, somewhere along the line, I fell off that wagon and now do not follow this or any other religion. Will you ever see me at church? Yes, whenever my family or my lady asks me to go for any special church event that she would like me to attend. And I will admit that I have been there a couple of times in search of a message. Not that I was expecting Jesus to speak to me himself, instead I was hoping I could get something from the sermons. Though I disagree with a lot in the Catholic religion, I completely agree with the positivity that it is intended to bring and that some parishes still bring. So that is my religious background.

Now I know its been obvious that certain media outfits have tried to make us as scared of Muslims as possible in the last couple of years. Yes I understand that a crazed faction of them were the cause of incredible act of terrorism on 9/11. But you know what? It wasn't just 'Muslims' that did this, it was rich and powerful figures that used religion to get some poor Joe Schmo (or whatever the Middle-East version of this is) to give his life for their gain. Its people who see a man suffering and figure that he would be a great pawn they can sacrifice. All they have to do is to convince the man that he will have salvation, that all of his pain will end. They talk to him about how this suffering really is for some greater purpose in which he will be important. That he will live in divinity forever as long as he continues to make sacrifices for them. They tell him that his God would not allow him to suffer if not for a specific reason. They tell him that God will bless them and give him happiness like he cannot even imagine. Religion is not the reason behind these wars. Religion is the biggest weapon the enemy has. I mean listen to those reasons that I've written, they could be used for many religions, and are. I guess its easier for the media to not tell us what this war is really about. The people who would tell you what this war is about are usually ignored, stuck in low rating television because their explanations are too complex for 'normal (or prime-time)' audiences. Well, this is a complex war and there are many things going on at once. This war has been going on for so long and for so many reasons that it is a little crazy to me that most just think it because they're Muslim and 'we' are not.


So now in the land of the free, Muslims cannot have a prayer room near ground zero. Because the nut-bags knew that using religion is the best way to get someone to sacrifice their lives in mass murder. Would we oppose a church going up near a school after all those priests molested little boys? No, we would just say that it was those particular crazies and move on. The KKK is a crazy perversion of Christianity, but we do not consider them typical members of the Christian faith.

Have we learned nothing from what we did to Japanese-Americans during WWII? Sure this isn't as bad, but you must consider that people are opposing something small and almost insignificant that would have gone under the radar had right-wing fear-mongers not perverted this story early on.

Lets also not forget that the 'Ground Zero Mosque' is NOT A MOSQUE. It is a community center that happens to have a prayer room. Hell, there is a similar type of prayer room in the Pentagon. It is a 'Non-Denominational Chapel' but, "daily Muslim prayer sessions are held there weekday afternoons, and weekly Muslim services are led by an imam from a local mosque every Friday, uses which have drawn no complaints" (Wikipedia). This is just a room for people of that religion to be able to practice their religion in that center. Is this a great crime? Are the people fighting and killing each other for power thousands of miles away going to consider one room a major victory? Could they see one room in NY, one of the biggest cities in the world, as a major victory for their perverse version of Islamic teachings? Even if the Muslims here (and behind the Park51 center) are themselves ashamed and embarrassed by how their religions has been prostituted? I personally do not think so. This is purely a political tool to get votes. Osama Bin Laden doesn't give a shit about one room in NYC, he's rightfully worried about a drone being shoved up his ass. But the American politician who your fear will donate to, gives a shit. Mainly because he can scare you into giving him money because 'on his/her watch' this would not happen.

Newt Gingrich has gone on record saying, "...Meanwhile, there are no churches or synagogues in all of Saudi Arabia. In fact no Christian or Jew can even enter Mecca." Well Mr. Gingrich I have to ask, "Why do you think America shouldn't have more rights than fucking Saudi Arabia?" I don't know about him, but I think America should NOT base their level of religious tolerance on a Middle East country known for its lack of religious tolerance. Mosques in this country are not built for Middle Eastern people, they are built for Americans who wish to practice their religion. I know you say that you want to protect the constitution, but please, pretty please read the first amendment. And the part about separation of Church and State. Its a fucking wild part of the constitution. I'm sure you'll pick up a thing or two about how the founding fathers really wanted this country to be.

I do not completely disagree with the protests for Park51. Not because I believe they are in the right, but because of my belief in that same first amendment that I was writing about earlier. If you want to protest anything, I believe you have every right to. I just completely disagree with the fact that any politician should create any legal hurdle for this center. It is a place of worship, near a place where many of its members also died. Lets not forget that the terrorists did not go into it to kill Christians, they went to kill Americans. The twin towers were not Christian buildings, they were American buildings. Christians were not the only ones that died in that building. Many Muslims perished trying to escape the tower and many of them also perished as first responders who died trying to save fellow Americans, not fellow Muslims. These victims and heroes deserve more respect than what they have been getting.

I hope the government stays away from this and that the protesters don't get too out of hand. After all, there are politicians using their religion to help create this controversy. If these pawns do decide to do anything to that community center, they would have more in common with the terrorist, than most people of their same faith. After all, chances are, they will only hurt fellow Americans because of their religion. They will persecute based on religion, something the very first Amendment in here, America, should protect.