Muslim Mosque Musings

I notice the American media has characterized those who oppose the NYC Islamic Community Center with a possible Mosque as racist. They've hit the Islamaphobia button. I don't think America is "Islamaphoia." They're, letting aside the nuts, just "why-build-it-right-here-given-what-happened-phobic."

As I've pointed out, I find it very strange how a group of people who up until recently did nothing but essentially attack religion - specifically Catholicism and Evangelical Protestantism - with vitriol that hinged on hysteria, suddenly find love for Islam in NYC?


The right is talking about St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church as if there's a double standard but it doesn't sound as though they were told not to build. Rather it's a question of hammering a deal with the Port Authority. In any event, both churches lack funds.

Back to racism. I'm privy to some comments in the Christian Arab community and lemme tell ya, if the NYT or WaPo or Times got their hands on this....oooo nelly! They'd see rushing to play the race card (yawn) as is a lazy cop out. They pretty much agree with those who say, "why there? Why not cut a deal and go elsewhere?" There are limits to "freedom" and at some point all parties have to be "reasonable" in certain situations. The word is compromise. Didn't anyone ever watch Sesame Street? Wait. I think they covered the word 'cooperation' and not compromise.

The other thing, as it's been pointed out, is the revival of property rights in the popular discourse. Usually this sort of stuff conjures up images of lone libertarians defending their shacks.

Of course, as people are finding out, it's a little more than that. Classical liberals and libertarians and even conservatives talk about this all the time. Liberals less so. Liberals are defending Park 51 (formerly known as Cordoba House) because of property rights. They have a friend in libertarians suddenly. However, the thing that cracks a smirk on my smug face is when it comes to banning smoking in public and private space, they have no problem when the state enters the property rights realm to meet that objective. Or they don't seem too concerned about property owners along the Mexican-American border. If they are, please forward me literature.

The right is often criticized for its hypocrisy on matters of morality and economics; particularly fiscal responsibility. When it comes to religion and proerty rights, the left aren't exactly honest either.

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Two contrasting examples of Muslim (women) in the work place. Someone was telling me how in their daycare a Muslim worker got up and left the kids behind to go pray. She was stunned as this was obviously irresponsible and if inspectors dropped in she would have lost her license. I don't know if she disciplined or fired her. I have to ask. Meanwhile, after one full year, I just found out my daughter's teacher is Muslim. Yet, you wouldn't have guessed it. She seems to adjust to secularism quite fine; like Turks I reckon.

Who said Muslims can't "adapt?"