Longtime readers will know that I am passionate about the First Amendment. The Park51 Community Center in New York, more commonly known as the Ground Zero Mosque, is at the center of the debate right now.
(I don't like to call it the Ground Zero Mosque. First, it's not at Ground Zero, it's 2 blocks away and likely not even visible from the new tower. Second, it's not a mosque, it's a community center. Like a YMCA.)
It should go without saying that the right to build a mosque, synagogue, church, or any other religious community center on private land should not be abridged by the government. Many people, even many opponents of the project (though not all), concede this.
So the follow up argument is often that we should stop this because of sensitivity to the families of 9/11 victims. This is wrong on two counts.
First, sensitivity is a dangerous word. It was cited in 2006 as a reason not to publish 12 cartoons that depicted Muhammad, something I wrote about extensively back then. (In that case, the argument was that non-adherents to Islam should still be sensitive to its religious taboos, which makes sense if you're visiting a mosque, but not as a matter of public dialog and discussion).
And now it's cited here. Sensitivity is often a good virtue, but when it comes to the First Amendment, sensitivity has to take a back seat to our fundamental rights to free speech and free worship. There is no right not to be offended. Because once you start being sensitive, you can never stop. I hate to make slippery slope arguments, because they often treat unlikely scenarios as highly likely. But in this case, I'll pull it out. It's a very slippery slope from being sensitive to losing our rights.
A (loose) parallel might be trying to stop Seventh Day Adventists (the denomination the Branch Davidians initially rose out of) from building a church in Waco out of sensitivity to the families of the ATF officers who died during the siege on Koresh's compound. It doesn't make sense in that context, and it's the same for the Cordoba Initiative.
Two quotes from two Presidents:
Some of the comments that have been uttered about Islam do not reflect the sentiments of my government or the sentiments of most Americans. Islam, as practiced by the vast majority of people, is a peaceful religion, a religion that respects others. Ours is a country based upon tolerance and we welcome people of all faiths in America. –-George W. Bush, 2002
The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. The pain and suffering experienced by those who lost loved ones is unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground. But 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. –Barack Obama, Saturday
They're both right.
I have had such a hard time understanding the argument against building this mosque. Certainly, emotions run high on the site of the largest terrorist attack in our country’s history- but there is no legal basis for stopping this at all. Are opponents of the mosque really saying that certain areas should be zoned not to allow particular religion to be practiced freely!? It is insane.