1
2 News October 8, 2010 Is religious freedom really free afterall? By Alexis Patis-Dugger Editor-in-Chief Over the last few weeks, there has been much controversy over the build- ing of a new mosque within a short distance from Ground Zero in New York City. The potential location of the mosque would be at 45-47 Park Place on Manhattan Island. Although many have said that the mosque would be built on Ground Zero, this isn’t true. The mosque and Islamic community center, that has been given the name Park51, would be located 600 feet, or two city blocks, from Ground Zero. Although Park51 isn’t able to be seen from Ground Zero, the fear of many that oppose it, is that it will be offensive to those who lost someone in the attack on September 11. Since the terrorists who attacked the World Trade Center (WTC) were Islamic Terrorists, several Americans have spoken up to say that the idea of putting and Islamic community center just 200 yards from the memorial of the WTC could cause resentment toward the members of the Muslim community and anger those who lost a loved one on September 11. “I don’t know,” said senior Lizzie Clemens. “The thought of doing some- thing like that just doesn’t seem right.” This is the way many Americans feel about the seemingly endless contro- versy. What many aren’t considering though is that, even though the terrorists were Islamic, it doesn’t mean that the group as a whole should lose their constitu- tional right to religious freedom. The First Amendment of the Constitution states that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or pro- hibiting the free exercise thereof….” Is the thought of telling them “No,” unconsti- tutional? According to Wikipedia.com, in most Middle Eastern countries trying to convert any person to any religion, other than Islam, is illegal. In Saudi-Arabia, the conversion of a Muslim to another religion is punishable by death. How many Christians were persecuted, or taken captive in the Middle East, because they tried to share their religion or build a church? The idea of giving a religious group unlimited freedom in this country when Americans don’t get the same freedom in theirs is a concern to many. When asked her opinion about the matter senior Paige Lytle said, “They have the right to build their mosque wherever they want. Denying them that right clearly shows that the government will change the law to whatever suits them best.” Photo by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration World Trade Center Site, September 23, 2001 Circle Vision is monthly! Find it: *At lunch *In area businesses *Online at circleusd375.org *In the library Write Editorials! Make a suggestion at the CV table at lunch!
