Reflection #8 Islam: Two Perspectives

Reflection #8 Islam: Two Perspectives

Opposing Viewpoints: Mosque on Ground Zero

The two articles and their summaries I chose were:

1)http://chimes.biola.edu/content/article/2010/sep/08/opposing-mosque-ground-zero/

     This article is called "Opposing Viewpoints: Mosque on Ground Zero" and contains two view points within it. One viewpoint is by Natasha Magness which supports the action. Using her religious background, she summarizes that in Christianity you must treat others the way you wish to be treated and that it isn't a mosque that is being built but rather a Muslim community center two blocks away from the actual site. Therefore not interfering with anyone. The other viewpoint is by Daniel Larson. His arguments against it are that it is insensitive to Americans and to the victims of 9/11. He also basically states the fact that the mosque would be used as an Anti-American propaganda strategy and therefore wrong.

2)  http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=189882

    This article is called "Masjid at Ground Zero (9 11 World Trade Center site )gains 1st approval"
states that in America people would rather have the mosque build somewhere else, even though it would show how America has a tolerance for all religions. The article supports the build of the mosque.

     The roles that Islam played in both articles is the fact that the religion had a major influence in the facts. In the first article from the American perspective, the supporting article kept on saying that as our Christian religion we must do this, whilst the other part of the same article states that the mosque, a religious symbol, is an insult to 9/11 if built on Ground Zero. In the article from Iran, it states that the mosque would hurt some people but the article has no other mention of the Islamic faith. Though both articles states the painfulness of building a Muslim community there, they are different in its reasons why. I personally feel that now is not the time to build a Muslim community center there for the reasons that the incident is still painful for people. Thus it should have more time before it is built there.