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Zucas on 01 September 2010
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DrStephenTColbert said:
TheRealMafoo said:

Here is the thing I don't understand...

There are heated relations between the US, and the Muslim community as a whole.

For half of the people in this thread, it's 100% America's fault, and the Muslim community has done nothing wrong.

How can anyone really think this?


It's too bad that you feel that way.  Part of the problem is the way the debate was framed by PizzaFaceGamer.  It was designed to incite, which is never a healthy way to frame a debate.  I believe that having an Islamic community center a couple of blocks away from Ground Zero is a great way for America to say "This is why we're the best country in the world."  I understand why the families of victims would be upset, but I think that not to build the community center near Ground Zero is to ignore the Muslim victims.  I fail to understand why a community center at 51Park is somehow worse than the mosques that are already in the area, the mosque prayer space inside the Pentagon, the Shinto temple near Pearl Harbour, etc., etc.

In addition, I fail to see what the "Muslim community" has done wrong.  Castigating a religion of more than 1 billion based on the actions of 20 assholes is a real mistake.  When asked about how he felt about the 'Ground Zero Mosque' Ron Paul said that not allowing a mosque to be built would be the same as not allowing a soccer stadium to be built on that site because the terrorists liked to play soccer.  The comment is not without merit, as the terrorists would have been just as likely to do their planning on a soccer pitch as inside a mosque.

Finally, the idea that there are heated relations between the U.S. and the Muslim community as a whole does nothing for the millions of American Muslims who must feel like they are forced to pick a flag, so to speak.  I would say that the U.S. is viewed in a positive light by a majority of Muslims worldwide.  Currently, I am living in Malaysia, and people have received me warmly, without exception.  I think that there is a portion of Americans that are angry, or scared of Islam, but this is really no different than the portion of Americans who felt the same way about the Irish, Catholics, Jews, blacks, etc. over the past 200 hundred years.   In time , we will realise that we were wrong about Islam the same way we were wrong about Catholicism or Judaism.


Wow who are you and where have you been.  This is a very insightful and fair post into the subject you were discussing while also being respectful and thoughtful of potential other sides... along with adhering to the rules of logic.  Would like to personally thank you for providing intellectual conversation into off-topic political discussions on this forum because really they are far and in between.  

I would love to discuss politics with you sometimes.  Quite a fascinating subject if you have someone that is willing to do it seriously.