New York, January 24: I have, over the last year, sat and read countless articles about the Islam faith and the Muslim people. I have attended rallies and sat through debates. I have had conversations with countless people both in favor and opposed to the building of the mosque. I have encountered hostility and ignorance whenever the discussion occurs.
The one recurring theme I hear is the reference to 9/11 and the horrific consequences of the actions of a very small group of people. 9/11 was a terrorist attack. It was designed to create chaos and disturbance to the American society. The ultimate goal of the actions of those people was to shut down our American economy and to show us our vulnerability to attack.
They succeeded in some of their goals. The airports shut down, transportation was at a standstill, and the American people were at a loss of what to do next. They are still succeeding today. Murfreesboro has been rocked by the proposed building of the mosque.
Religious groups have become divided. Families have members on both sides who disagree and no longer speak to each other. There have been marches and angry comments. There has been violence and destruction of property. The reputation of our community has been negatively affected by the actions of the groups opposed to the mosque.
We are letting the terrorist acts of 9/11 shape our country in the way that they originally intended. They are succeeding in creating discord and creating damage to our society. The after effects of the attack are still sending waves through our community. The people who are trying to build a house of worship have no connection to the terrorists of 9/11.
They are, for the most part, American citizens who just want to exercise their first amendment right to practice religion. They are mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters. They are home owners, business leaders and productive members of our society who have chosen to live in this great country of ours and to live under the rules of the Constitution.
The next time someone says they are against the mosque being built because of 9/11, I hope that they take a moment and really think about what they are saying. Don’t let the actions of a group of crazed individuals accomplish their goal.
One of my greatest memories of the time period after 9/11 was a prayer vigil that occurred in public with a bunch of strangers holding hands, bowing their heads, and becoming united not in shared religion, but in shared citizenship. Let us all come together again and not let the terrorists of 9/11 affect this country any longer.
Denise Mayo is a resident of Greenland Drive in Murfreesboro.
–Agencies–