Thursday, August 26, 2010

Another Perspective on the Cordoba House

Dear Readers,

Now, I thought this article, "Andrew Jackson's America" by Ta-Nehisi Coates, was a bit all over the place, but the last paragraph really caught my eye.

"The prospect of Muslims assimilating will not subdue them. To the contrary, the last thing they want is their kid competing with yours. Their hypocrisy is stunning: These are the ghosts who burned black Wall Street, who pilfered the "Five Civilized Tribes," who recoil at gays attempting to build family. And so on. They claim to fear the immigrant clinging to his language. No. What they fear is the immigrant learning theirs. Much like Barack Obama scares them more than any New Black Panther, Cordoba House is more terrifying than any iteration of radical jihad. In Obama's case, it shows how well blacks know America, how essential we are to the thing. In the case of Muslims, it shows how well they have caught on."

Personally, I have no problem a house affiliated with any religion being built anywhere in the world. I also think that how the US handles its inter-religious, inter-ethnic debates is very telling for our past and our future.

What do you think?

Best,
Alena

1 comment:

  1. I think, whether you like it or not there are certain sensitivities at the WTC site, much like people's sensitivities to their religion, race or heritage, that should not be ignored. This debate is not about religious freedom, which is very unfortunately what some participants of this debate have tried to make it about; that is just the fashionable politically correct excuse. It is, about respect and understanding of the feeling of the individuals that have lost their families and friends to this atrocious tragedy. And no amount of political correctness is worth defacing their memories. -Eugenia

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