President Obama gave a speech to a group of 90 Muslim-Ameircans over the weekend in celebration of the holy month of Ramadan. So far the White House has called the Ground Zero mega mosque a local issue, but that all went away when Obama decided to get involved.
That is not to say that religion is without controversy. Recently, attention has been focused on the construction of mosques in certain communities - particularly in New York. Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of lower Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. The pain and suffering experienced by those who lost loved ones is unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground.
But let me be clear: as a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.
Let me be clear: Hallowed ground deserves respect, especially from the President of the United States. Just because a group has the right to do something, doesn't mean they should.
On Saturday, the President backtracked and said he was specifically talking about the right to practice religion freely in America, not solely the Ground Zero mosque. Again:
But let me be clear: as a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.
Once again, the President made a statement on the issue without all the facts, a common practice for him. We still don't know where the funding for the project is coming from, how much land Imam Rauf really owns and why Rauf is currently in the Middle East, not to mention why Rauf wants to build in that specific location in the first place.
On top of everything else, Obama is, as usual, going against the vast majority of the American people by supporting the mosque. According to a recent Rasmussen Report 58 percent of Americans oppose the building of the mosque near Ground Zero.