Park51: It’s about the community, stupid

Last updated on: August 25, 2010 at 5:00 am by Guest Contributor

Park51: It’s about the community, stupid 2010-08-25T05:00:29-04:00 Guest Contributor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

We’re already here

Despite the countless media hours dedicated to the controversy surrounding Park51, the Muslim community center to be built two blocks from Ground Zero, there has been little to no substantive discussion. Across the country and on our televisions and radios, there is far too much vitriol spewed towards Muslims for any serious conversation to be had. Though racism and anti-Semitism, among other societal ills, are widely considered unacceptable, a steady diet of Islamophobia has found an unfortunate place in the narrative of 21st century America. The coordinated attack on Islam and Muslims, even in a place as tolerant and diverse as New York City, leaves little to the imagination of just how much some Americans hate other Americans.

To the detriment of New Yorkers and all Americans, not being heard in the “either you’re with us or against us” polemic are the thoughts of your friendly neighborhood Muslim.

For all their noble intentions, the individuals behind the proposed community center near Ground Zero failed to do one major thing before they presented their plans for their Muslim center, which would include a mosque, to city officials: they did not consult with other American Muslims.

In doing so, they effectively cornered American Muslims into taking a position, especially once opposition to Park51 mounted. This was unfair to millions of American Muslims who are bystanders in what has become an attack on our religious freedoms.

We want to want to support this project, but we don’t want to have to support it. There has been concern that this controversy, one that leaves all Americans weary, is not a fight that ever really needed fighting.

Anne Barnard recently reported in The New York Times that the organizers of the Park51 project, namely, the husband-and-wife team of Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf and Daisy Khan, and developer Sharif el-Gamal, were surprised by the coordinated national opposition. Barnard writes, “More strikingly, they did not seek the advice of established Muslim organizations experienced in volatile post-9/11 passions and politics.” In this week’s Newsweek cover story Khan is quoted saying that “in hindsight, if we had known this would be such an issue [for some 9/11 families], we would have started with them [before taking it to the community board that ultimately votes approval].”

It is important to engage the 9/11 families who mourn the loss of loved ones and who may carry sincere misgivings about this project. But I wonder if Khan and Imam Abdul Rauf understand the important value of engaging American Muslims who also mourn the loss of loved ones and who have struggled since that wretched day to combat stereotypes forced on us by extremists. Moreover, that any American Muslim who lived through September 11th can’t guess that some people may have issues, be they legitimate or illegitimate, with a Muslim center being established near Ground Zero is dangerously naïve.

Which begs the question: If they didn’t expect this fallout, just how connected are Khan and Imam Abdul Rauf to the American Muslim community? It is apparent to many that they are in fact not connected. Case in point, at a time when the news media is falling over itself with stories about their center, where is Imam Abdul Rauf? Now is certainly not the time to be traveling around the world and leaving your team at the center of the storm.

The couple does have a strong track record when it comes to interfaith work, but it doesn’t appear that they have a track record working with Muslims. Will any prominent American Muslims be associated with this project directly, as opposed to simply appearing on talk shows as surrogates? This must be answered.

There is a difference between building a building and building a community. This is a question of leadership. American Muslims ought to ask more questions and expect meaningful answers. If we are to grow as a community, we must demand strong leadership.

It is easy to write off Sarah Palin’s Shakespearean tweets and Newt Gingrich’s kickoff to his presidential campaign. But if there is honest critique coming from American Muslims to ensure this project’s ultimate success, it must be heard.

If it is the case that Park51 is to be a community center for all, then surely the Muslims of New York, and indeed all across America, have a stake in its success, arguably more than anyone else. That is why more American Muslims need to be brought on board. The sooner the better.

I cringe when I think of the political and social capital already burnt, not just by American Muslims, but by many of our allies in this fight. Mayor Bloomberg and the NYC Landmarks Preservations Commission rose to the occasion, strongly backing the rights of American Muslims to practice our faith freely, even in Lower Manhattan. Keith Olbermann, Fareed Zakaria, and, yes, Sam Seder have all taken powerful stands in support of the religious freedoms of their fellow Americans and against the outrageous right-wing opposition.

Even President Obama understands the added value to this center: the United States cannot have a strong foreign policy, especially towards the greater Muslim world, without first having a strong domestic policy that ensures the rights and freedoms of his Muslim constituents. The world must see that Americans distinguish between their American Muslim neighbors and the terrorists who perpetrated the crimes of September 11th.

That American Muslims ought to feel some level of collective guilt for the actions of a few terrorists is unacceptable. That any Americans be pressured to relocate their house of worship out of fear is un-American.

Americans of all faiths are not lining up behind this project because we are enthusiastic about it. We are lining up because we know what is at stake. Let there be no mistake, Park51 has morphed from a local community issue into a national test case for religious freedoms. In an interview with DemocracyNow, Khan was asked if she was afraid for herself and for her community, and she rightly answered that she feared for her country.

This project cannot fail. It must not fail. Indeed, it has become a fight that needs fighting by all Americans. But it must begin with strong Muslim leadership.

(Photo: Bassam Tariq)

Abed Z. Bhuyan, a Muslim from New York, is a graduate of Georgetown University. Bhuyan taught high school history and government in New York City with Teach For America from 2008-2010. He will be teaching English in Turkey next year as a Fulbright scholar. This article was previously published at Newsweek/Washington Post’s On Faith.

Commentary

Previous Post

August 23, 2010

Park51 : Pride and prejudice

Next Post

August 28, 2010 Muslim youth: Anti-terror camp trains youth to counter extremism

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2012 Elections 30 Dayd 30 Writers (2017) 30 Days 30 Writers 30 Days 30 Writers (2015) 30 Days 30 Writers (2016) 30 Days 30 Writers (2018) 30 Days 30 Writers 2017 Ali Asadullah Ali Eteraz Alper Bilgili Arthur Richards Asides Asma Uddin Black History Month Briefings Charles Turner Commentary Cyrus McGoldrick Eman H Aly Fatimah Popal Hajj Hajj and Dhul Hijjah Hesham Hassaballa Hisham Hellyer Ibrahim Abusharif Inas Younis Irfan Yusuf Jalal Baig Junaid Afeef Laila Alawa Laila Alwala Mas'ood Cajee Muqtedar Khan Nakia Jackson Newsmakers Parvez Ahmed Podcasts Rabia Chaudry Rafia Zakaria Ramadan Reviews Safiyyah Ally Saud Inam Shahed Amanullah Svend White The Opinionated Oncologist Visions Wajahat Ali Zahed Amanullah Zahir Janmohamed Zainab Khan

Select a Month November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many animals did Moses take on the Ark?

Select your answer to see how you score.

One of each Two of each Seven of each None