Dear Islamophobes

It usually takes a tragic event to polarize people. Something crazy, even unbelievable, has to happen to sway people's opinions, or divide those opinions on an issue. That said, there hasn't been a more polarizing issue in the past decade than the attacks on September 11th. The events of that day sparked a war on two fronts, a deficit stemming from military overspending and an anti-American sentiment around the world. But the most ridiculous fallout from the attacks has less to do with feasible things, and more to do with an undertone that's hit a fever pitch over the past few weeks: Islamophobia.

In New York City, a few blocks away from Ground Zero, where the two towers were felled, a mosque is being planned for construction in the near future. Conservatives, fundamentals, and the cowardly all fall under the same banner when it comes to the construction: Islamophobes. You all have taken fear-mongering to new heights with your opposition to this mosque, and it all stems from anti-Islamic sentiment. I understand that the salty taste left in your mouth from 9/11 makes you want these mosque-builders to hightail it to the nearest cave. But wait a second.... Isn't this America? ...as in, the United States of America, the country whose foundation was built on a bedrock of religious tolerance. Weren't the first settlers coming here in search of religious freedom? That's what I thought! Hell, it's in our Constitution! Why now, are you guys going to try and take that freedom away from a perfectly legitimate entity? I'll tell you why: anger, fear and prejudice. By opposing the mosque, you've basically given credence to the idea of terrorism. The people who planned the 9/11 attacks scared you so much, that you automatically take the aspirations of any Islamic or Muslim individual with a grain of salt. You can't even see past the fact that the construction will feature a community and cultural center, complete with a pool, rec center and community outreach programs for a part of the city that's dying for an adrenaline shot. That's what the terrorists wanted! Fear!

It's not that you should forget the horrors that occurred on September 11th, 2001. It's that there shouldn't be any barriers to peaceful development. I'm tired of people believing that religion should make its way into politics. It certainly affects our political stances, but shouldn't be our litmus test for a person or entity's worth. If the good people at the Cordoba Institute (an advocacy group that promotes improved relations between Islam and the West) wants to build a mosque, let them rock!! Don't use fear-mongering and crocodile tears from 9/11 to push forward an agenda of religious intolerance. That's like going to a different country, destroying their infrastructure, killing their leaders and pushing your religion in their faces, under the guise of democracy. Oh wait... You guys did that too...