Would Oklahoma City have opposed Okla21?

[mgc1961]

Rancor surrounding the proposed Park51 community center in New York City is a painful indication of how little progress America has made in healing the national wound created on Sept. 11, 2001.

Immediately following these attacks, many of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims castigated the terrorists responsible. However, nearly a decade later, not only are many Americans unable or unwilling to recall this, but according to a recent Pew study, a growing number of U.S. citizens now believe — erroneously and prejudicially — that President Obama is himself a Muslim. More harmful than the ignorance behind these mistaken beliefs is that they curtail the ability of faith communities to offer much-needed guidance and healing.

I recently moved to New York but consider myself an Oklahoman. In fact, I have family members who were wounded, and friends killed, in the 1995 bombings of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. So I know first-hand that when a community is torn apart by catastrophic violence, it is natural to hunker down and to turn away from whatever is perceived as different or threatening. It is even worse when violence appears tied to religion. But this response, when it leads to open attacks on our national ideals of freedom of religion, is not justified no matter how much we might understand the fear that can motivate it. This is as true for downtown Oklahoma City as it is for downtown New York City.


Read the rest of this article at http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-09-01-jones03_ST_N.htm

[cloudbase]

1. While many of

the world's 1.5 billion Muslims castigated the terrorists responsible, many of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims were dancing in the streets. For better or worse, that is the image that they have to overcome.

[lyonn]

2. This eye for an eye stuff is getting serious

Being an atheist here in the heart of Okla., it occurred to me that I would have hell to pay if I started burning bibles somewhere public. Ok, it wouldn't be smart in many parts of the world... That is such a ridiculous thought, true. But this burning business has wandered off into all kinds of weird theories in the mass media???

Must clarify, I feel no disrespect for someone's belief in a religion. Burning of any books, but especially someone's book with spiritual guidance, is a sign of ignorance.