Good questions re: Park51

[Bragi]

(The author is a woman Muslim who is a critic of contemporary Islam. Citation below)

If Park51 gets built, thanks to its provocative location, the nation will scrutinize what takes place inside. Americans have the opportunity right now to be clear about the civic values expected from any Islam practised at the site.

That means setting aside bombast and asking the imam questions born of the highest American ideals: individual dignity and pluralism of ideas.

– Will the swimming pool at Park51 be segregated between men and women at any time of the day or night?

– May women lead congregational prayers any day of the week?

– Will Jews and Christians, fellow People of the Book, be able to use the prayer sanctuary for their services just as Muslims share prayer space with Christians and Jews in the Pentagon? (Spare me the technocratic argument that the Pentagon is a governmental, not private, building. Park51 may be private in the legal sense but is a public symbol par excellence.)

– What will be taught about homosexuals? About agnostics? About atheists? About apostasy?

– Where does one sign up for advance tickets to Salman Rushdie’s lecture at Park51?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/the-culture-of-offence/article1686660/

[asdjrocky]

1. Hit piece, and poorly done.

I can think of a dozen leading questions for any Christian church that could be opened right next door.

[MH1]

2. If it was a Christian church would we ask similar (analogous) questions?

seriously, the segregated swimming is interesting. I wouldn't have thought that would be legal but I guess within the bounds of a church maybe it would be. It would suck either way.

Many Christian churches don't allow women to lead congregational prayers.

On the subject of apostasy etcetera, I think any 'church' of any sort that preaches anything that involves a death penalty outside the federal, state, and municipal justice system, should be disallowed / penalized on the basis of inciting violence.

[dkf]

4. Isn't the point of the place to create understanding?

This will be America's introduction to Islam since it captured all the attention and since American knowledge of Islam is very limited.

[Warren Stupidity]

23. The point of the place is whatever the owners of the place want it to be.

It does not have to satisfy your requirements at all.

[dkf]

3. I'm curious to know these answers because I don't know much about Islamic teachings.

[pampango]

5. The Islamic group involved is the Sufi Islamic sect often a target of Islamic fundamentalists

because it is widely regarded as peace-loving and tolerant. These are the characteristics of most Muslims, which doesn't play well with the extremists on both sides who see escalating conflict between the religions as beneficial to their goals.

Only fundamentalists on both sides don't want to see tolerant, peace-loving Muslims and tolerant, peace-loving Christians (and tolerant, peace-loving everyone) to show respect for each other and their rights.

[dkf]

6. The Imam condemned the Mohammed cartoons.

"So far, the imam has rebuffed accusations of insensitivity. Yet, he made those very accusations about the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. In a February, 2006, press release, he announced that he was “appalled" by the drawings. He called it “willful fomentation" and “gratuitous" to republish them throughout Europe. In the following weeks, almost no U.S. newspaper printed the caricatures."

Interesting

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. Good.

Every good person condemns bigotry.

[dkf]

9. So you support censorship?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. Do you support racist cartoons?

Don't bother answering that, I already know the answer.

[dkf]

17. I thought South Park should have been able to run yes. I guess you preferred the censored version.

I think people have the right to do what they want and others get to have opinions about it.

[Bandit]

14. Censorship is done by the Government

Did he ask any government to censor the cartoons?

[pampango]

15. I believe you can be peace-loving and tolerant and still condemn things you see as disrespectful.

I'm sure there are cartoons that we all would find offensive or gratuitous if done to inflame rather than enlighten: depicting the hanging of Blacks in the Jim Crow South, depicting swastikas on Jewish memorial sites, etc. even if we acknowledged that they may be protected expressions of speech under the First Amendment. Most of us would condemn such cartoons, even if we went no further than that.

[dkf]

18. Can you be peace loving and tolerant and find the cultural center disrespectful?

Ala Howard Dean?

[pampango]

20. Of course it's possible, but there seems to be no disrespect intended by a cultural center run

by peace-loving and tolerant people. Those are the kind of people we need more of.

If someone were offended or felt disrespected because the Quakers or Amish built a community center somewhere, they would have every right to their opinion, but it might say more about them than it did about the Quakers or Amish. Mr. Dean is entitled to his opinion as am I.

[dkf]

21. Your view is the tolerant one. You don't agree but you accept other people's views

You are bigger than most here including, I admit, me.

[Bragi]

8. The point of this piece

To be clear, 1) I support the right to build this mosque where it is planned, without reservation. 2) I am not bothered that it is near Ground Zero. 3. I think that most New Yorkers have reacted to it in a tolerant and sensible manner (what with them being fine folks and all) and the Tea party crowd has been pathetic and contemptible.

Having said all that, the point that came through to me when I read the article I posted is that this Islamic centre is going to be under intense scrutiny from here on in, that it will inevitably shine light on a lot of practices of Islam that most Americans will probably find unacceptable.

The end result is that this is now, and will continue to be, a long-term PR disaster for America's Muslim community. As one who is basically hostile to all religions, I can't say as I'm bothered by this, but I'm surprised that American Muslims can't see what a long term disaster this mosque will be for them.

[alfredo]

10. Not all Muslims think or believe alike. If the Imam is a Sufi, you would see

A different view of the Koran than if he was a Wahhabi.

[dkf]

11. Maybe it won't be a PR disaster. Maybe this Imam is as liberal as most here.

Who knows.

[Fumesucker]

12. What will be taught about homosexuals? About agnostics? About atheists? About apostasy?

:rofl:

Probably no worse than what the Baptists teach..

[MH1]

25. Except some claim that Islam teaches that the punishment for those things is death.

Baptists generally don't preach that.

I'll admit that I don't know what American Islam teaches but it's troubling to me that Islam worldwide is very punitive and seems to rely on the death penalty.

In any case, in this country all religions need to be treated equally. As I said above, it is very simple: if a church preaches their own law of violence against people who don't obey their requirements, the government should shut them down. Islamic OR Christian.

[TheKentuckian]

16. We don't get a vote on how these folks choose to worship anymore than we

vote the rules and hierarchy of the Catholic Church.

Feel free to met with various sects of Muslims, like most they are happy to discuss their faith. They may even have some literature for you.

You do not have to like their beliefs, only accept them as you would any other Americans and if you wish to learn more then learn.

[uppityperson]

19. Oh Bull. How the hell are these "good questions"?

The Cordoba House's "provocative location" is in the neighborhood of sex shops and liquor stores, a block from an existing mosque. Americans have the opportunity to learn about different sects of Islam, and letting the imam experience what is given to us via the Constitution, freedom of religion.

How is asking such bs leading questions "the highest American ideals: individual dignity and pluralism of ideas"? If you want to know more about what happens there, VISIT them. Sign up for a class. TALK to people there. No, they don't owe answers to any of this bullpuckey crap to anyone.

[Warren Stupidity]

22. There is no litmus test for religious freedom.

Have you been to an orthodox temple?

[wookie72]

24. How many people upset about the segregation of the sexes...

Tuned in to watch the Masters' Tournament at Augusta this year?