Showing posts with label islamic center. Show all posts
Showing posts with label islamic center. Show all posts

17 September 2010

moscow

I've tried not to pay close attention to the roiling Mosque/Islamic Center at Ground Zero controversy, but there appear to be multiple arguments made by the Antis.

1. Offends victims of 9/11
2a. Funded by Saudis
2b. Saudi money will turn people who visit the center into Sharia-ists and terrorists
3. Islam is a murderous ideology
4. Rauf is a trojan horse terrorist

I find:

#1: to be reasonable, but not persuasive. The logical or moral arguments for why this would be the case need to be elaborated. Why are the victims of 9/11 relevant? How and why would they be offended?

#2a: this could be true, yet it could be irrelevant vis-a-vis the proposed center. Presumably, if it were funded by Bill Gates there would be no controversy for the Antis (I don't believe this).

#2b: this would help #2a, but it is conjecture not fact. One would have to spell out how this would happen in the USA.

#3: Whether this is true or false, it is irrelevant to the matter at hand (the location of the center).

#4: There's no evidence for this.

What I would prefer from the Antis is some honesty. I would prefer that they simply, openly state their hatred of Islam and Muslims, because this antipathy is the premise for #1-4, which are rationalizations of it. In fact, #1-4 would be unnecessary if this simple statement of hatred were articulated.
In other words: "We hate Islam and Muslims, that's why we don't want this center to be located near 'Ground Zero."

This is the only "Anti" reason that is compelling, and, although I don't agree with it, it has the merit of being less obfuscatory than the other arguments.