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I was reading the other day about the Muslims who unfold their prayer blankets every Friday afternoon at the Pentagon within feet of the site where American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the building. The Department of Defense even springs for an imam to conduct a forty minute prayer service. Nary a peep has been heard about this. (AFP: At Pentagon, Muslims pray without protests) Why? Because it's an interfaith chapel and memorial where believers of all faiths can pray.
So I was thinking that maybe the thing for the Muslim promoters of the Ground Zero site to do is say to the larger community: "We believe in our right to worship at this site. But our purpose is to build bridges and not divide. So we invite all who share this vision to help us build an interfaith community center." I think that would serve several purposes: 1) it really would serve to build bridges; 2) it would open up fundraising to a larger pool of donors and help the project come to fruition sooner; and 3) it would put the ball in the court of those who question the motives of the people supporting this project. The Muslims could then focus their primary fundraising efforts on building a Muslim community center on a less controversial site.
So I was thinking that maybe the thing for the Muslim promoters of the Ground Zero site to do is say to the larger community: "We believe in our right to worship at this site. But our purpose is to build bridges and not divide. So we invite all who share this vision to help us build an interfaith community center." I think that would serve several purposes: 1) it really would serve to build bridges; 2) it would open up fundraising to a larger pool of donors and help the project come to fruition sooner; and 3) it would put the ball in the court of those who question the motives of the people supporting this project. The Muslims could then focus their primary fundraising efforts on building a Muslim community center on a less controversial site.