I had to write a persuasive essay about a debatable issue and I chose to write about the Ground Zero Mosque. This is just my rough draft, so I know it's not near perfect; but can someone please tell me what I need to add/remove, etc. ? Thanks!
Is building a mosque on or near Ground Zero disrespect to the victims of 9/11? Is it just another step towards Muslim domination of America? Are mosques places that teach violence, and extremism? I, being a Muslim, visit a mosque regularly, and I see no such relation to any of the above questions.
Firstly, what is a mosque? It is a place of worship for Muslims, where they can go to pray, read their holy book, and engage with other people. For as long as I can remember, I have been visiting the mosques near where I’ve lived. Never have I experienced violence there, nor have they taught anything that is extreme and aggressive. As Larry Hart says in his article ‘The ground zero mosque should never be allowed to be built’—“All across this country Americans are fighting the idea of mosques being built in their areas because of fear of what that institution might bring with it. Since we know that much of the extremism that exists in the religion of Islam comes from the mosque, it is not unreasonable for Americans to want to exercise their rights in preventing their construction.”
I disagree completely with what he says. The institution only wants peace within the community, since the word Islam itself means peace. He also states in his article—“There is more than just the fear of plotting and planning from potential enemies here. This is the site where it all began. This is our Pearl Harbor. It is a slap in the face of the victims. And the victims are all Americans.”
On the day of September 11th, there were many Muslims among the people who died in the twin towers, even if they were American Muslims. The mosque is not being built at the site to disrespect the victims; that could never be the purpose of a mosque. It is simply a sensitive location they have chosen to build this place of worship.
I think a mosque should be allowed to be built on Ground Zero because it’s really not that big of a deal; Besides, they want to make it a community center as well, so there should be nothing wrong with it. Maybe some people are extremists and some terrorists are Muslim, but not every Muslim is a terrorist, and not every terrorist is a Muslim. There are many Muslims who love America just as much as a Christian American does. America is all about freedom of religion and if Muslims can’t build their place of worship at a specific spot, how is that freedom? All I can say to everyone is- Live and let live.
-MC
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http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/09/10/clark.islamic.center.language/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn
2 answers