A message to Muslims who want to build a Mosque at ground zero

For America where all religions have equal footing and no religion ahs the same standing. A group of Muslims from New York have bought a building near ground zero.Ground zero is known as such as it was the site where iconic world trade centers the highest buildings for long time in the world stood and were destroyed by fanatic Islamic terrorist mostly from Saudi Arabia who had training and support from Al Qaida based in Pakistan and Afghanistan on September 11 2001. It has become the sad day in American history known as 9/11 .

Since then we have attacked Afghanistan and Iraq.Life around the world has changed. Security is the new Buzz world.Cost of this has been in trillions of dollars.Sense of security has been lost.We have started questioning everybody.Privacy is disappearing.Images of Japanese internment camps are revived in our joint conscience.

Their are questions every Muslim of America needs to ask that what have they done to promote brotherhood and tolerance in Muslim majority societies.

Would they Petition that residents of Muslim Majority nations be allowed equal rights as enshrined to them in US Constitution.Would they ask Muslim Majority countries to allow to build places of worship for non Muslim residents.Would they ask equal rights for the women and non discrimination in law to all citizens. To start with an open appeal to most egregious offenders that is Saudi Arabia and Pakistan be made and made in the form of open letter.

Eliminate laws which allow sale of female minor child by marriage or to resolve disputes. Sanctity of human personshould be considered supreme.I am sad to report that in Saudi Arabia a woman's life is worth half as much as mans and Indian/Pakistani/Philippine is worth one fourth.Where is equality under Islam/Allah.Why Muslims do not complain for their breatheren.

I am asking for litmus test to prove one's americanness.Yes may be so.Being an American is only an idea ,if you believe in that you may be born in India or china you still are of the American mindset.I am lucky that though born in India with American mindset i had opportunity to become American and i live in USA. If somebody thinks it is only the economy of America that the world is after they are mistaken. Most of us like the Idea called America and are willing to defend it.

Finally to my Muslim brothers who want to build a mosque at ground zero.I have a suggestion :

postpone building new mosque for ten years,

and develop understanding with local people and lobby so that people of other faith may build houses of prayer in Muslim Majority countries.I would start with Saudi Arabia And i will ask them to allow them to respect all the religions and books of all faith and not to destroy them on arrival at the airport.I have been told that when Indian/hindu laborers go to Saudi arabia and they have religous icons .Saudi Customs confiscate them and throw them in garbage.

After ten years if you still choose to build mosque there it will be a gesture of healing rather than Bluster which most Americans feel it is now.To heal some times we give and give more.This can be a bridge building effort to heal New York.


JUST THINK HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF THE POSITIONS WERE REVERSED.

Ahmadiyya mosques attacked by terrorists in name of Islam

Pakistan has a sad history.Only Pakistani to win Nobel prize was an Ahmadi named DR.Abdus Salam .Here is a short excerpt from Wikipedia.

"Abdus Salam was a devout Muslim, and a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community[9], who saw his religion as integral to his scientific work. He once wrote: "The Holy Quran enjoins us to reflect on the verities of Allah's created laws of nature; however, that our generation has been privileged to glimpse a part of His design is a bounty and a grace for which I render thanks with a humble heart."[5]
During his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize in Physics, Salam quoted the following verses from the Quran:
“ Thou seest not, in the creation of the All-merciful any imperfection, Return thy gaze, seest thou any fissure. Then Return thy gaze, again and again. Thy gaze, Comes back to thee dazzled, aweary. ”
He then said:
“ This, in effect, is the faith of all physicists; the deeper we seek, the more is our wonder excited, the more is the dazzlement for our gaze.[10] ”

In 1974, when the Parliament of Pakistan declared Ahmadis to be non-Muslims, he left Pakistan for London in protest.

Ahmadi web site also talks about its founder Mirza Gulam Ahmad from Kadian. It states

He divested Islam of fanatical beliefs and practices by vigorously championing Islam’s true and essential teachings. He also recognized the noble teachings of the great religious founders and saints, including Zoroasteras, Abrahamas, Mosesas, Jesusas, Krishnaas, Buddhaas, Confuciusas, Lao Tzu and Guru Nanak, and explained how such teachings converged into the one true Islam.

It is sad to mention that When Pakistan Declared that Ahmadiyya non muslim by constitution in Pakistan ,Mr Abdus Salam left Pakistan in protest.He never returned.

After his death his body was returned to Pakistan and was interned in a grave next to his parents.

The inscription read "First Muslim Nobel Laureate".

The parties which may be very powerful could not accept this and by court order had the words Muslim erased.Such is the state of affairs in Pakistan.

It is routine to see policemen chiseling away sayings of Quran from Musjids of Ahmadis.They do not realize that they are destroying words in praise of Allah for the arrogance.

I AM AFRAID IN PRESENT ENVIRONMENT IN PAKISTAN HOPE OF A PEACEFUL MULTIFAITH MODERN SOCIETY IS DIMINISHED BY THIS TRAGEDY.