scudmissile

"Islam did not attack America on Sept. 11 — terrorists did. Peace-loving, law-abiding American Muslims suffered losses as great on 9-11 and in the months that followed as any honored with the moniker “9-11 families.” Not only did Muslims lose loved ones in the towers and as passengers on the planes that crashed that fateful day, but they also suffered the psychic trauma of all Americans. Furthermore, their losses were compounded by the absurd demonization of persons perceived to be Muslim, which resulted in a dramatic rise in random hate crimes, racial profiling, indiscriminate detention, and extraordinary rendition. Now, nine years later, American Muslims suffer by being branded unworthy of First Amendment rights because murderers once perpetrated unspeakable acts in blasphemy of the Muslim faith. All the hoopla over the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque” is yet another example of right-wingers’ ability to “mis-name” people, places, and issues to effectively advance their own agendas. A mosque isn’t being proposed for Ground Zero; more accurately, the Cordoba House is a community center, to be built at 51 Park Place (multiple blocks away from Ground Zero) by an organization currently located across the street at 45 Park Place that has been serving that community for years. Yet because of some persons’ ability to ‘mis-name’ people, places, and issues to advance their own agendas, these very real facts have become matters of dispute."

Melvin Bray (via azspot)