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9/11 Families Divided Over Mosque, Community Center
SAMANTHA GROSS
Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK - Talat Hamdani traveled to Mecca to pray that her missing son, an EMT, was safe in the days after 9/11. She held out hope that his Muslim background had led to his detention as a suspect, considering it better than the alternative.
(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
Related
New York City Commission Opens WTC Site for Mosque Construction
When part of his body was returned to her - his lower half shattered into 34 pieces - it was final proof he had indeed been killed when Islamic extremists brought down the World Trade Center. As Americans take sides over plans to build an Islamic cultural center and mosque blocks away, Hamdani says it feels personal.
"Why are we paying the price? Why are we being ostracized? Our loved ones died," she said at her Lake Grove, N.Y., home. "America was founded on the grounds of religious freedom," and opposition to the cultural center "is un-American. It's unethical. And it is wrong."
The thousands of relatives of the 2,976 victims have no single representative and no unified voice, even as another 9/11 anniversary approaches. The conflict is dividing a group that in many ways has never been united, with some saying the cultural center would reopen old wounds too close to hallowed ground and others say that opposing it is tantamount to bigotry.
And some, like Vandna Jain, walk a middle ground.
"It is unfair to persecute the group, however, in turn, there should be some respect for the feelings of the people that are forever attached to this site due to their losses," the New City, N.Y., resident, whose father, Yudh, died in the north tower, wrote in an e-mail. "I think people have a right to be upset about it, just as much as people have a right to build a mosque."
Jim Riches, a former New York Fire Department deputy chief whose son, Jimmy, was killed at the trade center, believes the dispute has nothing to do with religious freedom.
"We're not telling them not to practice their religion. ... It's about location, location, location," he said, asking why the mosque couldn't be built farther away from the land that he still considers a cemetery. "It's disrespectful. You wouldn't put a Japanese cultural center at Pearl Harbor."
Liza Murphy feels differently. Her brother, Charlie, died at ground zero, but she says she doesn't lay claim to the sprawling, 16-acre site.
"It's a place where a terrible tragedy took place, but I don't see what makes it sacred," said the Brooklyn resident. "Nine years later, that now belongs to the public. And my brother and his death are private and belong to me."
Murphy says she has no objection to the planned mosque and wouldn't want to judge one group of Muslims based on the actions of another.
But Peter Gadiel says he owes no apologies for singling one group out. Since his son, James, was killed at the trade center, Gadiel has argued publicly that all Muslims should share some collective guilt for what happened on 9/11.
"The fact is that Islam does not coexist well with other religions, and you can't separate that from Islam," the Kent, Conn., resident said, explaining his stand against the mosque. "If that sounds intolerant on my part, that's too bad."
The families' impassioned responses to the prospect of the mosque have influenced the public debate.
Gov. David Paterson has suggested moving the project further away from the trade center site out of respect for opponents' feelings, while Mayor Michael Bloomberg came out in support of the mosque, calling it a test of the separation of church and state.
President Barack Obama has said he believes Muslims have the right to build the Islamic center as a matter of religious freedom, though he's also said he won't take a position on whether they should actually build it.
The imam leading plans for the center on Friday called extremism a security threat in both the West and the Muslim world. Feisal Abdul Rauf made his comments to Associated Press Television News in Bahrain during a Mideast tour funded by the U.S. State Department, but he wouldn't discuss the uproar over the Islamic center.
Relatives of those slain on Sept. 11 have made their diverging voices heard on a number of issues over the years _ from whether to try the suspects in a civilian court to the location of a proposed freedom museum at ground zero that is no longer planned for the site.
Charles Wolf, who lost his wife, Katherine, at the trade center, says emotions among family members are especially raw right now.
"This is anniversary season. It's really, really hard," the Manhattanite said. "Passions are up and this is bringing up a lot of hurt in people."
He says he worries that any decision to respond to public pressure and move the mosque would be used by extremists to paint Americans as intolerant.
"The powers of evil were piloting those airplanes," he said of the Sept. 11 attackers.
Now, with the mosque dispute, "here is where we're falling into the terrorists' trap ... trying to tear each other apart. Good people fighting other good people - does that sound like evil at work?"
___
Associated Press writers David B. Caruso and Karen Matthews in New York and Martha Raffaele in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK - Talat Hamdani traveled to Mecca to pray that her missing son, an EMT, was safe in the days after 9/11. She held out hope that his Muslim background had led to his detention as a suspect, considering it better than the alternative.
(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
Related
New York City Commission Opens WTC Site for Mosque Construction
When part of his body was returned to her - his lower half shattered into 34 pieces - it was final proof he had indeed been killed when Islamic extremists brought down the World Trade Center. As Americans take sides over plans to build an Islamic cultural center and mosque blocks away, Hamdani says it feels personal.
"Why are we paying the price? Why are we being ostracized? Our loved ones died," she said at her Lake Grove, N.Y., home. "America was founded on the grounds of religious freedom," and opposition to the cultural center "is un-American. It's unethical. And it is wrong."
The thousands of relatives of the 2,976 victims have no single representative and no unified voice, even as another 9/11 anniversary approaches. The conflict is dividing a group that in many ways has never been united, with some saying the cultural center would reopen old wounds too close to hallowed ground and others say that opposing it is tantamount to bigotry.
And some, like Vandna Jain, walk a middle ground.
"It is unfair to persecute the group, however, in turn, there should be some respect for the feelings of the people that are forever attached to this site due to their losses," the New City, N.Y., resident, whose father, Yudh, died in the north tower, wrote in an e-mail. "I think people have a right to be upset about it, just as much as people have a right to build a mosque."
Jim Riches, a former New York Fire Department deputy chief whose son, Jimmy, was killed at the trade center, believes the dispute has nothing to do with religious freedom.
"We're not telling them not to practice their religion. ... It's about location, location, location," he said, asking why the mosque couldn't be built farther away from the land that he still considers a cemetery. "It's disrespectful. You wouldn't put a Japanese cultural center at Pearl Harbor."
Liza Murphy feels differently. Her brother, Charlie, died at ground zero, but she says she doesn't lay claim to the sprawling, 16-acre site.
"It's a place where a terrible tragedy took place, but I don't see what makes it sacred," said the Brooklyn resident. "Nine years later, that now belongs to the public. And my brother and his death are private and belong to me."
Murphy says she has no objection to the planned mosque and wouldn't want to judge one group of Muslims based on the actions of another.
But Peter Gadiel says he owes no apologies for singling one group out. Since his son, James, was killed at the trade center, Gadiel has argued publicly that all Muslims should share some collective guilt for what happened on 9/11.
"The fact is that Islam does not coexist well with other religions, and you can't separate that from Islam," the Kent, Conn., resident said, explaining his stand against the mosque. "If that sounds intolerant on my part, that's too bad."
The families' impassioned responses to the prospect of the mosque have influenced the public debate.
Gov. David Paterson has suggested moving the project further away from the trade center site out of respect for opponents' feelings, while Mayor Michael Bloomberg came out in support of the mosque, calling it a test of the separation of church and state.
President Barack Obama has said he believes Muslims have the right to build the Islamic center as a matter of religious freedom, though he's also said he won't take a position on whether they should actually build it.
The imam leading plans for the center on Friday called extremism a security threat in both the West and the Muslim world. Feisal Abdul Rauf made his comments to Associated Press Television News in Bahrain during a Mideast tour funded by the U.S. State Department, but he wouldn't discuss the uproar over the Islamic center.
Relatives of those slain on Sept. 11 have made their diverging voices heard on a number of issues over the years _ from whether to try the suspects in a civilian court to the location of a proposed freedom museum at ground zero that is no longer planned for the site.
Charles Wolf, who lost his wife, Katherine, at the trade center, says emotions among family members are especially raw right now.
"This is anniversary season. It's really, really hard," the Manhattanite said. "Passions are up and this is bringing up a lot of hurt in people."
He says he worries that any decision to respond to public pressure and move the mosque would be used by extremists to paint Americans as intolerant.
"The powers of evil were piloting those airplanes," he said of the Sept. 11 attackers.
Now, with the mosque dispute, "here is where we're falling into the terrorists' trap ... trying to tear each other apart. Good people fighting other good people - does that sound like evil at work?"
___
Associated Press writers David B. Caruso and Karen Matthews in New York and Martha Raffaele in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by LT Terry Sinclair on
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Build a memorial not a mosque honor those that died not those that killed them!
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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I agree! All them muslims are responsible for 9/11.
Likewise, all them christians are responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing so lets get rid of all churches anywhere near the Murrah building. I count 12 within a few blocks. Let's tear them down too.
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Permalink Reply by SFB on
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The Mosque is a Muslim Mosque. Those responsible for 9/11 were Islamic. There is a difference. Just because one person has the same color skin as the other, does not make them guilty.
By the way, Islam is a peaceful religion. The people whom are responsible for 9/11 are "extremists". They are extremists for a reason......they are "extreme". You can not blame a whole religion based on the actions of some extremists. It's like calling white Americans Brits, because your white. That said, one could say the white American is responsible for Britain invading the US. That just wouldn't make sense though.
In my opinion; you all need to stop being narrow minded prejudice people. That makes you just as bad as those whom are responsible for 9/11, minus the killing part.
Muslims did not kill anyone on 9/11, nor did Islams. It was Islam extremists, which are a totally different breed, and the religion has almost no similarity as real Islam.
Build a Mosque where ever you want, Christians do, and Christians have killed killed many as well.
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Permalink Reply by CFD218 on
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I agree that we can not prosecute all Muslims or any mid-east originating religion for what happened on that terrible day, but with the extremists hiding amongst the others that share their religion, just as if they are normal, makes it very difficult to differentiate between the "real good guys", and the "pretend good guys". As far as building the mosque in that location, which I believe is over 5 blocks away from ground zero, then I don't see it hurting anyone. If they planned on building it right at or near, ground zero, well then it's a catch 22 really. If we say, "no you can't", then one side will say America stands on false grounds and is prosecuting the religion and it will give the extremists something more to bitch about.
If we do say "yes build it there", then all of the apposing Americans will complain and say that no one cares and that we have allowed America to "be defeated".
Should this have been the spot to pick? Well only if you really wanted to raise a stink about it. What I don't understand, is why who ever is heading this project up, has picked the most controversial spot in America to build a mosque? Was there no other nice spot that would have caused less of a fuss?
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I agree they could have chosen a better spot for everyone. That however; does not change what already is proposed.
I shouldn't matter that it's a Muslim Mosque. Muslims didn't attack America; it was "extreme" Islams. These extreme Islmas, are different even from the traditional Islams. Islam is about peace. Read about everyone. People can not blame Muslims, or Islams, because neither had anything to do with the attacks. It was the extremist Islams. There is a huge difference.
The decision should not be based on who is, or isn't raising stink about what they didn't get. It should not be based on ones religion. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the decision will be based on those points; whatever the outcome.
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Permalink Reply by Vic Silverfish on
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Now this, I did not know. Turns out a Moslem architect had already placed a building at ground zero:
http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2010/08/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-w...
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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"Muslims did not kill anyone on 9/11"
That is demonstrably not accurate.
All 19 of the hijackers that caused the deaths of nearly 3,000 people practiced the Muslim faith. That makes them Muslims.
"Build a Mosque where ever you want, Christians do, and Christians have killed killed many as well." Actually, Christians don't build mosques, but if you intended to say "places of worship" or something similar, the difference is that Christians don't build their places of worship at places where others who happen to be Christian killed thousands of others.
"In my opinion; you all need to stop being narrow minded prejudice people. That makes you just as bad as those whom are responsible for 9/11, minus the killing part."
You accidentally tripped over the main point. "Minus the killing part", there would have been no deaths on 9/11 and we wouldn't be having this conversation. You also are acting intolerant of the beliefs and sensitivities of others while complaining that Muslims don't always receive those same benefits. That's a double standard.
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Permalink Reply by Tom Arnold on
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First of all, it's not even a mosque that's planned, it's a community center. Second of all, last I checked, the 1st Amendment to the Constitution still protects freedom of religion.
I agree that it would be appropriate to have a 9/11 memorial on that site - and it could be in the proposed community center.
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Permalink Reply by Deana Flanagan-Crews on
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I agree. My brother, Firefighter,(NYFD), was killed saving people. He and everyone else that died that day. Need to have their own memorial built. NO UN-USA, PEOPLE NEED TO BE ALLOWED TO BUILD ANYTHING IN THE USA. THEY NEED TO GO BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
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Seriously, I can not believe that anyone could be so stupid as to have said what you just said.
NO UN-USA, PEOPLE NEED TO BE ALLOWED TO BUILD ANYTHING IN THE USA. THEY NEED TO GO BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM. Reply by Deana Flanagan-Crews 6 minutes ago
Besides your pathetically bad english and grammar just exactly where do you get off making such blazingly ignorant comments? Wow, that whole comment is just scary.
Let's save this one for posterity:
"Reply by Deana Flanagan-Crews 6 minutes ago [Aug. 22, 20107:43am]
I agree. My brother, Firefighter,(NYFD), was killed saving people. He and everyone else that died that day. Need to have their own memorial built. NO UN-USA, PEOPLE NEED TO BE ALLOWED TO BUILD ANYTHING IN THE USA. THEY NEED TO GO BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
" * Female
* Rincon, GA
* United States
* Lieutenant, Firefighter / Paramedic…
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Permalink Reply by Walt Goebel on
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"Christians don't build their places of worship at places where others who happen to be Christian killed thousands of others."
i dont think the indians or myans, were christans and there are churches all over the americas.
and the holy crusades for the "holy land" (Jerusalem) ya no churches built there either.
the witch trials, and i'll stop here.
i do think it is poor judgement to build it there, but 9/11 happened because the attackers hated us for our way of life and beliefs now we are doing the same to the peacefull muslims in this country. live and let live
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