This morning’s news carried a story of one Imam’s hope to build a $100 Million, 13 story mosque as part of the redevelopment of “Ground Zero” – the former site of New York’s Twin Towers in which thousands of people were murdered on 9/11. It’s hard to sort through the competing thoughts and emotions which swept through me as I took in that idea.
I am appalled at the suggestion because of its profound lack of awareness about how the idea will be experienced by most people. I am stunned by the entirely self-referential perspective which could even allow one to make the suggestion.

On the other hand, there is no doubt that systemic problems can only be corrected by the same systems which created the initial problems. Islamic hate and terror can only be corrected by Islamic love and acceptance of responsibility.
It would be quite a site to see a mosque anywhere in the world with a sign over it reading: “Dedicated to the memory of the three thousand innocents murdered by our Islamic co-religionists on 9-11-01”, as a friend of mine suggested to me.
Assigning collective guilt is an ugly and unethical thing, but assuming collective responsibility is a critical step along the road to healing past hurts and helping to assure that they are not repeated.
The fact that this mosque is unlikely to be built does not mean that the questions which it evokes are less important. What do you think?