Anniversary of Sept. 11 Attacks Highlights Different Attitudes Toward Islam

Though the two controversies are not directly related, combined, they have "started to convince Afghans that there is a strong Islamophobic strain in the U.S.," according to reporter Jean MacKenzie of GlobalPost, who witnessed anti-American protests in the Afghan capital Kabul on Monday.

"Trying to convince them that this is a very small group of people and do not represent the United States so far has been an uphill battle," MacKenzie added.

“International Burn a Koran Day”

	The Dove World Outreach Center, where Jones is pastor, declared Sept. 11 "International Burn a Koran Day."

The Dove World Outreach Center, a small 50-member Christian church in Gainesville, Florida led by Pastor Terry Jones, has generated an international media storm in response to its proposed “International Burn a Koran Day” scheduled for the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

The Koran (also spelled Quran) is the principal religious text for 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide. Since 2009, Pastor Jones has insisted that “Islam is of the devil” and told CNN recently, that his protest is to “honor the victims of the September 11 attacks.”

President Obama spoke out against the plan, saying that it is “completely contrary to our values as Americans…and would be a recruitment bonanza for [the terrorist network] Al Qaeda.”  

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton referred to the proposed event as a “disrespectful, disgraceful act.” General David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, stated that images of the burning will be used by extremists “to inflame public opinion and incite violence. Any type of activity like that puts our troops in harm’s way would be a concern to this administration.”

But Pastor Jones, who told CNN that he has not read the Koran, says he is ready to burn more than 200 copies of the Islamic holy book, commenting, “instead of us backing down, maybe it’s time to stand up. Maybe it’s time to send a message to radical Islam that we will not tolerate their behavior.” At press time, Pastor Jones has postponed his event until further notice.

NYC Mosque Debate

	The Cordoba Initiative is a proposed Mosque and interfaith prayer space that may be built two blocks away from Ground Zero in Manhattan.

Meanwhile, a heated debate continues about the proposed "Cordoba Initiative" two blocks from the ground zero memorial site in Manhattan where the World Trade Towers once stood.

The facility would be a performing arts center, swimming pool, basketball court, childcare, bookstore, art studio, food court, September 11 memorial and interfaith prayer space.  The name Cordoba Initiative, is a reference to 11th century Cordoba, Spain, where Muslims, Christians and Jews coexisted peacefully. 

The man behind the project is Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf (an Imam is an Islamic leader), who has led a mosque in a nearby neighborhood for 27 years and worked with the FBI and U.S. State Department to counter radical Islam.

In a New York Times op-ed, the Imam said the community center's mission is to "strengthen relations between the Western and Muslim worlds and to help counter radical ideology... Our objective has always been to make this a center for unification and healing."

But opponents of the project mistrust the Imam, pointing out that in interviews following the attacks, he criticized U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. The critics say the location is offensive to the victims and their families and some call it a victory for Islamic fundamentalists.

Opponents have called for Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf to identify where all the money for the center came from, a request he has refused, pointing out that churches and synagogues do not have to reveal the names of people who donated money, and doing so would invade the individuals' privacy.

Supporters of the Cordoba Initiative counter that hundreds of innocent Muslims also perished on September 11 in the World Trade Centers and that the acts of terrorism that fateful day were by radical Muslims who twisted religion for their own violent purposes.

Controversies spark dialogue

	Americans find themselves at a crossroads for religious freedom and tolerance in the U.S.

The controversies have forced Americans to talk about the benefits and limits of religious freedom, religious responsibility and religious tolerance, realizing that what happens now will set a tone for future generations.

At a meeting of faith leaders in Washington, evangelical Christian Reverend Richard Cizik said, "Watch out for so casually trampling on the religious liberty of others. You may be able to do that when you are the majority. But, if you undermine liberty for other people's children today, your own children may one day see their religious liberties deprived from them."