The debate over building a mosque near Ground Zero

Mosque would represent religious tolerance and respect

I am heartened that New York officials appear ready to approve the proposed Muslim mosque near Ground Zero [“Mosque plans draw heat,” Page one, July 31]. This will help moderate Muslims show that they do not support or promote terrorism and that people of varying faiths can live together in brotherhood, mutual respect and peace. It will also help show the world that the USA is a nation of tolerance, where the government does not promote any religion over another or discriminate against any faith because of the actions of a few extremist members.

While our Founding Fathers espoused varying but mainly Christian views, most shared a vision of a new country that valued the positive role religion can play in the lives of its citizens, without prejudice for or against any particular faith. Thus we have room for every building of worship — a Catholic cathedral, a Jewish synagogue, a Protestant megachurch, a Mormon temple, a Muslim mosque and a Buddhist temple.

In the United States, most people do believe in God and want to worship according to the dictates of their own consciences. May this forever be so!

— Patrick L. McKenzie, Sammamish

Mosque could be world symbol of moderate Muslims

Current thinking among many Israeli supporters is that extremist Islamic terrorists represent the entire Muslim world, even if there are many more Islamic moderates than those who subscribe to extremist fundamentalism — since they don’t raise their voices in opposition to the terrorists, they don’t count.

Why then are Jewish organizations like the Anti- Defamation League opposing the proposed Islamic center and mosque two blocks north of Ground Zero? This would be a prominent Islamic center that would be a national model of moderate Islam with a board made up of Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders — a dramatic statement to the world that even at Ground Zero an alternative to extremist Islamic ideology exists.

— Jerome Chroman, Seattle

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