A mosque at ground zero: cowardice or tolerance?

It is human nature to avoid hard truths. As humans we often turn to self-deception to avoid the matters we find hardest to face. In 1939, such self deception at the hands of Europe's governments proved fatal, resulting in the explosion that was the second world war. As Hitler rearmed Germany, breaking each term of the Treaty of Versailles, Britain's leader Neville Chamberlain and the French government turned a blind eye in an effort to escape the truth, ignoring it until their mistake proved fatal. Today a debate rages over the establishing of a mosque at ground zero, the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that shocked the west and established fear in american minds of the religion these terrorists practiced. Islam has seen a fast and powerful growth in the west, notably in Europe, where the muslim population is estimated to double by 2020. I cannot help but look in revolt when i see a faith westerners deem 'peaceful' attempt to establish a holy house of its own on the site where 3000 or so fell victim to the hands of its own followers. I cannot help but look in shame when i see the country that suffered such atrocities permit such a mosque to be built.

I do not for an instant believe all muslims to be terrorists or vice versa, and anyone who believes so is wholly ignorant. However, I do recognize that there is a notably substantial minority of muslims, those extreme practicioners, who threaten the safety of american lives and the west. It is fear of this minority that drives the appeasement of muslim demands, such as the building of this mosque. It is only an extreme and anti-western islamist who would desire the building of a mosque in a place that would provoke such great hurt and grief in the hearts of so many who lost loved ones there, that day. American have spoken out strongly against the mosque's establishment, with cries of 'USA' being heard at rallies. http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/11/new.york.islamic.center.rallies/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn There are few, i find hard to believe otherwise, who are supportive of the mosque's construction. Obama himself stated that while they have the right to build the mosque, he is unsure of its wisdom.

It appears to me that the building of the mosque is being permitted not out of genuine belief in the right of muslims to practice their faith, but out of fear for national security if such a request be denied. The islamist leader behind the building of the mosque has stated that the USA's handling of the matter will affect its national security. In my mind he ought simply to have issued a terrorist threat. Pastor Terry Jones backed of his stated intention to burn koran books if such a mosque be built, due to Obama's appeal not to endanger the safety of troops in Afghanistan. Fear of extremist muslims prevented an american exercising his right to speak freely and express his anger. Yet no significant opposition has been made to the mosque's establishment. Their right to build it has gone for the most part unchallenged. As americans, we hide behind a facade of 'rights', the 'right' of a faction living within our own nation to build a temple of their own on ground where thousands of our own died at their hands. While it is true that these terrorists did not represent all muslims, they represented a notable sum, enough that a country's government refused to hand over the instigator of the attacks, driving us to war, where even more of our own died. If the muslims building the mosque wished no conflict, they would not choose such a site for the mosque. Yet we appease them.

This appeasement of islam stretches beyond New York and the USA. In the united kingdom, sharia courts have been granted the right to enforce muslim law on muslims living within the country. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4749183.ece These courts can enforce the power of british law, passing judgements which often favor men over women. Surely, within a democracy, the law should apply equally to all? It seems the UK has its own version of democracy, though, where groups can live under differing laws of their own if they push hard enough. In France, as the muslim population grows rapidly, the french way of life has come under threat as public facilities such as swimming pools have begun to adjust their schedules to the muslim calendar and daily practice of prayer five times a day. For the first time in its history the rich and diverse culture of France has shown an inability to assimilate a group of arriving immigrants into its own practices. It would seem arriving islamists are determined to spread their own practices throughout the country until they supersede the nation's own culture. Yet France places no lines or barriers. It appeases.

At some point the west will have to step up and face a hard truth. Or perhaps we will suffer some form of repeat of the dark years of 1939-45. Who knows? All I know is I've lost faith in humanity's ability to learn from its mistakes.