Religion and politics in the United States - Research Paper Example

? Almost 10 years ago, Americans woke to the horrors of two crashing pillars that symbolized free markets and fair capitalism. The attacks by terrorist on September 11th were an attempt to deconstruct the foundations upon which this country was constructed. The intelligence agencies discovered that the attacks were committed by Islamic extremist who declared jihad against all Americans. Ground Zero became a symbol for American perseverance and a shrine for all the lives lost in the tragedy. Ten years later, plans have been made to build a mosque near the site which has caused much strife in the American public. The construction of an identity that is rejected by the traditional American has been the result. This society is based on the exclusion of those who oppose the dominant ideology as opposed to including diverse ideology out of appreciation. Indeed the history of the U.S. has been a history of the exclusion of various groups at multiple points throughout the history of the nation. The current conflict is merely an extention of previous conflicts manifested with a new enemy. The best means of fully understanding this conflict is through an analysis of current and historical events, social transformations, and American narratives. The plans to build the 100 million dollar mosque were headlined by Sharif El-Gamal who has stood for religious freedom in the face of adversity and hate (Baum, 2011). In fact, recent polls indicated that most New York inhabitants did not want to have a mosque near the cite (Baum, 2011). In spite of this, Michael Bloomberg defended religious freedom by stating that “there is no neighborhood in this city off-limits to God's love and mercy (Baum, 2011)." On the opposite side of the table was Pamela Geller who is a conservative activist that leverages her blog, Atlas Shrugs, to attack El-Gamal for being a front man for the money behind the project as well as for Islamic supremacist who believe in constructing a mosque near the site of a war victory (Baum, 2011). Ironically, a current candidate for president, Donald Trump, used money as an incentive to attempt to get the mosque moved to a different location. In response, El-Gamal asked, "Are we supposed to move so we can create a Muslim-free zone, Muslim-free blocks (Baum, 2011)?" He was furious with the notion that the criminal act that occurred on September 11th is a representation of all Muslims. In terms of the historical relationship between Islam and Christianity, the two communities have shared conflict and feuds. The reason why Islam is being compared to Christianity is because it is the primary religion in the U.S (Gaustad, 2004). Empirical examples that prove this to be true is the fact that currency holds that “In God We Trust” and each day we pledge allegiance, it is “Under God”. When these two concepts came under heat by activist, it was the Christians that stood in defense of the terms. Much like that situation, Christian sects are arising to contest the establishment of the mosque (Sachedina, 2001). This conflicts stems all the way back to the year 1095 where the first crusades began. The crusades were a series of religiously sanctioned wars where followers fought over a rite of passage (Stokes, 1950). It seems as if Christianity is consistently attempt to stop the spread of Islam as is proven in the Crusades where the cause was because of the attempt to recapture Jerusalem from Muslim rule. While Jerusalem served as the birthplace of the Christian figure Jesus, It serves as the point of ascension into heaven for the Islamic figure Muhammad. In fact, the Bill of Rights already settles the issue concerning the mosque by establishing Freedom of Religion as an essential right of all Americans (Stokes, 1950). It states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof (Mutua, 2004). This means that the formation of the country was more geared towards the free exercise of religion as opposed to the persecution of individuals who don’t worship within the norm. This current confrontation between Christianity and Islam indicates the growing trend of xenophobia within the U.S. While this may not necessarily be a representation of a foreigners migrating to the country, it is a situation where Christian Americans fear a foreign Ideology (Gaustad, 2004). They feel as if Islam is being imported into the country and will pose a threat against its ideological dominance (Mutua, 2004). As a result of the September 11th attacks, religious tolerance within the U.S. has faced a severe decline. Not towards all religions, but specifically towards Islamic followers. Conservative citizens and politicians alike have transgressed to create a hostile environment for followers of Islam. This social transformation can be attributed to the current wars being waged in the Middle East. Whenever a country goes to war, the first thing that must be done is the construction of an enemy (Sachedina, 2001). This process of vilification depicts continuous images of Muslims in the media as enemies who are suicidal terrorist. Additionally, the media continues to draw on religious interpretations of the Quran in order to define the enemies by their religion as opposed to their actions. Such social transformations have created a society that is less tolerant of differences. This social system begins to alienate individuals and causes a severe reduction in freedom. Crime are then permitted as a result, which means that society is less safe as a result of the ideologies that permeate through society as a result of the media. The narratives and stories told by American is another method of identifying why the country has arrived at its current predicament and Ideology. Immediately after the attack President George W. Bush addressed the public with the following statement: "Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness and a quiet, unyielding anger (Sachedina, 2001).” This explains why Americans were so apt to justify sending troops to the Middle East, and possibly why they were so fearful of Iraq (Mutua, 2004). From movies to shows based on terrorist scenarios, the American depiction of the enemy has increasing involved images of the Middle Eastern individual with a profile so vague that individuals have a perception of the enemy as anyone of the brown complexion. This construction has been detrimental to cohesion within the U.S. Instead of attempting to make each American civilian feel accepted and appreciated, we have created a society where each individual who does not fit the traditional white/male image has been excluded at some point. In terms of the construction of the mosque, these narratives serve to debase the individuals who will pray in the mosque (Sachedina, 2001). Based on the demonstrative events that have taken place, it is likely that Americans will become increasingly hostile of individuals who participate in the construction of the building. It is not too farfetched to expect protest once the building is open to the public. The overarching tone of the American public has been uniquely dismissive of the rights of followers of Islam which has happened at each significant point in history. From slaves, to the witch hunt, to Japanese internment camps, and Mexican immigrants, Americans have continuously constructed images of an enemy (Mutua, 2004). It seems as if each construction of the enemy results in increased nationalism among citizens. Religious tolerance is a principle that should be respected at all times. This country was founded as a safe haven from religious persecution of the Christians by Catholics in England. Instead of extending freedom to Muslims within the borders, instead, Americans are promoting a hostile environment which the very purpose this country stood against. Regardless of the symbolic value that ground zero represents to the population, it does not permit the oppressions of individuals of a different religion. This is because freedom only has meaning when individuals are most critical of it. If we were going to simply reject the rights of individuals because of their religion, it makes the U.S. just as oppressive as the dictatorial regime that was toppled in Iraq. Works Cited Baum, G. (2011, April 11). The man behind the manhattan mosque. LA Times, Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ground-zero-mosque-20110406,0,1656899,print.story Gaustad, Edwin S. (2004, 2nd ed.) Faith of the Founders: Religion and the New Nation, 1776-1826 (Waco: Baylor University Press). Mutua, Makau. 2004. Facilitating Freedom of Religion or Belief, A Deskbook. Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Sachedina, Abdulaziz Abdulhussein (2001). The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism. Oxford University Press. Stokes, Anson Phelps (1950) Church and State in the United States, Historic Development and Contemporary Problems of Religious Freedom under the Constitution, 3 Volumes (New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers). Read More