Over the last few weeks the rights of Muslims has dominated discussions regarding the building of a mosque at Ground Zero in New York City. The whole issue rests not so much with the building of a mosque but it has become a human rights debate regarding the treatment of Muslims here in the US. We are somehow “racist” for opposing the building of this Muslim Cultural Center when it is clearly inappropriate. Those openly critical of Islam are sometimes dubiously slurred as racists, regardless of what their true views on race may be. In fact, Islam is not a race; Islam has nothing at all to do with genetics. It is an ideology – a set of beliefs about individual behavior and the rules of society. Neither are Muslims a race of people. In fact, there are Muslims of all races. So criticizing Islam is not racism. There is no such thing as "anti-Muslim racism" any more than it makes sense to pretend that there is "anti-Christian racism," "anti-Methodist racism," or "anti-Capitalist racism."Ground Zero in New York is truly sacred ground. A mosque being built on the spot is not the symbol of healing for a nation. It picks the scab and is more a “Victory” monument for radical Islam despite what the Muslim and political leadership claim. Not one of the Imams engaged in this project have come out against the atrocities committed there on 9/11. In fact they blame the US and its policies towards Muslim nations as the reason this occurred. It’s our fault and we got what we deserved. But is that all there is to the story? While left wing human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International (which even went the politically correct route of appointing a Muslim Secretary General) have jumped in to the business of protecting the rights of Muslims in the West with both feet. Yet very little attention is paid to the rights of Jews or Christians living in Muslim countries. Try building a Christian church or Synagogue in Saudi Arabia, or Yemen, or Iran. While Muslims incessantly shout about their rights in Europe, America and Israel, it might be a good idea to take a look at how non-Muslims are treated in Muslim countries. As much as 90 percent of Dubai is run by foreign guest workers who slave away for the Emirs. As much as 40 percent of Saudi Arabia consists of foreign guest workers and is built on the foreign oil companies they seized, built by American and British oil workers, serviced by Asian and African laborers. Many have their passports seized and are housed in little more than slave labor camps. Keep an eye out on who funds the Ground Zero Mosque as many of the organizations clamoring for the rights of Muslims in the West are either Saudi fronts, such as CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations), or Saudi funded, such as Human Rights Watch.
Until the Muslim world gives the same rights to non-Muslims as to Muslims, the same rights to women as to men... Muslims have no right to make human rights demands of anyone else. When religious minorities can live in peace and security in the Muslim world, only then can Muslims issue demands to non-Muslim countries.If Muslims abroad were treated as they treat others at home, they would enjoy few rights, they would be murdered at random and their attackers let off with a fine, their children would be seized to be converted to another religion and their women would be jailed for not complying with local customs. Instead, Muslims enjoy legal equality in their host countries, even as they spread the poison of an Islamist ideology that calls for the murder of non-Muslims - sometimes acting on it. Times Square and Fort Hood are good examples.Despite all the talk about hate crimes against mosques, Muslims abroad have committed far more violent attacks on other people's houses of worship, than have been committed against theirs. Muslim rapes far outweigh any rapes of Muslims. Muslim terrorist attacks on non-Muslims far outweigh any terrorist attacks carried out against Muslims.
Yet the politicians and the media go out of their way to appease the Muslim leadership with the endless barrage of "Religion of Peace" propaganda. Yet, we have the squealing by Saudi front groups crying about the fate of Muslims living high on the hog in America, while spinning their favorite anthem of, “Death to Everyone Who Isn't Us.” Perhaps before Muslims here in the US complain about their rights, they should first begin honoring the rights of non-Muslims here and in their home countries. The Qur’an places an enormous distinction between Muslims and non-Muslims that is hard to miss. Believers are loved by God, whereas infidels are hated to the extent that they are tortured for eternity (3:32, 4:56) merely for not believing. Muslims are told to shun unbelievers (3:118), who are called “helpers of evil” (25:55), “wicked” (4:160), “fond of lies” (5:42) and compared to the worst of animals (8:55, 7:176, 7:179). Members of Islam are told to be merciful to each other, but ruthless to those outside of the faith (48:29). Violence is also sanctioned against those who defy Islamic rule (8:12-13, 9:5).
So, if Muslims were a race, Islam would not only be a racist ideology, but arguably the most hateful and destructive in history. It is bad enough that hundreds of millions of people have been killed in the last fourteen centuries by divinely sanctioned Jihad and slavery, yet here they stand espousing religious supremacy and racial superiority ready once again to build a mosque on top of the blood and ruble of a place considered “Sacred Ground” by the families and friends of the victims of 9/11. A place their “Religion of Peace” helped to destroy.
Building a “Muslim Cultural Center” at ground zero is the wrong place. It always will be.
Be Informed,
Bishop Ian
