OF MOSQUES AND MEN

The best solution for deciding whether or not a mosque should be constructed at the 911 site must be decided by women. We have come a long way baby and we are not so foolish as to turn the clock back a few centuries and honor the religion of Islam in that broken ground. A confused radical wing claiming to represent Islam to be sure was responsible for the 911 tragedy. Tremendous pain still resonates in its wake, even for those not so directly effected with losing loved ones. Most of the teachings of Islam are in accordance with other religions and do not conflict with the evolutionary thought which is the foundation of the growth of the United States. Muslim women who choose to cover their heads (not their faces) are appreciated here. But other factions of the religion cannot co-exist with American norms. Here women are equal in a marriage and other partnerships. In the Muslim faith, a woman is deemed subservient and the man has the final say. According to Muslim law, a man can utter a divorce decree verbally and the couple is divorced. A woman has no such right. This is just an example of the backward thinking embodied in this faith that destroys the feminist movement that has empowered all Americans; women, men and children. Mayor Bloomberg when he speaks about his elite philosophy forgets this. Maybe his wife should weigh in.

The solution is simple: build an interfaith memorial and we can all learn from each other. Knowledge is Power for all. Islam can learn about the equality of women and other faiths may learn about some of Islam's enlightened practices such as Ramadan which serves to foster meditation and possibly bring human thoughts closer to the Divine. All religions offer the opportunity to be divisive or embracing. We may think differently about the Divine, but we as a country celebrate this. And religious freedom is lawfully protected as long as conflicts with American legal structure and norms are not transgressed.

Yes an interfaith memorial structure is the answer, but a pole determined by women alone as to the building of a mosque only would illuminate an issue that some men still do not choose understand.