ShahnazZ
Striving2BeAStranger
:salam2:, I hope you're all in the best state of health and iman.
Okay so this is really long and for those of you that do manage to read it, I thank you in advance and hope it benefits you in some way. I've been meaning to write this post for awhile now and it took me a while to do so, but I felt I had to. So again, apologies in advance for the crazy length. :shymuslima1:
I'd just like to say a few things about the controversy regarding the Park 51 Islamic Cultural Center. Firstly, we must all refer to it by its proper term and that is an Islamic Cultural Center. It is not, and I reiterate NOT, a MOSQUE. The recent ruckus over this center is primarily due to the misconception that it is something that it is not and we as Muslims should not be perpetuating this misconception either. The sooner we get our own terms right, the sooner everyone else can as well. This isn't to say that Muslims do not have the right to build a masjid there, but simply that it isn't one and so why should we unnecessarily fuel the flames? Yes a prayer space will be INCLUDED in this center (on the third floor to be exact) but other than that it is a $100 million project two blocks away from the original World Trade Center site, to be modeled on the Jewish Cultural Center. It will include a basketball court, swimming pool, and culinary school. It will be open to all New Yorkers, Muslim and non-Muslim, many of whom are looking forward to visiting it. If it were indeed a masjid, then we would be justified in defending it as a masjid and as our right to build it but.....it isn't. So there.
So naturally with this being in my own backyard, I knew I had to make time to see it. Despite a busy work and school schedule, I was lucky enough to have the center located right next to my college. Alhamdulillah I've made it a habit to pray Isha and Taraweeh there on the days I have class.
My initial impressions were a mixture of many things.
Firstly, I immediately knew where the site was based on all the reporters and protesters standing outside (mind you, the protesters consisted of both pro and anti groups). A non-Muslim couple was being interviewed by a British reporter about their views on the "Ground Zero Mosque" and I walked by as fast as I could knowing that seeing a hijabi nearby would garner the next interview. My reasons for not giving one were simple: It wasn't that I had nothing to say on the matter. But it was primarily the fact that I work at an Islamic organization whose executive director is deemed as one of the "Muslim leaders" of NYC. One misconstrued word to the press would bring down a rush of hail and brimstone on my head and it wouldn't be pretty. Therefore, "no comment" has always been my motto.
Secondly, and I kid you NOT, I wanted to LAUGH at every single individual who is making SUCH an issue about this center. It is LITERALLY a crumb amongst bread crumbs in a bread factory. I'm not exaggerating at all. The best way I can describe the center location is that it is somewhat of an alley, near the back corner of a construction site near Ground Zero (which is MASSIVE) and is lingering in the smallest corner of its shadows. I literally could NOT believe that the entire WORLD was in an uproar over this single (and currently miniscule) building. I'm not trying to be insensitive at all before someone accuses me of being shallow and inconsiderate, but for anyone who thinks I am being so, I invite you to look at the structure yourself and tell me if you really believe it is worth all the hoopla in the media and in the world right now. Many of the families of those who perished in the 9/11 attack (many of whom SUPPORT the construction of this center) believe that the "hallowed ground" under which their loved ones are will soon be covered by a giant, monstrous, cathedral-sized mosque with minarets as high as the sky and adhan blasting to all four corners of the country. Based on one of their comments on Special Comment by Keith Olbermann, one of the mothers of a victim stated she did not want to visit her son's ashes and see "a giant mosque looming down" on her. THIS is the misconception and THIS is what needs to be corrected. It is not a mosque and it will most definitely be not looming down at anyone unless they decide to take a walk in the alley two blocks away. Even then, I doubt it will still be a looming structure.
Walking into the center I was even more convinced that this media circus was more unnecessary then ever. Currently, the building's interior is mostly covered in plastic since the building hasn't been well maintained for almost a decade now before Cordoba House purchased it recently and is still in mid-construction. I walked in and two non-Muslim guards were sitting by the entrance. Now, I really feel the need to emphasize how amazing the security guards have been. I was extremely impressed by how polite and respectful they were. I knew of the media frenzy outside and even offered to allow them to search my bag. They politely declined and said there was no need. One of them gave me a tour of the vicinity and allowed me to explore the entire building as much as I wanted, down to every last crevice. When informing him that I wanted to pray, he showed me the women's prayer area but not before gently reminding me to take off my shoes, a gesture I immensely appreciated and acted on right away. Not only was he aware of Islamic customs, but he respected them as well and that earned my respect for him as well. These men have been extremely respectful and considerate of our needs and each of us who enters Park 51 (usually it's college students) makes sure to let them know that. For every iftar that has been held there so far, the guards are always amongst the first to be offered a plate. Upon entering and leaving, we always make sure to greet them and say thank you. After all, they're on their post 12 hours a day to make sure the Muslims offering their prayers inside are safe from any hateful Islamophobes outside looking to be violent.
With that, I would like to give a bit of advice to those here on this forum and it's the same advice that I give to the Muslim youth I work with. Although many of the events that are focusing on Muslims began with tragedy, anger and pain, the end result is that now each and every single individual Muslim in the United States and the rest of the western world have now literally become ambassadors of Islam. Every eye is now on us. Be sure to represent our beautiful religion the way our Beloved Prophet SAW would have wanted us to. Remember to always be extra polite, extra courteous, and extra patient. Walk with dignity and control your anger. Say thank you whenever you can. Make sure your etiquette to non-Muslims is touching perfection. Try to always remember that you are being watched and you have the power to change the image of Muslims in the west. Conduct yourself in such a way that the Islamophobes and those that call us terrorists will be looked at in bewilderment and ridicule, with the majority of the public believing that it is simply ludicrous for such a peaceful people to be anything but peaceful. This is how you can give the haters a black eye. By literally behaving better than them and showing them that you're the only person on the bus that said thank you to the bus driver, the only one that stood up to offer the elderly woman your seat, the only person who wished the security guards a good night and conveyed your appreciation for all that they do. Show them you have manners and class and that only an idiot would ever think of calling you a terrorist.
Do this and alhamdulillah you will literally feel the respect that they will give you. Just last night, I found it a bit ironic that I received smiles from so many people as I made my way to Park 51. Women smiled at me as I had initially passed by the center on my way to class. On the way back, I was rushing to make Taraweeh in time and men would literally stop, smile, and step aside so that they wouldn't be blocking my way to the center. These are non-Muslims I'm speaking of by the way and I cannot help but emphasize how impressed I am with New Yorkers as a whole. You would think that they of all people would carry hatred for Muslims since the 9/11 attack occured on their territory. But I haven't seen more tolerant people anywhere else. Most of us have noticed that the people who have such a problem with Muslims and Park 51 are those OUTSIDE of NY in the rest of the US and not those within. Not only are they tolerant, they are respectful and curious about learning more about Islam. Naturally, this doesn't apply to every New Yorker. My first visit to Manhattan after this Park 51 spectacle hit the airwaves did include some leers and glares. But overall, I've received positive feedback alhamdulillah.
Once again, this isn't just a message to New Yorkers but a message to all Muslims living in the West. All eyes are on us. Use this chance to change their impressions of us. You'll start to see the very changes you helped create soon enough inshAllah.
I apologize if I offended anyone and I hope this message is received in the same sentiment in which it was written.
Okay so this is really long and for those of you that do manage to read it, I thank you in advance and hope it benefits you in some way. I've been meaning to write this post for awhile now and it took me a while to do so, but I felt I had to. So again, apologies in advance for the crazy length. :shymuslima1:
I'd just like to say a few things about the controversy regarding the Park 51 Islamic Cultural Center. Firstly, we must all refer to it by its proper term and that is an Islamic Cultural Center. It is not, and I reiterate NOT, a MOSQUE. The recent ruckus over this center is primarily due to the misconception that it is something that it is not and we as Muslims should not be perpetuating this misconception either. The sooner we get our own terms right, the sooner everyone else can as well. This isn't to say that Muslims do not have the right to build a masjid there, but simply that it isn't one and so why should we unnecessarily fuel the flames? Yes a prayer space will be INCLUDED in this center (on the third floor to be exact) but other than that it is a $100 million project two blocks away from the original World Trade Center site, to be modeled on the Jewish Cultural Center. It will include a basketball court, swimming pool, and culinary school. It will be open to all New Yorkers, Muslim and non-Muslim, many of whom are looking forward to visiting it. If it were indeed a masjid, then we would be justified in defending it as a masjid and as our right to build it but.....it isn't. So there.
So naturally with this being in my own backyard, I knew I had to make time to see it. Despite a busy work and school schedule, I was lucky enough to have the center located right next to my college. Alhamdulillah I've made it a habit to pray Isha and Taraweeh there on the days I have class.
My initial impressions were a mixture of many things.
Firstly, I immediately knew where the site was based on all the reporters and protesters standing outside (mind you, the protesters consisted of both pro and anti groups). A non-Muslim couple was being interviewed by a British reporter about their views on the "Ground Zero Mosque" and I walked by as fast as I could knowing that seeing a hijabi nearby would garner the next interview. My reasons for not giving one were simple: It wasn't that I had nothing to say on the matter. But it was primarily the fact that I work at an Islamic organization whose executive director is deemed as one of the "Muslim leaders" of NYC. One misconstrued word to the press would bring down a rush of hail and brimstone on my head and it wouldn't be pretty. Therefore, "no comment" has always been my motto.
Secondly, and I kid you NOT, I wanted to LAUGH at every single individual who is making SUCH an issue about this center. It is LITERALLY a crumb amongst bread crumbs in a bread factory. I'm not exaggerating at all. The best way I can describe the center location is that it is somewhat of an alley, near the back corner of a construction site near Ground Zero (which is MASSIVE) and is lingering in the smallest corner of its shadows. I literally could NOT believe that the entire WORLD was in an uproar over this single (and currently miniscule) building. I'm not trying to be insensitive at all before someone accuses me of being shallow and inconsiderate, but for anyone who thinks I am being so, I invite you to look at the structure yourself and tell me if you really believe it is worth all the hoopla in the media and in the world right now. Many of the families of those who perished in the 9/11 attack (many of whom SUPPORT the construction of this center) believe that the "hallowed ground" under which their loved ones are will soon be covered by a giant, monstrous, cathedral-sized mosque with minarets as high as the sky and adhan blasting to all four corners of the country. Based on one of their comments on Special Comment by Keith Olbermann, one of the mothers of a victim stated she did not want to visit her son's ashes and see "a giant mosque looming down" on her. THIS is the misconception and THIS is what needs to be corrected. It is not a mosque and it will most definitely be not looming down at anyone unless they decide to take a walk in the alley two blocks away. Even then, I doubt it will still be a looming structure.
Walking into the center I was even more convinced that this media circus was more unnecessary then ever. Currently, the building's interior is mostly covered in plastic since the building hasn't been well maintained for almost a decade now before Cordoba House purchased it recently and is still in mid-construction. I walked in and two non-Muslim guards were sitting by the entrance. Now, I really feel the need to emphasize how amazing the security guards have been. I was extremely impressed by how polite and respectful they were. I knew of the media frenzy outside and even offered to allow them to search my bag. They politely declined and said there was no need. One of them gave me a tour of the vicinity and allowed me to explore the entire building as much as I wanted, down to every last crevice. When informing him that I wanted to pray, he showed me the women's prayer area but not before gently reminding me to take off my shoes, a gesture I immensely appreciated and acted on right away. Not only was he aware of Islamic customs, but he respected them as well and that earned my respect for him as well. These men have been extremely respectful and considerate of our needs and each of us who enters Park 51 (usually it's college students) makes sure to let them know that. For every iftar that has been held there so far, the guards are always amongst the first to be offered a plate. Upon entering and leaving, we always make sure to greet them and say thank you. After all, they're on their post 12 hours a day to make sure the Muslims offering their prayers inside are safe from any hateful Islamophobes outside looking to be violent.
With that, I would like to give a bit of advice to those here on this forum and it's the same advice that I give to the Muslim youth I work with. Although many of the events that are focusing on Muslims began with tragedy, anger and pain, the end result is that now each and every single individual Muslim in the United States and the rest of the western world have now literally become ambassadors of Islam. Every eye is now on us. Be sure to represent our beautiful religion the way our Beloved Prophet SAW would have wanted us to. Remember to always be extra polite, extra courteous, and extra patient. Walk with dignity and control your anger. Say thank you whenever you can. Make sure your etiquette to non-Muslims is touching perfection. Try to always remember that you are being watched and you have the power to change the image of Muslims in the west. Conduct yourself in such a way that the Islamophobes and those that call us terrorists will be looked at in bewilderment and ridicule, with the majority of the public believing that it is simply ludicrous for such a peaceful people to be anything but peaceful. This is how you can give the haters a black eye. By literally behaving better than them and showing them that you're the only person on the bus that said thank you to the bus driver, the only one that stood up to offer the elderly woman your seat, the only person who wished the security guards a good night and conveyed your appreciation for all that they do. Show them you have manners and class and that only an idiot would ever think of calling you a terrorist.
Do this and alhamdulillah you will literally feel the respect that they will give you. Just last night, I found it a bit ironic that I received smiles from so many people as I made my way to Park 51. Women smiled at me as I had initially passed by the center on my way to class. On the way back, I was rushing to make Taraweeh in time and men would literally stop, smile, and step aside so that they wouldn't be blocking my way to the center. These are non-Muslims I'm speaking of by the way and I cannot help but emphasize how impressed I am with New Yorkers as a whole. You would think that they of all people would carry hatred for Muslims since the 9/11 attack occured on their territory. But I haven't seen more tolerant people anywhere else. Most of us have noticed that the people who have such a problem with Muslims and Park 51 are those OUTSIDE of NY in the rest of the US and not those within. Not only are they tolerant, they are respectful and curious about learning more about Islam. Naturally, this doesn't apply to every New Yorker. My first visit to Manhattan after this Park 51 spectacle hit the airwaves did include some leers and glares. But overall, I've received positive feedback alhamdulillah.
Once again, this isn't just a message to New Yorkers but a message to all Muslims living in the West. All eyes are on us. Use this chance to change their impressions of us. You'll start to see the very changes you helped create soon enough inshAllah.
I apologize if I offended anyone and I hope this message is received in the same sentiment in which it was written.
.
