Mosque in America Part V...America’s Newest Religion... by Jamil Shawwa

Today, in the 10th anniversary of the horrific, terrorist attack on America on 09/11, America accepted Islam as its newest religion. An American religion, a divine religion as Judaism and Christianity. There is no religion, an idea, or a concept in American history that stirred such emotions across all Americans and in every State as Islam did and in such a short period, just few weeks. Today, a pastor with less than fifty followers in a small city in Florida who probably indirectly and without realizing it, helped to establish Islam finally as an American religion. That pastor who called a week ago to burn The Muslims holy book, came today and said that he will not do it “not now not ever”. The whole country and the world actually was held hostage for one week looking, watching, and participating in this drama. The president of the United States intervened, the whole US government intervened, every State talked about it, every person discussed it and they all, the majority of Americans decided as they always do on life changing issues and on matters of high importance, on matters that touch the country’s core existence, that this religion, that is believed and worshiped by almost two billions people around the world, in every country on earth and over thirty countries consider it as it’s main religion or source of legislation and millions in the United States, must be included in the religious mosaic of America. That it is no longer a religion of the fringes, the outcast, the strangers but it is a faith that when you look closer to it, as believers believe, when you read it’s verses, as its follower explain, it states it’s strong belief that it is the religion that respects and recognizes Judaism and Christianity as religions of the same and only God. Two extraordinary leaders helped, but this time directly and knowingly, to make Islam an American religion, Barak Obama, a Democrat, the president of the United States, a Christian, whose father and family from his father’s side were and are Muslims and Michael Bloomberg, a Republican, the Mayor of New York City, a Jewish. These two fought and still fighting the right fight not for Islam but for America. They both stood for the constitution and for the first amendment and freedom of religion, for the freedom of expression. Bloomberg stated on more than one occasion that the best answer to those 9/11 criminals is to have a place of God next to the crime scene where those terrorists claimed deceivably that they destroyed in the name of their religion. It is the proposed Mosque, a block and a half from the place where the crimes of 9/11 took place. America as well in all it’s people and in all of it’s States have participated and still participating in the debate around the place of that mosque but not if it should be built. The mosque once it is done in its proposed place will forever cement America’s recognition and acceptance of Islam as the third pillar of its faith. Bloomberg said in an interview with MSNBC in the 10th occasion of the 911 terrorist attacks on how he reacts to a city that is divided and wants him to move the mosque location, that it is not about what they say or the polls, but it is all about protecting the first amendment to the US constitution, freedom of speech, and that it is not up to the government to tell people where to pray and where to build their place of worship. He continued to say that if you do not agree with it, do not support it and that is it. He also said that we could not just protect freedom of expression and religion in incidents that are to our likes, but we must as well protect it when it is for things that we do not like. He has been steadfast on his position, he is losing support from his city and his party, but the mayor is getting admiration and support from every fair minded American and those are the vast majority of the American people. Mayor Bloomberg is a phenomena in the world of politics today, he and president Obama are standing for real American values and for the right of all to express their opinions freely including that pastor in that city in Florida.