And why should the Americans "appease" a community by treading on egg shells?
Calling for the relocation of a mosque and by implication holding all Muslims and Islam responsible for terrorism and specifically the 9/11 attacks is not 'treading on egg shells', but vicious slander and denigration of an entire community and its faith.
Precisely! Except for a few "ultra right wing" zealots, Americans in general dont mind or rather arent bothered about the NY mosque. I have spoken to many fellows here in the "Bible belt" and their attitude is of indifference. However, one learned gentleman (a geezer, Vietnam vet) put it this way - he said he rather not have the mosque built there near Ground Zero not for any other reason but for the reason that Americans are tired having to tread on egg shells or treat everything with kid gloves when it comes to Islam. He asked why? Why are their sentiments so easily offended? Why do they still stick to their bronze-age traditions/customs when they come to US in pursuit of the American dream? Why is American culture so offending to them and yet they want to come to US of A? IMHO, valid questions. Any answers?
Answers to what? What comparison is being made here? Muslims taking offense at cartoons meant to be derogatory and demeaning towards Islam and Muslims vs a community center that in no way seeks to 'make fun of', denigrate or minimize the attacks of 9/11?
And what 'bronze age traditions and customs' do the majority of Muslim Americans follow? Its all very well to pass uninformed and offensive snide comments (like 'bronze age traditions) that find a willing and equally uninformed audience, but what exactly are the traditions that most American Muslims follow that are so repressive and vulgar?
You are not asking me to respond to honest 'questions', but respond to demagoguery. Try again with more specifics.
If you answer that a few conservative voices dont speak for Islam, then in the same vein, a few conservative right wingers dont speak for the Americans. Your views of Americans' understanding of the issue in question based no conservative TV/Radio shows is as wrong as it gets. However in their defense, they dont go about killing innocents in the name of US or any other platform they apparently are supporting. While 9/11 had nothing to do with Islam, the perpetrators and their supporters very well claimed that it was for Islam! And therein lies the problem.
And I never said that the right-wing in American speaks for 'all Americans', which is why I have very specifically referred to 'right wing nutters' etc. Please stop putting words in peoples mouths (or in our keystrokes in this case). Distorting someone's comments to try and make your point better is intellectual dishonest.
And a community and peoples cannot be responsible for nut cases going around claiming to do evil in the name of the community and faith. Its not like Muslims have super powers to control the minds of these people and make them stop using a distorted interpretation of Islam as justification. We have voiced our opposition to these acts, while the likes of OBL and AQ glorify them and proudly proclaim them, and that should be more than enough to contrast us vs them.
The Indian community is right in voicing their opinion and a correct opinion at that. The point that many members are making here implying that Indian Muslims arent Muslim enough to voice opinions regarding Islam are, seriously, perverted!
I don't know if they are Muslim enough or not, but the IAM Association definitely comes across as 'appeasing prejudice' given the lack of any strong rationale or arguments supporting their position of having the mosque relocated.
