Is "Muslim" Just Another Word For Terrorist?

Powerful opposition is mounting to a proposed 13 story Muslim mosque two blocks from 9/11's ground zero in New York and it's already raging over the construction of Muslim houses of worship across the U.S. Why? The claim is mosques are a tribute to terrorism and an insult to 9/11's victims.

That the ground zero mosque would include "a 9/11 memorial and contemplation space" is beside the point to those who oppose it, for the fast growing premise across America is Muslims are terrorists. Yet when 9/11 hit, Muslims were as stunned as anyone else and most Muslims offered their condolences and assistance.

But the U.S. government ignored them and invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, seeking the blood of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein and that of any "terrorist cells." As a result, the U.S. violated its own Constitution, the Geneva Convention and the United Nations Charter, by invading and occupying other nations. It brought wars that have killed or injured or made refugees of millions of Muslims, and orphaned tens of thousands of Muslim children, while thousands of Muslims are held without charge in Guantanamo and elsewhere.

And it isn't only foreign Muslims. American troops, including those who are Muslim, and America's allied troops also have thousands of dead and severely injured soldiers and many of their children are growing up in single parent homes.

To judge the world's 1.4 billion Muslims, which live in 57 nations, including 7 million in America, by the acts of a tiny number of fanatics would be the same as judging all Christians by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Instead, we must judge individuals by their actions.

As a Jew, I remind us all that our Muslim brethren have been with us for 1400 years and that Muslim nations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Jordan, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia (where most of the 9/11 terrorists were from) are major U.S. trading partners and allies. Muslims families just want what we all do, peace and justice and opportunities for better lives. They need our support not our suspicion.

Dick