Close up: All for Cordoba House? By Salama Ahmed Salama I am not sure if President Barack Obama acted wisely by getting involved in the debate surrounding the construction of a mosque close to Ground Zero. Obama came out in support of the mosque, saying that Muslims are entitled to the same religious freedoms as all other Americans. But his remarks may have backfired, releasing even worse waves of hatred against American Muslims. So far, the hate campaigns against Muslims have proven too vindictive to be ignored just for the sake of symbolism. A majority of Americans seem to oppose building of a mosque so close to the point where 3,000 people were killed by Muslim terrorists. The mosque -- which is actually a social and cultural centre as well -- has been portrayed as an insult to the memory of the victims of 9/11. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who's Jewish and pro-Israeli, wants the mosque to be built. He has refused to budge despite angry protests and banners denouncing the mosque for its proximity to Ground Zero. Obama defended the building of the mosque at a Ramadan dinner he hosted at the White House. Ramadan dinners have become something of a tradition. Even George W Bush held them regularly. A day or two later, having caught flak over the issue, Obama backtracked, saying that he was only speaking of principles, and that the mosque's site may not have been the best choice. It doesn't seem so far that those pushing for Cordoba House, as the mosque facility is called, are mainly Muslims. Actually, a majority of Muslims may not be seeking a confrontation of this type, or a controversy that pits them against the families of 9/11 victims, who have been demonstrating for weeks. The New York mayor is entitled to his views. And others who have joined the campaign to build the mosque may have other things in mind. Take, for example, Obama. Obviously, he didn't want to fight a battle for the mosque. What he doesn't seem to understand yet is that the Muslim world doesn't care much about his position on terror or how he feels about the hate campaigns by rightwing Republicans. What bothers Muslims worldwide is Obama's reluctance to take an even-handed approach to the Palestinian issue. Obama's unwavering bias towards Israel is something that few Muslims expected. The Obama administration has so far met none of the promises it made. If anything, this administration has helped Israeli extremists shake off their international obligations towards the Palestinian people. Obama's support to the building of a mosque in New York and his rhetoric concerning the right of Muslims to practice their religion amount to nothing at the end of the day. There is no way you can have freedom of worship when you live in a society that questions your entitlement to basic human rights. The US president wants to make the right noises. He wants to say the stuff that appeases Muslims without doing anything for their cause. This is something he did in the past, when he came to Cairo University and spoke with such eloquence, making all the promises in the world, promises he failed to keep. Obama said that he was opposed to settlements. He even called for a freeze on settlements. Then Israel kept building settlements and he did nothing about it. At present, he is pressuring Mahmoud Abbas to negotiate with Israel, even without laying down an agenda to guide the negotiators. New York Muslims would be better advised to build their mosque elsewhere, away from the bigotry and the hypocrisy of it all. Many Muslim groups in America are already noticing a rise in hatred against them. Why make things worse?
