Memory of 9/11 – Wounds Need to Heal for Future Solidarity

My apologies for not getting this out sooner; I was a bit tied up the last few days and couldn’t make it on time. Still, regardless of the particular day, the sentiment is the same as is the importance behind the need to express it.

After the tragedy of 9/11 nine years ago, Americans have been aware of a new reality that they never, in their wildest dreams, suspected would befall them, at least not on their land. It woke them up to the dangers bursting forth throughout the world and reminded them that their country and their lives were not immune to such terrifying devastation. I don’t think they have settled right ever since.

As tragic as it was, however, 9/11 has its positives; it has forced Americans to be less complacent and self-assured. Yes, the death of some 3,000 innocent people should not be shrugged away, nor is it my attitude or intention to do so; but those who survive continue to gain perspective and strength from it and carry on.

But they don’t forget.

Now, Ground Zero is a lasting memorial, not only to those who are gone, but also to the integrity and fortitude of those who live. National pride and simple human respect are essential and beyond compromise.

Not too long ago, a group of Muslims proposed erecting a facility near the site–a center for Islamic congregation, or a mosque. Normally, this would not sound so offensive, but the instant backlash by throngs of non-Islamic Americans set the conflict in motion. What went wrong.

Nothing, except the location.

Yes, Islamic Americans have a right to build on public property or private if they already own it. This point has never been in contention. As a proponent of civil freedoms, I defend every citizen’s right to the extent of what the Constitution claims is entitled for her or him.

But this situation goes deeper than that, straight into the heart of America and its people. Symbolism comes into play here. Even though this mental state never hurt anybody or projected anything beyond simple meaning, the pride and pain American’s feel over the tribute put said symbolism into action so it becomes an actual living and breathing organism and entity involved in the rational thinking that Americans employ with regard to what they feel. Non-Islamic Americans are simply sharing those feelings with the Islamic community.

It’s only been nine years, and wounds suffered by this nation are still raw and fresh. Yes, Americans remember all too well, and anything that threatens that memory, even the placement of a structure, can trigger hostilities, especially if that structure is a mosque.

Is this biased? Perhaps, but rightly so, at least at this point in time. People need to heal, the nation needs to heal, and it will require time–a lot of time.

Obama’s recent proclamation regarding tolerance is a wise one, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. With tensions high after the proposal of the Islamic center near Ground Zero, America as a nation must maintain patience and remain calm. Likewise the Muslim community would be advised to show some understanding with regards to why non-Islamics are acting so defensively to this proposal. At a time when they still hurt over their losses, many American citizens are quietly embroiled in their pain and resentment. Obama apparently understands this as well, which is why he found his proclamation necessary to make. If conflicts get too far out-of-hand, wounds will not heal and any relationship America has with the Islamic nation will likely grow worse or disintegrate altogether.

That’s why, even though the mosque’s placement at this point time seems inappropriate in light of the sensitivity radiating through the American consciousness, Obama’s need to permit its construction is ever so crucial for the sake of facilitating the healing process.

The most important perspective is the one that looks into the future and sees a stronger, healthier nation, one as diverse as the one that exists today but embodies a greater degree of cultural enlightenment. Only this way can America and the Middle East establish a solid relationship built on mutual trust, respect and a growing sense of peace.