Mosque at Ground Zero

The Muslim community in lower Manhattan is planning to build a community center and mosque two blocks away from the location of "Ground Zero." Ground Zero is the place where the former World Trade Center twin towers stood before terrorists destroyed them on September 11, 2001.

The intention to build this community center in a building owned by the Muslim community has quickly sparked a national controversy about the freedom of religion on one hand, and an insensitive affront to the 9/11 victims and their families.

Generally speaking, there seem to be three arguments against building a mosque or Muslim community center.

• Terrorists who destroyed the World Trade Center and killed almost 3,000 people there in 2001 really did represent Islam and that to pretend otherwise is a dangerous delusion.
  
  
• No, al-Qaeda does not speak for Islam, but many people -- including survivors and relatives of the victims -- naturally associate the two, and therefore it would be "insensitive" to locate anything Islamic so close to the scene of the crime.
  
  
• Polls indicate that most Americans oppose construction of the mosque; and therefore opposition is useful for political candidates who play to the majority of Americans who outwardly appear biased against Muslims.

On the other side of the controversy are the following arguments:

• American Muslims are citizens and they have the Constitutional right to build what they consider to be a symbolic "Peace Center" by including facilities for all faiths to worship.
  
  
• Doesn't the opposition to the Community Center and Mosque by Americans confirm to over a billion Muslims all over the world that Americans disrespect the Muslim religion and Muslims in general? Doesn't this serve to recruit more terrorists for al-Qaeda?
  
  
• The Muslim Americans who want to build a community center are no more responsible for, or supportive of, the attacks of September 11 than any other Americans; how can their plans be "insensitive"?
  
  
• How far away from ground zero is far enough? And who will support such a move if there is a compromise?

Assign students to write a report of at least 150 words or a presentation of at least seven slides. Students should cite at least three resources from the results list using the pathfinder listed below. They should address the following essential questions for critical thinking (you can add or substitute others):

• What are the arguments for NOT building the Muslim Community Center and which is the most important to you?
  
  
• What are the arguments FOR building the Muslim Community Center and which is the most important to you?
  
  
• What good can come from the national debate on this issue?
  
  
• How would you solve this controversy and why?

Basic Search > Type "Community Center at Ground Zero"

Your students can use our custom ProQuest models for written and PowerPoint-style reports.

Teachers may be interested in a ProQuest flexible rubrics model for evaluating inquiry-based learning activities.

Educators may also wish to employ the Quizinator Web tool (free, but registration required) for creating a variety of printed resources, including short assessments.

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