Usually speaking, I’m not one to engage excessively in hot political debates. I’m not one who would be seen out on the streets voicing my opinion on the controversy over legalizing marijuana or immigration laws.

But here I am, nearly 3,000 miles from New York City, voicing my opinion over the racially charged emotional debate of whether a 13-story Islamic community center and mosque should be built as close as two blocks from the World Trade Center Site.

It would be close enough for the naked eye of visitors, who come to visit the hollowed ground of the WTC site, to remember the heartbreaking catastrophic event of 9/11.

The Islamic center, which was originally set to be called “Cordoba House,” is now being called “Park51” and referred to as the “Ground Zero Mosque.” 

The center would hold a fitness center, swimming pool, basketball court, childcare center, restaurant, culinary school, a reflection space, 500 seat auditorium, Sept. 11 memorial, and of course a mosque for praying; which would be open to all religious backgrounds.

Although the sources behind Park51 seem to have good intentions, I would like to know their motive.

With many mosques already around the existing area, I find it tremendously unnecessary and have to wonder.

Why build a $100 million mosque in an already extremely sensitive area for any reason other than for Islam to conquest over the same area in which Islamic extremists hijacked two planes, crashed them into the twin towers and killed nearly 3,000 people?

Why would people of Islamic religion feel the need to take over and represent themselves so close to the WTC site?

This is not to say all Muslims should be looked at as terrorists and not to say that their freedom in this country should be abolished. This country is represented around the word “freedom,” supported by the first amendment in which we “respect an establishment of religion.”

I do agree with President Obama’s statement, “Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan.”

While this is true, I find myself agreeing with most republicans on the issue of how enormously insensitive it is to those who lost loved ones, friends, co-workers, and were immensely traumatized and still are, nine years after the event took place.

As you may be thinking, why would the Islamic center hurt so many still grieving people?

Well to be honest, I wouldn’t want to go visit the World Trade Center site and see a massive Islamic community center. This would only remind me of the same religious extremists who destroyed the Twin Towers.

Although the Islamic people living in New York are not terrorists, it still holds the reminder. In my mind, the WTC site should be untouched, as a mourning place and home to those who would like to visit and remember 9/11, with no religious views taking over.

We have yet to see if the center will actually be built. I hope to see an end to this controversy, and I hope that this end will leave the people who were most affected by 9/11 pleased.