The Mosque debate in a nutshell

Courtesy of Salon magazine, this exchange between CNN anchor Don Lemon and Eboo Patel, executive director of the Interfaith Youth Corps, pretty much gets to the crux of the biscuit, as Frank Zappa used to put it.

Lemon: Don't you think it's a bit different considering what happened on 9/11? And the people have said there's a need for it in Lower Manhattan, so that's why it's being built there. What about 10, 20 blocks . . . Midtown Manhattan, considering the circumstances behind this? That's not understandable?

Patel: In America, we don't tell people based on their race or religion or ethnicity that they are free in this place, but not in that place --

Lemon: [interrupting] I understand that, but there's always context, Mr. Patel . . . this is an extraordinary circumstance. You understand that this is very heated. Many people lost their loved ones on 9/11 --

Patel: Including Muslim Americans who lost their loved ones. . . .

Lemon: Consider the context here. That's what I'm talking about.

Patel: I have to tell you that this seems a little like telling black people 50 years ago: you can sit anywhere on the bus you like - just not in the front.

Lemon: I think that's apples and oranges - I don't think that black people were behind a Terrorist plot to kill people and drive planes into a building. That's a completely different circumstance.

Patel: And American Muslims were not behind the terrorist plot either.

And that about says it all. Those who are upset about the presence of this community center two blocks from Ground Zero -- it can't bee seen from the site -- erroneously believe that all Muslims are responsible for the attacks of Sept. 11, rather than a few insane extremists.

It would be the same as denouncing all Catholics because Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, and Eric Rudolph, the abortion clinin and Atlanta Olympic bomber, were raised Catholic.

It is wrong to judge all members of a religion by the actions of a few nuts and it reeks of bigotry, not informed public discourse.

Of course, it also ignores the fact that the head of the community center has repeatedly denounced terrorism and the actions of the 9/11 terrorists.

Still, that won't stop some politicians from trying to exploit the issue, and encourage bigotry, to make points.