There's been a lot of discussion of Park51 lately, so here's a helpful recap with some links you might want to read:
UPDATE: I went to a talk by Scott Alexander, professor of Islam at Catholic Theological Union, on Sunday and got to ask him about the debate after the talk. Check it out:
Today's guest blog posts:
For the mosque by Meg Funk, O.S.B
Against the mosque by Michael J Kerrigan
Catholic News Service: New York mosque controversy echoes anti-Catholicism of another era
My blog posts:
Is productive dialogue possible around Ground Zero? – I argue for keeping interfaith dialogue in the news but losing the politics.
The fear behind the Muslim center at Ground Zero – I argue that there's a more general fear behind all the protests against mosques around the country.
Good reading on other websites:
Politifact: Fact-checking the "Ground-Zero mosque" debate
CNN: Family members of 9/11 victims support and denounce NYC Islamic Center
Also check out the video, featuring Bruce Feiler talking about how this has grown from a local issue to a national issue about whether religion can get along.
LA Times: New York mosque controversy worries Muslims overseas
NY Times: Mosque near Ground Zero exposes mixed feelings locally (about NYC Muslims' reactions)
And finally, since people are so split on this issue, a way to resolution:
NY Daily News: Archbishop Dolan talks 'Ground Zero mosque' with Gov. Paterson, has no 'strong feelings' on location
Dolan: "What we do not need are protests, but promoters of dialogue."
