America Transformed

On the anniversary of the 9/11 attack radical Islam and the American right remain engaged in a fierce competition to demonstrate which hates America more for its freedom. Barack Obama marked the day with a call for religious tolerance:

“As Americans we are not — and never will be — at war with Islam,” the president said. “It was not a religion that attacked us that September day — it was al-Qaida, a sorry band of men which perverts religion.”

The American right is celebrating a day with another hate fest hosted by Glenn  Beck and Sarah Palin, but fortunately the planned Quran burning has been called off. A major issue on the right remains protesting a planned Islamic cultural center to be located near (not on) the site of the terrorist attack. The proposed cultural center includes a prayer room–not unlike either a sanctuary at many Jewish Community Centers or even the Islamic prayer room previously located in the twin towers.

It is unfortunate that Osama bin Laden got exactly what he wanted on 9/11 due to the irrational response from the American right, which has turned the United States into a country we would not have recognized in many ways back in 2001.