NYTimes Upfront - Teen Coverage About Ground Zero / Islam Controversy

Islam: Not in My Backyard?

The proposed mosque near Ground Zero is grabbing the headlines, but it's not the only one that's causing a stir. What does this say about freedom of religion and America's relationship with Islam?

By Laurie Goodstein

Over the summer, a high-profile battle erupted over plans to build an Islamic community center and mosque in New York two blocks from Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center stood until it came crashing down in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

What would otherwise have been a local issue—after all, two other smaller mosques have existed nearby for decades without any controversy—has morphed into a highly politicized national debate about the particular sensitivities required when dealing with the site of the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history.

But it's not the only mosque meeting resistance: There have also been protests against mosques in Tennessee, California, and Wisconsin.

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