On Monday night, a group of faithful believers met to discuss the idea of building a new house of worship in Dalton. The seventy-five or so believers are cramped in their current church, so much so that, during winter, they are forced to celebrate their seasonal service in a nearby gymnasium.

In the main room of the Dalton courthouse, the faithful met before the Planning Commission. Surrounding them, though, were dozens of angry Dalton citizens, protesting the construction of their new church. One man was so passionate that he would not stop speaking even after a commissioner ordered him to be quiet.

Why would these people of Dalton behave in such a way? Why would a house of worship be fought with such emotion, especially when faith is so important to so many in Dalton?

Because the group of faithful believers are not Christian.

They are Muslim.

The Dalton Islamic Center seeks to build a new mosque on an 11 acre site wedged between two Baptist churches and one Bible church. On Monday night, at a public hearing, members of the Islamic Center listened as their Dalton neighbors rallied together on Monday night to protest the construction.

The Muslims met protest that was both indirect and direct ways. County officials have hinted that construction would be stopped, perhaps because of inadequate sewer systems or height restrictions. One man stood up at the meeting and voiced his fear that the Islamic Center would become a refuge for terrorists. As he sat down, the crowd applauded loudly.

This is racism.

Racism can be defined as believing something about a man, or woman, simply because of the color of their skin. It can range from hot racism _ lynching, segregation, to cold racism, police profiling, white men can’t jump. Since Sept. 11, and the resulting war against Iraq, many Americans have been harboring the fear that any Muslim is a bad Muslim. Since the terrorists were Islamic, then all believers in Islam must be terrorists too.

This is ignorance.

Since they share the same skin color, are white men in Dalton related to Hitler? Hitler claimed to be a Christian as well, so should we assume all followers of Christ also believe in Auschwitz?

No. Of course not. So why should we do the same to Muslims in America?

Are there radical Islamic fundamentalists who call for the destruction of America? Yes. Yet, the deep and sorrowful trouble comes when we believe that small minority represents all of Islam.

“Islam is not a vigilante religion where any clandestine group can make up its own rules, pick its own enemies, and disregard all norms and customs related to the legal conduct of warfare,’’ writes Yahiya Emerick, Muslim author and president of the Islamic Foundation of North America. “Al Qaeda has no following among the Muslim community anywhere in the world.

“The first thought I, and every other Muslim, had (after September 11) was, ‘O God, please don’t let it be Muslims who did it’.’’

We commit the crime of racism when we find terrorists in our Muslim neighbors. Are not Christians (in Dalton too) called to love their neighbor? Did not Christ preach the story of the Good Samaritan, who gave his time and money and risked his life to help a dying man, of a different race?

If we forget this, we forget Christ. Where would we have found him on Monday night, sitting at the meeting? Do we forget that Christ, since he lived in the Middle East, looked more like a Muslim than a white American? If we saw Christ for the first time, would we be afraid, since he looks like the terrorists we see on the news?

One final question: how many of the Dalton protestors know by name the Muslims they were protesting against? How many have shared a lunch together, or discussed faith together, or life in America together? How many can speak for two minutes on the principles of the Muslim faith, many of which are quite similar to the Christian tradition?

Can other Christians churches in Dalton respond with interfaith meetings? Can a dialogue take place between two different, yet similar, faiths? Can we find our common bond when the world tries to divide us all?

Usually, when two groups are clashing in such a way, meetings like these have not taken place.

And that, perhaps, is the greatest crime of all.

(David Cook is a former journalist for the Chattanooga Times-Free Press. He currently teaches American history at Girls Preparatory School and can be reached at dcook7@gmail.com)

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David Cook defines racism as "Racism can be defined as believing something about a man, or woman, simply because of the color of their skin.." So David if someone believes the average black person is taller than the average oriental are they racist? If they believe that "as a rule" black men are better at basketball than Orientals are they racist? That out of the way, I don't see how it has any bearing on the rest of your story.

I make this statement to point out the folly of the logic employed throughout this opinion. Personally I don't have enough of the facts about this issue to say either side is right or wrong but I do know the following. Open minded progressive thinking folks in Holland, Sweden, France, Great Britain and elsewhere welcomed Muslim immigrants with open arms and statements that resembled Mr. Cook's. But now that there are people being killed and the general state of things being disrupted due to hate being spread directly from mosques, they are re-thinking their stance. Holland is considering outlawing the practice of Isalm. Sweden has one city that is unsafe for non-Muslims to enter and is considering action as well.

So Mr. Cook's statement of "“Islam is not a vigilante religion where any clandestine group can make up its own rules, pick its own enemies, and disregard all norms and customs related to the legal conduct of warfare,’’ writes Yahiya Emerick, Muslim author and president of the Islamic Foundation of North America. “Al Qaeda has no following
among the Muslim community anywhere in the world. “Islam is not a vigilante religion where any clandestine group can make up its own rules, pick its own enemies, and disregard all norms and customs related to the legal conduct of warfare,’’ writes Yahiya Emerick, Muslim author and president of the Islamic Foundation of North America. “Al Qaeda has no following among the Muslim community anywhere in the world." rings very hollow. There are numerous instances of mosques worldwide contributing funds, support and hate-speak to the cause of these murderers.

So Mr. Cook, you can call the citizens of Dalton racist and ignorant all you want. But as they say, "facts is facts" and unfortunately for you, the facts are not on your side. I do believe that the Islamic community worldwide has some serious problems that they can solve from within if they so desire. If they choose not to, then Dalton will not be the last community where the welcome mat will be pulled back inside the door and the bolt latched.

I would have thought a professional reporter's piece would have contained more fact and less emotion.

Carlos Castillion
carlos@laserresources.net

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I don't know David Cook and I wasn't at the Muslim/Christian meeting in Dalton that was supposed to be such a disgrace to humanity, but I find it irritating to hear such bleeding hearts go on and on about how they are so smart and everyone else is so dumb.

They have it all figured out, don't they. They always like to use the word "ignorant." Are you really that smart? If you are so smart, why did you not notify the FBI prior to Sept. 11 of the terrorist pilots who were training in Florida and planning the attack? Did these people have "TERRORIST" tattooed on their foreheads? No. They blended in and used our own free society against us. That is what allowed their plan to be successful.

I know not all Muslims are terrorists, but if they are so against extremist why are they not more out spoken and try harder to distance themselves from the terrorists? I haven't seen a worldwide condemnation of terrorism by Muslims, have you? Can you tell a terrorist from a non-terrorist? I can't. But I know terrorists are people who hate our way of life, they hate our freedoms, and they want to kill us. They are willing to die themselves, in order to kill us. A "live and let live" attitude, such as yours, is a death wish.

It is funny you mentioned Hitler. When Hitler was trying to come to power, he was jailed due to his actions. I would assume that if you had been alive during this time, you would have taken out your pen and written a letter to the editor about how badly Hitler was being treated merely because of his beliefs. How everyone who was against him were "ignorant." You would have probably been down at the jail house demanding his release. Would you have been smart enough to know how it would have all turned out once he was let back out of prison?

Don't over analyze my letter, or think I am comparing one group to another. Just know that these "ignorant" people you speak of are just acting on their past experiences and history. Are they right or wrong, I don't know, and you don't either.

We live in a Democracy, where majority rules. We can't let everyone, have everything they want, at every moment. I think people forget this little detail. Some people will be disappointed, that's how it works. If the majority don't want the Muslim church, then that is how it should be. They are still free to practice their religion, thanks to our free country.

If Wal-mart can be refused to build at a specific location due to public opposition, is this discrimination brought on by a bunch of "ignorant" citizens?

J. Spitler
cspitler@bright.net

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This issue has brought up God, Wal-Mart, religion and ignorance - a common, albeit explosive mixture in the social discourse since 9-11. At the same time, there is a dearth of common sense.

Despite what J. Spitler thinks, we do not live in a democracy "where majority rules." Despite the efforts
of the current presidential administration, we live in a republic with an established system of checks and balances to prevent any "majority" from running roughshod over those who do not agree. The City of Dalton should view this project as it would any other by analyzing traffic flow and impact on surrounding
properties. If all else is equal, a site that is appropriate for the Baptists is appropriate for the
Muslims.

The issue of constructing a new mosque in Dalton is bound to cause some consternation among the neighbors.

If you are afraid of the site being used by Muslims to plot and scheme a new blow against the Republic, please regain some common sense.

Assuming the folks building the mosque are truly dedicated to our destruction, what are they doing now?
Could they not stage clandestine meetings in attics, basements and living rooms of houses next door to you?

It takes more than a mosque to create a terrorist.

Your paranoia is incomplete.

K.A. Martin
ocoee2@yahoo.com

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Last time I checked, freedom of religion applied to all religions, not just to we Christians. In the absence of any illegal activity, a Muslim group has the same right to build a facility as the Southern Baptists (of which I am one) do.

The planning commission in Dalton is obliged to act according to law rather than personal preferences. The United States is a republic - not a theocracy - and has checks and balances to protect the minority from the "tyranny of the majority".

Osama bin Laden is likely no more a typical Muslim than Timothy McVeigh was a typical Christian. I agree Mr. Cook was a bit heavy handed in his characterization of Daltonians, perhaps reflecting his own prejudice.

Gary Tester
cow257@bellsouth.net