A Lightning Rod for a Wide Range of Opponents

           In her article, author Lila Abu-Lughod questions whether Muslim women really need saving while taking into consideration anthropological perspectives of cultural relativism. Specifically, her work focuses on post 9-1-1 and the impact that the war in Afghanistan has had on Muslim women. Despite her feminist view, Abu-Lughod feels we need to be wary of not only the Western response to the events and aftermath of September 11, 2001, but also of intentions towards the concern of Muslim women’s well being.

       Meanwhile, the controversy regarding Park 51 is closely related to Abu-Lughod’s argument regarding the Western misconception of the veil as a symbol of the Muslim religion’s oppression of women. Proposed to be built two blocks away from Ground Zero, Park 51 would replace an abandoned building that was used as a Burlington Coat Factory (Hossain, 2010). Despite media coverage and journalists who refer to this building as the “Ground Zero Mosque," there is actually no Ground Zero Mosque. A mosque is a purely religious structure built for the purpose of gathering for prayer and worship, whereas Park 51 that is going to be built near, not on, Ground Zero is an Islamic community center which plans to house a culinary school, an auditorium, a swimming pool, theater, fitness center, food court, childcare area, bookstore, basketball court, and yes, space for prayer (Hossain, 2010). However, we do not label the Ottawa Civic Hospital a church because it happens to have a chapel inside of it, do we? Here, both the controversy over the veil and Park 51 can be understood as examples of how multiculturalism has been denied through perpetuating the fear of Islamic terrorism, or Islamaphobia post 9-1-1. Read more>>