In Sidney, New York, a town of about 6,000 and located 150 miles north of New York City, there has been a debate over religious tolerance that has sparked the attention of the nation. In November of 2009, a Sufi Muslim man, Amir Celoski, was killed in a car accident and was the first to be buried in a Sufi cemetary located on Wheat Hill Road in the town. Nine months later, it ignited a huge controversy after a second Sufi man was buried there. At a meeting with the Board of Supervisors in the town, the leaders voted to investigate the Sufi graves. The Sufis had gotten burial permits and followed the proper procedures, but the town Supervisor, Robert McCarthy, still called the graves illegal and said the bodies should be dug up and removed from their town. He said, "You can't just bury Grandma under the picnic table." McCarthy then became a symbol for Muslim-bashing everywhere. Sidney soon attracted the label of an Islamophonic, backwards, and ignorant town. In response, many people in the town bonded together and spoke out against the Board of Supervisors. Over 150 people who had never been to a town meeting or even ever met a Muslim showed up after hearing the accusations against the Sufis and shouted, "Shame on you," and "Apologize," to the Board members. They believe what the Board of Supervisors had done was wrong and wanted to make it right. The Board soon dropped the cemetary issue, but the movement that it had caused within the town was far from over. These people who were fighting for tolerance went to the Sufi center 8 miles from town and also talked with the shiek. They were determined that Sidney would become a prime example of tolerance and understanding. Both sides of the issue still run high in the town, however, with McCarthy supporters holding meetings promoting that all Muslims are terrorists, the Sufis have pictures of Osama Bin Laden at their center, and that the town would still be better off if they dug up their graves and left. The people counteracting that, lead by Han Hass, have been talking with national media, writing letters to town leaders and state officials, and attending meetings of the new group, "Concerned Citizens for Responsible Sidney Government." They are determined to end predjudices and hurtful assumptions that all Muslims are storing weapons, are a cult, or planning something evil. The Sufis in the town are extremely grateful and the town shiek has said, "this can show the world that we can live peacefully as Muslims and non-Muslims, that we can share the same land, that a small town can show the whole country is not mirred in Islamophobia." Others say it fills their heart that people whom they never knew would reach out and help them, and want to get to know them. The people leading this movement insist that we must get to know these Muslims as individuals-the mother giggling at her 14 month year old son, the old man and his walker he needs to walk into his mosque, the beekeeper-so on and so forth. McCarthy still insists, though, that his sole purpose was to decrease tax dollars. He thought that could be accomplished by getting rid of the cemetary. He denies that his proposal had anything to do with them being Muslim. Of course, many people in the town beg to differ. They are working to bring the Muslims justice and to encourage that all fear of them will go away if you only take the time to get to know them.
I found this story very moving. Often we would like to think that today, in 2010, our country has progressed enough to not be prejudiced or condeming to other cultures, religions, and races. Unfortunatly this is not the case. Personally, I think some of the people we are most judgemental upon are Muslims. The reason for this fear of Muslims is rooted in 9/11, which does make sense. However, we need to realize that the Muslims who carried out the attacks were part of an extremist group who view jiihad as a battle against other people and religions and have a hatred of Americans in particular. The vast majority of Muslims are NOT this way. They are peaceful people who view jiihad as an internal struggle to become a better person. I think that our accusations against Muslims in our country is just terrible. This story is a perfect example of it. Here were these peaceful Sufi Muslims living in small town America, and all they wanted was to bury one of their loved ones who had died. They got a permit and went through all the right procedures, and a few months later were told they may have to dig their loved ones up and take them somewhere else. How awful! These Sufis hadn't done anything against the law or anything wrong at all! I'm so glad people in the town stood up against the Board of Supervisors and told them that what they did was wrong. It makes me proud that they have been taking the time to get to know these Muslims as people, not just inaccurate stereotypes. And what have they found out? That they are normal human beings just like us. Yes, they have some different customs, viewpoints, and religious views than the majority of Americans who are Christians like myself, but we need to be accepting and tolerant of each other so that we can live as one country in peace. Since the foundings of our country, we have prided ourselves upon the fact that we are a place of religious freedom and the "melting pot" of many different people. Then because of that we have become one of the most successful countries in the world. Why would we ever want to go backwards and virtually "outlaw" other peoples? I think it's because we're scared of differences, but we have always prided ourselves on that and we need to continue to!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40629213/ns/us_news-life/
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