The Ground Zero Mosque
Over the past month there has been much discussion in the American media about a mosque that is to be built several blocks away from the Ground Zero site. On one side, Republicans claim that Ground Zero is “hallowed ground” and that Muslims are seeking to build a so called victory mosque on the site of their conquest. On the other side, many, but not all, Democrats have voiced support for the mosque project on the grounds that Freedom of Religion is a right shared by all Americans, and that the mosque is something the community needs. Interestingly absent from the discussion is the issue of property rights. Namely, who owns the property where the proposed mosque will be built? Very often we lose track of the property rights issue, however, it is a very useful tool for determining what is just. Without question the owner of the property can decide what to do with it, and if a mosque is what has been decided upon by the owner, this should be the end of the discussion. Nobody has to agree with the wisdom of building a mosque so close to Ground Zero, and avenues do exist to protest.
Worth noting is that Republicans, those wrongly considered to be the defenders of property rights, are mostly against the building of the mosque, with the notable exception of Ron Paul, while Democrats are in the interesting position of supporting the construction of the mosque, perhaps for political correctness reasons, but are so morally and ideologically bankrupt that they would not dare to refer to a property rights argument in order to make their case. Also worth noting is that most Americans and New Yorkers are against the construction of the mosque.
To conclude this admittedly brief post, it is a sad day when the question of property rights is not reflexively asked in the first instance. Property rights can be very appropriately used to avoid conflict and ensure justice, while politics will ensure conflict and, in most cases, prevent justice.
