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A true demonstration of American values

2 min read

Want to see a demonstration of American greatness? Look no further than Monroeville.

Earlier this month, the council in the eastern Allegheny County municipality was considering a proposal by a Shia Muslim group to build a mosque in the community. Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, some residents turned out to oppose it, offering the usual talking points that have been well-polished by Islamophobes. According to KDKA-TV, one woman said she was concerned about her safety, citing a verse from the Koran about infidels, and then another resident described Islam as “a questionable lifestyle” and “anti-American,” summing up its teachings are “well against the format of normal American values,” though the precise nature of “normal” American values were left unspecified.

But then, a couple of days later, the Monroeville Council did the right thing and, by a 7-0 vote, approved the construction of the mosque. In the words of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, it was “quick, quiet and unanimous.”

Of all the communities in the Pittsburgh region, Monroeville is perhaps the most religiously diverse. As the Post-Gazette pointed out, there is already one mosque in the municipality, along with a Sikh temple and two Hindu temples. The new mosque will be within close proximity of Catholic, Presbyterian and Lutheran churches.

A Monroeville resident who hails from Iraq told the Post-Gazette he was confident the mosque would be approved “because of the law.”

“This country is working because of the law, not personal opinions,” he said. “According to the law, we can build a place for prayer, for worship.”

The fact the law allows that – and allows it for all religious faiths – is an American value that should be recognized, celebrated and embraced by all of us.

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