In this Daily Show clip, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf makes a very good point: if, after all of this controversy, he backs down from building the so-called “9/11 Mosque,”* then the radicals on both sides will have won. More importantly, “the headlines in the Muslim world will be that Islam is under attack.” This would further endanger Americans both abroad and here at home, meaning at this point the best thing to do for America is to ensure that the place gets built.

Of course, the best thing to do for America—regardless of how this would be viewed abroad—is to ensure the protection of religious freedom of expression. Even for those who think the proposed location is in poor taste, upholding our national values and our constitutionally protected rights should always matter more. We are a country that self-consciously decided to protect the rights of all citizens to practice any religion, and abandoning that belief would be more than poor taste—it would cost us part of our national soul.

That being said, it would probably be a good idea for the center to include some sort of display acknowledging the role that Islam played in the 9/11 attacks, while at the same time emphasizing how their own understanding of the faith condemns such acts.

*According to the Huffington Post, the “mosque” is actually a community center with a space for prayer, not something a Muslim would consider a mosque, nor most Christians consider a church.

(via jeffbridges)