Today is a Horse of Many Different Colours

"I'm not comfortable with violence, I know this country has enemies but I don't feel violent towards any of them."

- 'President' Bartlett, The West Wing

Today began my adventure to make my way through the entire series of The West Wing. I found myself, by the second episode, physically compelled to hug Martin Sheen after hearing him speak the words above. If only every world leader felt this way.

On the ninth anniversary of September 11th, I find myself exhausted. Not by daily activities, not by overbearing responsibilities, and most certainly not by current work load (Happy L'Eid everyone!), but rather by the media coverage surrounding a certain Terry Jones and his Dove World Outreach Centre. The volume at which this has received attention is deafening. And I'm still uncertain as to how exactly the world let a maniacal, single, radical, voice speak for an entire nation.

What surely began as a Gainesville local news blip about an off-his-rocker pastor with a demented plan to mark this tragic day, the international media followed - chomping at the bit of a shock-factor headline. In allowing a minuscule fraction of radical opinion to penetrate the image of America both domestically and to the far reaches of the world, ignited an equally radical response from those nations we have already been building to resolve unsteady relations. From Pakistan to Afghanistan, burnings of American flags and effigies of Mr Jones followed mere mention of their holy scripture being torched.

With both ideologies being so utterly rash and audacious, the impulse to grab each side by the ear and drag them to separate corners permeates my instincts. The level of frustration, bafflement, and helplessness goes beyond words. Being an American and realizing these bonfire planners also call themselves American is nauseating enough. Being an American in an Islamic Kingdom watching this blasphemy on television with your Muslim family is frankly embarrassing, if not mortifying. With all the love and generosity that has been shown to me over the last year of my service, I can't imagine how some Americans are being brainwashed by such a man as Mr Jones.

He mentioned at one point that he would only suspend burning plans if he was to meet with the Imam (or Iman as he incorrectly put it) and was promised that the Islamic Centre would not be built near ground zero. To quickly list few of the infinite reasons why this completely illogical and uncalled for - the centre would be two blocks from ground zero not marking where the two towers once stood, remember that one time we had a first amendment?, the centre includes multi-faith prayer rooms, a swimming pool, a children's play space, classrooms - anything a successful community centre would have. The entire discussion over the ill-placement of this compound is beyond me.

America desperately needs to be reminded that 'It was not a religion that attacked us that September Day, it was al-Qaeda', as President Obama spoke recently. Islam is a beautiful religion. As is Christianity and Judaism. And so, this weekend marks significance in all of our walks of life. Whether it is celebrating our first year of Peace Corps service (pats on backs fellow '09 volunteers), remembering those we lost on that fateful September day, celebrating L'Eid al-Fitr and the end of Ramadan, or Rosh Hashanah and the Jewish New Year, I urge you all towards peace, love, and compassion, and at least an attempt at understanding.