New York is no stranger to scandal. With everything from Broadway’s envelope-pushing shows to Wall Street’s constant fluctuations, it’s a city always in the public eye.

Recently, the Big Apple has found itself in the middle of a different debate threatening the basic rights established in the constitution itself.

There is talk of a new mosque being built in New York City. This in and of itself is not a problem, but the proposed construction site for the mosque is nine blocks away from ground zero, the site of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, and this has some people up in arms.

Opponents of the mosque have claimed that the 9/11 attack represented a goal for certain fundamentalist Islamic organizations. The ultimate goal of this movement is to turn the United States and the world into an Islamic theocracy, ruled by the law of the Quran and the imams who interpret it.

This building, they claim, is a step in that direction. To establish an Islamic organization so close to the site of an attack of this nature is to further the goal of establishing an Islamic state.

This is not necessarily the case. It’s true that al-Qaida and other fundamentalist Islamic terrorist organizations would see the end of free religious practice and establish a world where everyone is Muslim. However, that is not the same organization that wants to build this mosque.

In fact, the radical Islamic sects that put together the 9/11 attacks are thought of in the Muslim community much the same way as the Ku Klux Klan is thought of by Christians. It’s an extremist movement that not only should not be followed, but also embarrasses the majority of those who practice Islam.

It should also be noted that the proposed mosque is not actually on the site of ground zero. It’s 9 blocks away. How close is too close for a mosque to be built in New York City? 10 blocks? A mile? Should it just not be built in Manhattan?

Ultimately, the fundamental principle this overzealous Jihad is against is the free practice of religion. If this mosque is turned down based on the fact it is an Islamic house of worship, our government would be stepping in and regulating the practice of religion.

Isn’t that what they’re after?

It means that a precedent would be established. It would mean a clear violation of the First Amendment’s protection of the free practice of religion. It would mean a victory for al-Qaida and every organization that is against the free practice of religion. It would be nothing less than giving in to the demands of terrorists.