SCHOLARLY POV

In this Aug. 18 blog post, Baker Institute fellow Joe Barnes expresses his support for the construction of an Islamic community center two blocks away from the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks in New York. He cites three reasons for his support of the project, which opponents have described as a "Ground Zero Mosque":

1. The Constitution protects the free practice of religion;
2. The center will include programs that stress interfaith understanding; and
3. Blocking the construction at this point would send a message of intolerance to Muslims in America and around the world.

Do you think the Islamic community center should be built near Ground Zero? Why or why not? Join the conversation at the Baker Institute Blog.