Park51- An Artistic Response to 9/11

American Response to Park51 Design

by Chelsea Brown

Nothing has been the subject of such extreme controversy like the Park51 Community Center, soon to be located in lower Manhattan in New York City. Also known to the public as the “9/11 Mosque”, it will take over a small part of Manhattan that was destroyed on September 11, 2001. Those who oppose it believe it is in poor taste to put an Islamic Mosque “right next” to a spot that caused so much trauma to the American people. These are the same people who believe that Islam and its followers, a usually very peaceful and understanding faith, were solely to blame for the atrocities that day.

Many Americans, and especially those who call themselves Christian, see Islam and the Middle East as binary oppositions. Even though both faiths share many of the same values, they are seen as binary opposites to each other. This is why Park51 has been the subject of a large controversy. The reasoning behind this fear is called “orientalism”, a term coined by theorist Edward Said. The Middle East and Asia, at least to Europeans and Americans, has always been shrouded in mystery. Due to its geographical location and difference in culture, many westerners just assume that the “East” is just farther behind in culture and technological advances. The East, for many people, will always be a dark land of snake charmers and exotic women. This sort of ignorance is what leads people to fear Islam and those from the Middle East, and now, the Park51 Community Center. 

Park51 will not only serve as a religious center for Muslims, but as a content and culture rich community center. It will have language courses, an indoor pool, and even a fitness center. The worship center will be a small part of what it has to offer to the surrounding community, yet people see it as an imposing Mosque moving in on the sanctity of Ground Zero. A large reason that certain people oppose the project is that its design draws influence from traditional Islamic Architecture. It is not distinctly Islamic in any particular way, but its slight influences are rather obvious. SOMA Architects, the consultant firm that drew up initial sketches, designed a building that was light and airy- a building that would feature large open windows and bright white marble or stone on the exterior. The structure is not imposing, but a bright symbol of hope for the community.

The exterior is reminiscent of a Mashrabiya, or a stone-cut sunscreen seen in many examples of Mughal architecture (16^th- 19^th Century). The asymmetrical and jagged star cutouts are reminiscent of the eight pointed star seen in many examples of Islamic architecture and art throughout the Middle East. Islamic art cannot have human representation in any of its forms, so often times, artists and architects would resort to geometric designs and flowers. This star in particular is sometimes known as a “Seal of the Prophets” and is a very popular symbol for Muslims around the world. Park51’s screen cut design is reminiscent of this symbol, but it is not actually located anywhere on the design. Some people have also said the star cutouts also look like the Jewish Star of David and similar Christian star symbols seen in the Bible. The pattern is generic and sporadic; one cannot designate the actual origin of the design.

The images of the proposed design of Park51 have popped up all over the internet and news. People have seen its design and have called it inherently Islamic in nature, which wasn’t the goal of the architects. The goals of Park51 are community-oriented. The cross-cultural design of the structure is to promote understanding and a sense of unity between the three major religions in America. The building will not only bring about cultural and community unification, but it will revitalize a part of Manhattan that is lying dormant and unused. Park51 will revitalize the community, both in faith and in practice. 

To keep up on news concerning Park51, please visit their blog.  

Bibliography 
Babaie, Sussan. "Visual Cultures of Islam." Mughal Architecture. Ann Arbor. Winter 2008. Lecture.

 Bloom, Jonathan, and Sheila Blair. Islamic Arts. London: Phaidon, 1997. Print.

 Park51. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://blog.park51.org/>.


Said, Edward W. Orientalism. New York: Vintage, 1979. Print.