A fairly recent controversy in the news regarding Islam was the plan to build an Islamic center near the site of the September 11 attacks in 2001. A Western news source (the Boston Globe) questioned whether it was appropriate to place a mosque so close to where the World Trade Center once stood. This article discusses the views of relatives of 9/11 victims and their strong opposition to the plan, calling it "a gross insult to the memory of those who were killed on that terrible day." There is a slightly biased point of view, as many more quotes and examples from people who are against building the mosque at Ground Zero are used. This article does include an interview with a devout Muslim, however this individual is also not in favor of the location of the mosque.
In an article from the Arab News, the same story is addressed in a slightly different way. The same facts are stated, but from the point of view of a Muslim developer in the project. He states that through all the coverage of this issue, reports often fail to mention how the project organizers had engaged with the local community and gained their support before moving ahead. Also, this article discusses the misperceptions people have about Islam and the Muslim people. They are peace-loving Americans who want the same thing that everybody else wants.
The two articles show how the same story can sound completely different when written from different points of view.
Western Article: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/06/06/a_mosque_at_ground_zero/
Islamic View Article: http://arabnews.com/world/article150003.ece
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