What do you get when you combine large numbers of Islam-ignorant Westerners and the Islamophobic conservative media?The results can be seen across the country as our population stands divided on the building of an interfaith prayer house — also known as Park51, the Cordoba House or the incredibly misleading “Ground Zero mosque.””But why is this misleading?” you may ask.For starters, it’s not solely a mosque. A mosque must be a simple structure built only for Islamic prayer. The word “mosque” actually comes from the primitive Arabic root “sajada,” which means “to bow down.”This building will rise 13 to 15 stories and contain a Sept. 11 memorial, 500-seat auditorium, theater, gym, swimming pool, basketball court, culinary school and bookstore. It will not only be a place of solace for Muslims, but for adherents of all faiths — and even those without one.Continuing on, the future site of Park51 is not, as its media-given misnomer suggests, located on top of Ground Zero. Rather, it is located a lengthy two blocks, or 180 meters, away. And this proposed building site, which has been repeatedly called “hallowed ground” across the airwaves, is nothing more than an old and abandoned Burlington Coat Factory.If and when completed, the structure will not tower victoriously above the skyline with minarets or belt out prayer calls five times a day. This place will be the Islamic equivalent of the YMCA — though a Village People remix seems unlikely.Given these facts, why are so many people losing their proverbial pant-loads over this seemingly noble endeavor?It is here, my fellow Americans, that we must establish the incongruity between Islam and what I’m going to call Islamofascism. Islam is the faith you see predominantly across the world — characterized by open hearts, good deeds and prayers of prosperity for all. Islamofascism is what you see when you turn on your television — characterized by violent protests, conquests of world domination through force and oppression of nearly every living creature without a penis.So which of the aforementioned ideologies has been adopted by the mass media to justify the recent atrocities carried out against Muslim countries by Western militant force?Simply put, Islamofascism is all they’ve shown us. And as much as the Islamic world tries to distance itself from the events of Sept. 11, Western media refuses to portray the overwhelmingly peaceful face of Islam.The average Muslim would never fly a plane into a building chanting “Allah Akbar!”— just as the average Christian wouldn’t kill his or her children when a subconscious voice told him or her to.I would like to address a final misconception about Park51. Its primary intention, according to Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf, the project organizer, is to show Islam’s readiness for dialogue and understanding in the U.S.It will not tower above the hallowed ground of the former Twin Towers. It will not serve as a victory monument or any other form of misguided hatred or bigotry. It will, one would hope, bring together opposing faiths in this, our great melting pot of a country.Regarding whether or not Park51 can legally be built in this particular location, I refer you to the First Amendment. This is not government land; it’s privately owned. Any religious institution can build whatever they so choose at the location.So, as we observe mass media hysteria in its truest form, I encourage you to actually examine the claims presented before you as settled fact by the pretty people in the television.When Fox News unwaveringly broadcasts Rauf’s “hateful” statements about the U.S.’s actions leading to 9/11, be quick to remember Glenn Beck saying the same sentiment three months prior — on the same network.When you only hear cries of “this is offensive,” remember we live in a country not governed by emotion. And anytime you hear of a community center being built, grab a shovel — even if the organizers pray differently than you do.Andrew Robertson is a 23-year-old English writing and culture senior from Baton Rouge. Contact him on Twitter @ TDR_Arobertson.—-Contact Andrew Robertson at [email protected].