After so many weeks and arguments about the Islamic Cultural Center in lower Manhattan, I am beginning to wonder if the United States is hatching a plot to secede from New York City. Margaret O’Brien Steinfels is a former editor of Commonweal. Also by this author Francis Goes to Congress Get Commonweal’s latest, delivered twice weekly. Email address Recommended for you Christian Radical By Arvin Alaigh October 1, 2026 Pulling the Brake By Eugene McCarraher September 28, 2026 Clerics Without Clericalism By Timothy Kirchoff October 1, 2026