Ground Zero mosque Imam blames Sarah Palin for 'growing Islamophobia'

Telegraph UK ^ | 9/12/2010 | Telegraph UK

[opentalk]

The Muslim cleric behind plans to build a mosque close to the Ground Zero site has blamed politicians such as Sarah Palin for fuelling a "growing Islamophobia" that led to the burning of Korans on the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

The Reverend Terry Jones abandoned his "international burn a Koran day" in Gainesville, Florida on Saturday but there were isolated instances in Tennessee and New York of the Muslim holy book being set alight.

"What has happened is that..certain politicians decided that this project would be very useful for their political ambitions," Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf said, adding that this had prompted a "growing Islamophobia" in the US.

Imam Rauf's proposal for an Islamic Centre, containing a mosque, two blocks from the site of the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre, has become embroiled in controversy.

Mrs Palin was the first major national figure to get involved in what had been a localised dispute when she sent a Twitter message in July stating: "Peace-seeking Muslims, pls understand, Ground Zero mosque is UNNECESSARY provocation; it stabs hearts. Pls reject it in interest of healing."

Imam Rauf said Mrs Palin's intervention had been "disingenuous" and played a part of the issue being "hijacked by the radicals" over the summer.

[4integrity]

C’mon, blaming Palin....that’s rediculous....we all know it’s Bush’s fault...just ask Mr. Obama. sarc/on.

[lonevoice]

What a perfectly evil, despicable asswipe.

While we’re on the subject of asswipes, I’m so sick of the media referring to the Koran as “the Muslim holy book”. I can’t think of a single instance of a mainstream media outlet referring to the Christian Holy Bible, or the Holy Jewish Torah.

[Diogenesis]

It is not about a PHOBIA.
It is about recognizing the evil of these people.

And it is about having forgotten already.

[Mariner]

One couldn’t ask for a better enemy than the Imam.

[Right Wing Assault]

No. I had my islamophobia long ago. And it wasn’t an ‘irrational’ fear.

[Jeffrey_D.]

It would have been REAL nice if you warned us, before you posted your pic’s !!!

[Girlene]

Imam Rauf said that he would not have proposed his Islamic Centre had he anticipated the furore that has resulted. "I would never have done it."

Imam Rauf also said the following in an interview with Soledad O'Brien on CNN: Larry King Live:

..........."O'BRIEN: --though, right, isn't that causing to some degree an instability and a risk, a risk of safety? I mean, there's an address now that has become the flash point for a lot of anger. Isn't that a risk to Muslims and Americans?

RAUF: There is a certain anger here, no doubt. But if you don't do this right, anger will explode in the Muslim world. If this is not handled correctly, this crisis could become much bigger than the Danish cartoon crisis, which resulted in attacks on Danish embassies in various parts of the Muslim world. And we have a much larger footprint in the Muslim world. If we don't handle this crisis correctly, it could become something which could really become very, very, very dangerous indeed. ".........

[sonic109]

I still don’t get why he hasn’t been arrested!
He said if the mosque is not built there will be trouble and violence. That’s a threat in my book. The Feds should have hauled his Arab ass right in.What the hell is wrong with people?

[GVnana]

That’s middle finger worthy.

[ministry of silly full stop]

That series of pictures more than justifies Islamophobia. Anyone with any sense would be alarmed by whatever ideology was at the root of such violent actions .

Hinduphobia and Buddhistphobia are not common words in the us.

Islam alone is responsible for people being tired of Islam and the very negative reaction to a giant mosque in that spot.

Anything that would give the people happy about 911 satisfaction should not be built and that mosque would do it. Many American people have had enough and politicians against the mosque are just the mouthpieces of popular opinion.

[unkus]

He Rauf: How do you say “F you” in Arabic or whatever language you speak?

These bastards are pissing me off more by the day.

[unkus]

He Rauf: How do you say “F you” in Arabic or whatever language you speak?

These bastards are pissing me off more by the day.

[sgtyork]

Bingo. Leave to a Marine to cut through all the bs.

[Monterrosa-24]

“...the piloting of four airplanes full of innocent civilians into the twin towers, the pentagon and into the landscape of Virginia....”

Good comments but...it should read landscape of Pennsylvania.

[Flint]

What about Bush? Wanna blame him too?

[sonic109]

%100 in agreement

[sonic109]

Yea me too pal. I’m TOTALLY sick of hearing about Islam. Am I the ONLY person to notice that AFTER 9/11 Muslims started coming here in hordes ? Not 1 person on earth sees that as VERY strange ? How many Muslims did you see before 9/11? Now you can’t walk 2 blocks around here without seeing one. Anyone ??????????????????

[Humble Servant]

Bush’s fault now = Palin’s fault.

Badge of honor. Wear it proudly.

[Duke of Milan]

"...and the dems are in cahoots with this imam..."

I would bet the drive by media asked the imam to mention Palin just so it can be another method of attack on her, I doubt he came up with it without any help.

[Karliner]

Tapping in to the liberal hate palin campaign. He’s reaching; hope he falls in a pile of goat dung.