Remember when.
Posted on 08/22/2010 2:45:18 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
On August 3rd, plans for a mosque to be built 600 feet from the site of New York City’s ground zero cleared the last municipal obstacle, causing New Yorkers and Americans in general to completely and utterly lose their minds. The mosque and Islamic center is being accused of, at best, being in poor taste, and at worst, funded and crafted by terrorist organizations. Now, it may be clear to some that this country, being founded on freedom of religion, should exhibit some form of tact and tolerance in this case as well as hearing the millions of American Muslim outcries of ‘9/11? Yo, we had nothing to do with all that’. However, I am genuinely surprised at how totally prejudiced America has turned out to be.
Polls show that over 50% of New Yorkers and 60% of Americans oppose the mosque. Despite the fact that it may not be the popular opinion, I am proud to say that New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg went on record saying “I believe that this is as important a test of the separation of church and state as we may see in our lifetime, and it is critically important that we get it right.” If that’s not enough for you, even the President himself has maintained that the mosque has the right to be there, though he diplomatically and with all the grace and scent of self-preservation hasn’t gone on record ’supporting’ the mosque. Which is fine. It shouldn’t particularly matter how people feel about where Muslims do or do not put Islamic centers, but it matters terribly that (providing municipal law has been followed) they absolutely have the right to do so in America. When Americans begin to restrict religious freedom in the states and force their beliefs on fellow citizens, what distinguishes America from the ‘freedom hating Islamic extremists’ that the are allegedly at war with?
Other politicians on board with the mosque happen to include Hamas. Let me just say- my affection for Hamas aside for a moment- you aren’t helping, dudes! At a time when American Muslims are trying to look as innocuous as possible the absolute last thing needed is a group like Hamas saying things like “We have to build everywhere”, an unintentionally ominous statement from Mahmoud al-Zahar. Feisal Abdul Rauf, the imam behind the most controversial mosque in the world, has received extra criticism for refusing to call Hamas a terrorist organization. Rauf departed last week on an international trip with stops in places like Dubai, Saudi, Bahrain, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi to improve understanding about Muslim communities in America is, of course, being portrayed as essentially a bake sale-style Terrorist Fund raising Adventure for the mosque.
Some New Yorkers have even asked what’s tackier- a ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ or the dozens of vendor tables selling china-made 9/11 souvenirs? People have been throwing around the phrase ‘Hallowed Ground’, but most Hallowed spaces do not have strip clubs, off-track betting, or Burger Kings.
Here’s the thing, and maybe I’m being naïve here, but I am genuinely surprised at how intolerant America is being right now. I work for the American military as an independent contractor on occasion, when I first started I expected to be hated for being Arab and Muslim, especially because I work on Ft. Hood, the site of the recent on-base shootings by a Muslim soldier. I was surprised by how wrong I was. I have met more tolerance and understanding among U.S. Soldiers who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, my theory for this is that because they have actually been to these places they see that the Western portrayal of the Muslim Arab as Enemy isn’t correct, while civilians are exposed only to hyper-generalized, ominous stock footage of women in niqab and bearded AK-toting extremists.
While I may be disappointed I’m not without hope. Minorities in America have all had their turn in the stocks- Irish, Catholics, Jews, Japanese, communists, etc. In fact, let’s take that last one as an example. 60 years ago Japanese-Americans were being rounded up and treated like spies and terrorists in an almost identical fashion to Arab-Americans after 9/11. Now America and Japan have excellent business relations, Japanese restaurants are among the most fashionable of cuisine, and Japanese women are revered as ‘exotic-looking’ and beautiful. So here is my Nostradamus moment for the day: give it 60 years. In 2070 my granddaughters will be top models, there will be 5 star Iraqi restaurants in Manhattan, and people will decorate their homes with Bedouin rugs and pictures of the kabba. Iraqi culture will be cool, hipsters will all be Islamocurious and America will have moved onto a new minority to vilify. But here’s to hoping that Arabs and Muslims are the last.
*****
Author's website: http://thegazastripper.tumblr.com/
arisayeed@gmail.com
Try all you like, we ain't buying it!
Killing babies, killing christians and jews...it's all about rights??
Somehow I’m not surprised that this “person” works for the U.S. military. It is hard to believe how clueless he is and IGNORANT.
The difference is that mohammedanism is still at war with us. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“60 years ago Japanese-Americans were being rounded up and treated like spies and terrorists in an almost identical fashion to Arab-Americans after 9/11.”
I must have missed the mussie internment camps? No mosque on GZ is a far cry from the camps.
Why do they all leave out the fact Islam is not a religion like other religions in America? Islam is a total take over of all aspects of life. Sharia Law is integral to Islam and is diametrically opposed to US law.
No freedom of religion
Women are considered to be half the importance of a man.
Men can beat women or kill them
Women cannot refuse sex
Anyone who does not claim that Allah is God and that Mohamed is his prophet must surrender to Sharia Law or be killed.
No person who is not Muslim may not own a firearm
I could go on and on but...............
Does that sound like a religion that works with the US constitution ?
They say ignorance is bliss and the author of the posted piece proves it.
I never heard more than about six American Muslims cry out about 9-11 either you lying raghead turd.
Remember when.
Well? Prove it isn't.
Let’s see some real tolerance on the part of the Muslims - for them, tolerance works only one way - tolerance for them. May piss be upon them.
I have Zero Tolerance for this Mosque...
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