Posted on 08/12/2010 8:18:43 AM PDT by detritus
The controversy over a prospective mosque and community center in lower Manhattan reached fever pitch late last month, starting when former vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin called on "Peaceful Muslims" to "pls refudiate" the project via her Twitter feed. She was soon joined by Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's call to prevent the building of any mosques near Ground Zero "so long as there are no churches or synagogues in Saudi Arabia" -- thereby embracing Riyadh's medieval notions of religious freedom....
What's particularly tragic about all this is that the people behind the so-called Ground Zero mosque, the Cordoba Initiative, are precisely the moderate Muslims that everyone recognizes are an important bulwark against extremism...
To me, the most interesting question is: Why now, nearly a decade after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, has anti-Muslim sentiment on the right gotten so virulent? There are clearly a couple factors at work -- primary season, the election of Barack Hussein Obama, the recent failed attacks in Chicago and Times Square -- but perhaps the most decisive is the absence of the most powerful voice for tolerance among American conservatives.
That's right, I'm talking about George W. Bush. Much as Muslims around the world may have despised his foreign policy and his interrogation and detention policies, the former president spoke out repeatedly and eloquently against attacks on Muslims, and visited an Islamic center several days after 9/11 to send the message that Muslims were not the enemy. He may not have much standing in the Islamic community today, but he still retains a broad following on the right.
But with Dubya now offstage, there are no conservatives left of stature who can push back against the insanity. Here's hoping Bush speaks out.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.foreignpolicy.com ...
If built it will be bombed, by any number of extremists, take your pick, Thats the whole purpose of building it.
People have got to start thinking like these fascists.
And even if there were, does that mean if they wanted YOUR land, you'd have to sell it to them? If they wanted to build a six-story minaret next door to your house, and blast a call to prayer 5x/day, would your city zoning board be un-American to get your input on the matter and take it into account?
Nobody's depriving them of First Amendment rights by opposing the construction of this building.
I don’t care what Muslims have done or will do.
Oh. Well then -- never mind! Can't reason with that!
Yes that's it. Or *gasp* imagine how bad it'd be if we (they) did nothing!
As in California, no matter what the citizens vote for or against, the government overrules their vote in support of an issue only favored by the minority. (We keep bending over) At this point even their zoning laws wouldn’t work against the construction of this mosque. Your tag line is right. We no longer have a democracy. Imagine, overturning a majority vote in any election... oh, I forgot, with computer voting, the majority doesn’t count anymore.
I see a storm coming...
Speaking of Cordoba, my friend and business owner in Madrid told me, (after losing 50 employees with the train blast), that their elections reversed over night in electing a Muslim favorite, or risk more terrorism. No need to tell you how it turned out. This is how Muslims handle “their” example of democracy and peace. Vote how they want or get blown up. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM....?
During the 1928 and 1960 elections, cries went up that Al Smith or JFK would, if elected, make the US subservient to the Vatican.
The more things change....
It's not "simply" a mosque. The location is the foremost issue. Followed by the intentions of those behind this.
Beck pointed out some interesting facts yesterday regarding this otherwise horrible location. Like the nearest community of Muslims are miles away in Brooklyn, will have to drive past several other mosques, over a river and into what amounts to a business district.
The fact that landing gear from one of the planes ended up on the roof of this site probably plays no part in this at all........nope, none at all.
Dittoes.
Brilliant... who owns the land? Shame the shameless into this, or, God forbid, scare? them into it... (oops, I sound like 0’s goons, or the jihadists)
Thinly disguised “Blame Bush” piece. The meme: If only Bush would speak out, these racist right wingers and teabaggers would shut up about the Ground Zero mosque. /spit
At present in the USA, it is not unconstitutional to deny religious non-profits the use of property they own. This denial of use is based upon a variety of reasons, including these churches’ very belief systems.
Like freedom of speech, freedom of religion, at present, is not unfettered. NO ONE has an unlimited right to say whatever they want, where ever they are, nor whenever they choose. The utterance of a simple word or two in certain places will get one arrested, pronto, e. g., “Fire!”, “Bomb!”, “Jesus loves you!”.
Morris Deas of the leftist Southern Poverty Law advocacy group has made a lucrative business suing certain religious groups he and the courts have decided are hate groups. He sues them for hate speech, the courts rule in his favor and seize their church AND personal property AND all assets, awarding huge sums to Deas for his efforts. No one in the press ever complains of the violation of their freedom of speech/religion. There are notable exceptions: the fundie Baptist church group which protests homosexuality in America at gravesite funeral services for soldiers KIA. And, secondly, Islamic American groups. Apparently, the left’s hatred of the military sufficiently exceeds their hatred of fundie Baptists to allow this egregious exercise in odious free speech. Why are Islamic groups universally known for the very most virulent hate speech, accorded greater freedom in America than the Klan, “Christian” Identity churches and Aryan Nation Churches? The left hates America more than it hates the Klan, et al!
Stupid article. Why are we coddling these people and offering them state land to build and giving them money etc. Have we gone mad? These people hate us.
He is REALLY good at lying, but not THAT good. He does not want to press his luck by making a statement on the GZ mosque/cultural center.
In keeping with the realization that Islam encompasses religious, legal, and geopolitical facets, the proposed mosque/cultural center should more accurately be described as the embassy/national guard armory/training center of a hostile foreign power.
Why is it always the right's fault? Islamic extremists kill thousands of Americans in WTC, "moderate" Muslims refuse to take sides, and it's conservatives' fault that a-hole Muslims want to stick a thumb in our eye by building a mosque at ground zero?
do they not already own the land? Would another group trying to build a structure for non muslim purposes be denied this permit?
do you believe that we shouldn’t allow people to own guns because too many people with guns are killing innocent people? That we should have a mass gun round up? People with guns threaten many people’s way of life too. do you want your kids shot by gun toting maniacs? Don’t you worry a co-worker will snap and execute you?
so do we chuck the 2nd amendment? h
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