[MestaMachine]

Mosque Madness at Ground Zero

Excerpt:
A mosque rises over Ground Zero. And fed-up New Yorkers are crying, "No!"

A chorus of critics -- from neighbors to those who lost loved ones on 9/11 to me -- feel as if they've received a swift kick in the teeth.

Plans are under way for a Muslim house of worship, topped by a 13-story cultural center with a swimming pool, in a building damaged by the fuselage of a jet flown by extremists into the World Trade Center.

The opening date shall live in infamy: Sept. 11, 2011. The 10th anniversary of the day a hole was punched in the city's heart.

How the devil did this happen?

Plans to bring what one critic calls a "monster mosque" to the site of the old Burlington Coat Factory building, at a cost expected to top $100 million, moved along for months without a peep. All of a sudden, even members of the community board that stupidly green-lighted the mosque this month are tearing their hair out.

Paul Sipos, member of Community Board 1, said a mosque is a fine idea -- someplace else.

"If the Japanese decided to open a cultural center across from Pearl Harbor, that would be insensitive," Sipos told me. "If the Germans opened a Bach choral society across from Auschwitz, even after all these years, that would be an insensitive setting. I have absolutely nothing against Islam. I just think: Why there?"

Why, indeed.

A rally against the mosque is planned for June 6, D-Day, by the human-rights group Stop Islamicization of America. Executive director Pamela Geller said, "What could be more insulting and humiliating than a monster mosque in the shadow of the World Trade Center buildings that were brought down by an Islamic jihad attack? Any decent American, Muslim or otherwise, wouldn't dream of such an insult. It's a stab in the eye of America."

Called Cordoba House, the mosque and center is the brainchild of the American Society for Muslim Advancement. Executive director Daisy Khan insists it's staying put.

"For us, it's a symbol, a platform that will give voice to the silent majority of Muslims who suffer at the hands of extremists. A center will show that Muslims will be part of rebuilding lower Manhattan," said Khan, adding that Cordoba will be open to everyone.

"We were pleased to see that the community welcomed us as an asset to lower Manhattan," she added. "The community board approved it."

Not so fast.

The Financial District Committee of Community Board 1 seems to have gotten ensnared in a public-relations ploy by mosque-makers. At a May 5 meeting, the committee gave the project an enthusiastic thumbs-up. But boards have zero say over religious institutions.

Board chair Julie Menin, blind-sided by the move, predicts "this will be overturned by the full board" later this month.

snip

Unclear is how the mosque will raise the $100 million-plus it needs.

"We would be seeking funding from anyone who would help," Khan told me. "Seeking maybe some bonds or something like that." At the May 5 community board meeting, she displayed a sign with names like "Rockefeller Brothers Fund" and "Ford Foundation," which observers believed meant money is coming from those organizations. But Khan says those groups merely gave money in the past, and no funding is yet in place.

There are many questions about the Ground Zero mosque. But just one answer.

Move it away.

***********************
Does anybody but me find the name Daisy Khan just a little humorous in an otherwise insanely UNfunny world?

[grey_whiskers]

Maybe if a bunch of militant Amish bombed the opening ceremonies, killing hundreds, think anyone would notice the subtle point? /sarc>

Cheers!

[blackie]

It is a insane unfunny world!@!

[Candor7]

I want them to build it. I want it to cost millions.

Because some one is going to fly a large radio controlled air craft into it, when it is full of people.

The aircraft will have about 1o,ooo pounds of TNT in it.

Then they just might call it even.

[thouworm]

TM-linking to this well-documented article and new “dots” on Faisal Abdul Rauf, Ground Zero Mosque “architect”

The Ground Zero Mosque Developer: Muslim Brotherhood Roots, Radical Dreams
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2514305/posts

[caww]

This Mosque will be her crown of achievement in her eyes....she'll be honored by this administration and the muslim community worldwide will celebrate their mosque, (flag) being planted in the heart of where they brought the USA to their knees. It's a win win for her. It's a win win for Islam, and obama will celebrate this Islamic event with them.

[milford421]

Daisy Khan is the niece of Faroque Khan, founder of the Islamic Center of Long Island, Westbury, NY. Faisel Rauf is her husband, used to be imam of this mosque. Ghazi Khankan of CAIR, Yahiya Emerick, teacher at the Crescent school there and publisher of children’s textbooks that contain anti-Christian teachings, Yahiya also published disturbing essays. All of the above are actively involved in the “interfaith” conferences and programs. There is an ISNA connection and also an AMA connection. Daniel Pipes, Congressman Peter King of NY are on to this group. Wish everyone else would wake up to what they’re all about. Thanks Mesta.

[Hardraade]

Meanwhile, something a bit off-topic but still threadworthy :). In the course of sifting thru last seasons spider yield:

This is the site of AERA, American Educational Research Association. You can see they're mucking about with their ethical setup, but non-members can't get a good look. Non-members can look at some of the other stuff, though:

AERA Research on LGBTQ Issues in Education

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is committed to ensuring that sound research is brought to bear on issues of significant public policy, including nascent areas of research that may otherwise be neglected. In an increasingly diverse society, educators and policymakers face the challenge of fostering educational environments that are inclusive and welcoming to all students and teachers. Today, schools and teachers at all educational levels must consider whether the educational context facilitates learning for all youth, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, or queer (LGBTQ).

School administrators must consider if LGBTQ teachers, aides, or other staff are hindered in the workplace because of discriminatory policies, practices, or comments. LGBTQ issues must be addressed at each grade level from pre-K-12 to higher education as well as in multiple educational contexts from classrooms and playgrounds to college campuses.

Through this initiative AERA seeks to examine the state of research on LGBTQ issues in education through multiple information gathering processes:
(1) an extensive literature search and review,
(2) an intensive small research workshop of scholars to be held in Fall 2010; and
(3) a broad-based call to the education research community for input and ideas on LGBTQ issues in education.

We seek knowledge and information on scholarship that addresses LGBTQ issues directly related to education (e.g., student experience and perspectives, child/adolescent counseling, school violence) or in adjacent research areas of relevance (i.e., identity formation, LGBTQ families, workplace discrimination).

AERA will collect scientific knowledge— theoretical, conceptual, methodological, and empirical—to assess what we know and do not know about the impact of LGBTQ issues in education and educational contexts. Scholars will identify research on LGBTQ issues across a broad perspective, determine gaps in the research, and discuss what future research agendas might address. From this information gathering we will produce a published report or monograph and a research brief.

It's also interesting that while they hide a great deal of stuff, they do not hide their member list: Short snip:

Celia Anderson
Julie Andrzejewski
William Ayers
Adrienne Bailey
Gwendolyn Baker
Arnetha Ball