Imam: Palin on mosque was 'disingenuous'; controversy exploited

thehill.com ^ | Sept. 12, 2010 | Bridget Johnson

[Free ThinkerNY]

The imam behind a mosque project near Ground Zero said in an interview that "certain politicians" were exploiting the controversy.

The imam behind a mosque project near Ground Zero said in an interview aired Sunday that "certain politicians" were exploiting the controversy.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf told ABC's "This Week" that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's assertion that that mosque was an unnecessary provocation was "disingenuous."

"The discourse has been hijacked by radicals on both sides," he said, adding that protesters in the U.S. and protests in the Muslim world "feed off each other."

When asked whether he would consider relocating the mosque, the imam said, "The decisions that I will make will be predicated on what is best for everybody."

He said if he had known such controversy would be sparked by the plans he never would have done it. He said his main concern with moving it now is sending the message to the Muslim world that Islam was under attack in America, thus fueling radicalism.

"It is an extremely important consideration," he said. The imam said that he wasn't making any such threats, but that he is "a man of peace."

[alloysteel]

The FBI under the guidance of THIS regime will never pay any visits to the instigators of the stealth campaign to turn this nation’s courts into an extension of Shar’ia law.

Don’t you understand, people, this war against Islamic jihad has been LOST, not on the battlefields far from home, but right here in the once most powerful city of the once most powerful country in the world.

Not to sound defeat, but rather an alarm - We must give all the assist that is needed to generate the will to make a stand and repulse these purveyors of a perverted scheme of combined theocracy and enslavement. There is, in fact, no such thing as “too late” to reverse even the most wrong-headed of direction, but to pull ourselves out of the ditch on the one side, only to hurl off the cliff on the other side, is not a good way to evade or overcome the continuing obstacles in our path. It just costs more.

A LOT more.

Perhaps if we were not on the WRONG path to begin with....

[clashfan]

“He said his main concern with moving it now is sending the message to the Muslim world that Islam was under attack in America, thus fueling radicalism.”

Come on, he is the one who is disingenuous.
There is nothing in this entire hemisphere fueling their radicalism. Their violence is entirely internal. Nothing we do or don’t do (short of total submission to them) will stop their attacks on us. Never submit. Never forget.

[FrankR]

Well, ya know what, "imamaf**ker", no one elected you anything in America.

Your "imam" title means about as much to me as "Reverend" to Jerimiah Wright or Jesse Jackson...which is nothing.

You will quickly learn that the only people in this country who give a damn what you think are the main stream media, and the obama regime. The rest of us see you as murderous terrorists hiding behind the First Amendment as a cult masquerading as a "religion".

Please remember this, the First Amendment limit what the GOVERNMENT can't do about religion and free speech, not the people. If you don't have the hearts and minds of the American people, then you don't have jack $#i+, for the people can change leadership like an old pair of smelly gym socks.

You seem to be confusing your friend hussein obama with some of your country's leadership...obama is but a fleeting moment in time. He will be gone in 2012, and I can almost assure you the next president will not bow to you the way obama does.

If you want "respect" and "tolerance" for your so-called "religion", then you're going to have to give the same in return...and we were here FIRST...so it's your move.

But then, we saw your "move" on September 11, 2001, didn't we? Now you want to plant a mosque as close as you can get it to ground zero; it's like an invading force planting a "victory flag" after the conquest is over.

You toppled two buildings, severely damaged our Pentagon, but you didn't conquer America...you would be wise to remember that fact.

[no-to-illegals]

Having seen the comment here before, I can only echo it..
Building the GZM will not appease this enemy, instead
it will embolden this enemy. I believe this statement
to be fact.

When the iman states, if the GZM is not built, islam
will attack, then the truth becomes clear.

Do not build it, islam will attack.
Build it, islam emboldened, islam attacks

None can satisfy islam, in any way, other than by
submission. Thus submit and die, submit not and die.
islam offers sane people insanity.

No wonder this religion must be spread by threats and violence.
There can be NO DEAL with those who are insane.
islam is insanity times ten.

[crazydad]

I am Praying for America.. This is what Obamasama wants..It seems to me he wants civil strife... He has been feedin the fire for almost two years.. He is just looking for something to call off the elections with.. I know that sounds conspiritorial but if it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck... Well we all know the answer.

[FlyingEagle]

The Imama and Mullah Obama have ensured the Democrats will get completely trashed in the election.

There will not be any discussion after the Congress forbids the Obama Mosque at Ground Zero.

[crazydad]

That is funny if Sarah runs we lose.. That is the hard facts. I love Sarah but the Media destroyed the woman and her family... Just like they did to Newt.

[Paperdoll]

Why is the media so quick to give credence to the enemy? Could it be they are also the enemy? Go with God, Sharah Palin!

[Gator113]

THAT is what I call... light at the end of the tunnel.

[Paperdoll]

Does that mean you would support whomever the media supports? Actually, whomever the media supports should be black listed by voters! Haven’t we learned our lesson yet?
It is time the American people begin to think for themselves ora have they all been too dumbed down by their FEDucation to do that!???? !

[Paperdoll]

She looks so right behind that desk! :)

[Paperdoll]

And she is so capable of cleaning that house!

[upsdriver]

How can you say the media destroyed Sarah Palin? She has been under constant attack by them and yet, she is stronger than ever. Sarah Palin has been dominating the political debate. Pay attention! :-)

[Gator113]

I’ll go with my conclusions based on the facts. If Palin runs, she will win.

[Las Vegas Ron]

[mmanager]

I learned everything about Islam on 9/11. Period.

Any Congressgritter that supports this needs out.

I am at the point that I can’t have a civil conversation with any liberal. I want to bash their front teeth in.

By the time this puke is done with this admin he will have accomplished his goal to wreck America.

When was the last time he said “God bless America”?

We all have our issues with Newt, but his latest comments were SPOT ON.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

And so the good imam prevails and the mosque is being built.. wait our friend and man of peace has more to say

"If you do not approve Sharia Law in all states there will be violence. . . ."

[Finny]

Palin was one of the first prominent leaders on the right to take a stand against the Quran burning.

I'm a Palin supporter, read and love her book, and hope I have the chance to vote for her for President in 2012. That said ... have ANY prominent leaders on the right taken a stand FOR Quran burning?

I agreed with Palin at first -- that "just because you can doesn't mean you should." However, analyizing it more deeply, I have concluded that a kind of well-meaning, innocent disingenuousness is at play in that sentiment.

The Imam doesn't want to build the mosque at GZ "just because he can." He wants to build it to send a message to Islam that says, "Islam has achieved an important foothold in America at the very site of a great and bloody attack by us."

Americans didn't want to burn Korans "just because they could." They wanted to burn Korans because it was a civil, peaceful, non-violent and powerfully symbolic way to communicate to Islam: Not on our watch. Burning paper, burning symbols, is civil. Burning live people, sawing the heads off of living, breathing Jews and Christians, flying loaded passenger jets into occupied office towers, exploding suicide bombs in public places, is uncivil. It is also BARBARIC. I've read hysterical posts by FReepers who equate the peaceful, lawful, legal, symbolic burning of Korans with the barbaric acts of Muslims, and I see that they are being as disingenuous as the Imams.

Palin SHOULD have come out and said, "Better to burn paper Korans in peaceful, legal, symbolic protest than to burn live Muslims on the street. Islam might want to take a hint and do likewise when dealing with non-Muslims." Talk about the Golden Rule and loving your enemies, as per Christ's instruction? Burning Korans, mere paper, instead of flesh-and-blood Muslims IS honoring BOTH of those Christian commandments. Would that Islam had opted to burn mere cloth and paper in the form of bibles and flags instead of wholesale bloodshed and violence against Jews, Christians, and America.

Palin's understandable attempt to be "civil" backfired, and I am not surprised.

[onyx]

crazydad;

The media have tired to destroy her and the media continue to try to destroy her, but she's still standing and she's stonger then ever.

I'm not saying that she doesn't have her work cut out for her, but if she can articulate her thoughts and ideas in the debates only half as well as she writes on FaceBook, then she should sail to the GOP nomination and to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC.

Sarah Palin is NOT Tina Fey dumb, and that crap won't work this time.

I sure wish she'd dump her glasses from time to time, if only to put that Tina Fey hag out of business.

Here's a pic of Sarah without glasses, getting her hair done in April of this year. What do you think? She looks very young without glasses. Maybe that's another reason she wears them.

[onyx]

LOL. Yes, on both counts...LOL.