no it is not location...look at the picture in the top of the page... "no 9/11 victory mosque" tells me they do not want a mosque anywhere. and i have seen articles and news reports where people are anti muslim, not anti location. can't you see that?
so because of one sign, you're going to say that every single person that doesn't want that mosque built there is anti muslim?
re-read my post please. read triumphant angel's article please. also look on yahoo.com now, there is an article saying that this mosque is spurring anti muslim sentiment all over the country.
no, i'm not going to do any of that. i'm asking you one simple question. you write that, because of one picture of one sign and other reports that you've read, your belief is that anyone that's against this mosque being built in that location is actually saying they don't want a mosque anywhere in the country and they're anti muslim. that is what i'm getting from your posts. i'm not trying to bash, i'm just asking a question. do you really feel that way because of one sign and some articles you've read?
no, i'm not going to do any of that. i'm asking you one simple question. you write that, because of one picture of one sign and other reports that you've read, your belief is that anyone that's against this mosque being built in that location is actually saying they don't want a mosque anywhere in the country and they're anti muslim. that is what i'm getting from your posts. i'm not trying to bash, i'm just asking a question. do you really feel that way because of one sign and some articles you've read?
it is not from one sign....i have said i have seen numerous articles and news stories with NUMEROUS signs...
and if you refuse to maybe spend five minutes to enlighten yourself then you and i are finished here....
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
no, i'm not going to do any of that. i'm asking you one simple question. you write that, because of one picture of one sign and other reports that you've read, your belief is that anyone that's against this mosque being built in that location is actually saying they don't want a mosque anywhere in the country and they're anti muslim. that is what i'm getting from your posts. i'm not trying to bash, i'm just asking a question. do you really feel that way because of one sign and some articles you've read?
it is not from one sign....i have said i have seen numerous articles and news stories with NUMEROUS signs...
and if you refuse to maybe spend five minutes to enlighten yourself then you and i are finished here....
how am i not enlightening myself? by not going back and re-reading your posts? you don't even know my thoughts on this issue. sometimes, gimme, you need to get off your high horse.
Ground Zero mosque plans 'fuelling anti-Muslim protests across US'
Friday, 13 August 2010
Religious leaders warn of Islamophobia surge with hate speech and opposition to new Islamic centres across America
The battle over plans to build a mosque near the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York is fuelling a surge in anti-Muslim protests across the US, including opposition to new Islamic centres from California to Georgia.
Religious leaders and civil rights activists warn that a tide of Islamophobia that has swept the country since the destruction of the twin towers is being heightened by political exploitation of the New York dispute before nationwide elections and is increasingly bound up with hostility to immigrants and other forms of racism.
They say the outpouring of condemnation at the "outrage" of a mosque close to the "hallowed ground" of the World Trade Centre site also goes hand in hand with the increasing acceptability of what they describe as hate speech.
A Florida church, Dove World Outreach Centre, is planning a "burn the Qur'an" day on September 11 and has already outraged Muslims by planting a sign on its front lawn that reads: Islam is the Devil.
The church's senior pastor, Terry Jones, has said he is "exposing Islam for what it is".
"It is a violent and oppressive religion that is trying to masquerade itself as a religion of peace, seeking to deceive our society," the church said. "Islam is a lie based upon lies and deceptions and fear. In Muslim countries, if you preach the gospel or convert to Christianity – you will be killed. That is the type of religion it is."
A leading Muslim educational institution, al-Azhar's Supreme Council in Egypt, has accused the Florida church of "stirring up hate and discrimination" and called on other American churches to condemn it.
Many religious leaders have spoken out against Muslim-bashing, including rabbis in New York who have defended the plans for the mosque two blocks from the site of the 9/11 attacks, which would not be visible from Ground Zero.
But John Esposito, director of the Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, said many Americans shared Jones's views. He said the dispute over the proposed mosque had given cover for more open hostility unleashed after the 9/11 attacks that was evident during the last presidential election when some of Barack Obama's opponents attempted to portray him as a Muslim.
"The World Trade Centre thing has shown that what has been up to now seen as a local issue has gone global and provided an umbrella so that suddenly people feel freer to go public with their objections to Muslims," he said.
"Historically we've had problems in Mississippi or Georgia or New York or wherever when someone wants to establish a mosque.
"The cover for opposition used to be that people will say: we're not really prejudiced but it'll affect the traffic in the area, not facing the fact that it is very common if you have a significant number of Jews or Protestants or Catholics to expect that they're going to want to have a synagogue or a church and chances are the town's going to go along with it."
But today, Americans increasingly no longer shy away from saying they oppose mosques on the grounds that Muslims are a threat or different.
In New York, a group called the American Freedom Defence Initiative is placing adverts on New York buses showing a plane flying into one of the World Trade Centre towers and what it calls a "Mega Mosque" and asking "Why There?".
Azeem Khan, of the Islamic Circle of North America, said the bus adverts promoted fear and hatred. "People want Islam and Muslims to be the bogeyman right now," he said.
The issue is increasingly being exploited by politicians in the run-up to November's mid-term elections. Opposition to a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, intensified after Republican candidates for Congress and state governor made opposition part of their campaigns.
Sarah Palin, the former vice presidential candidate, has been a vocal opponent of the controversial New York mosque.
Other prominent politicians have cast the net wider. Newt Gingrich, the Republican former speaker of the House of Representatives, who is thought likely to make a run for president, has warned that Muslims are attempting to impose sharia law in the US and that it poses a "mortal threat to freedom" in America.
Gingrich said that he would push for legislation to prevent states from adopting sharia law even though none are proposing it and there is no likely prospect of it happening.
Esposito said politicians' fearmongering over Muslims was similar to exploitation of fears that the country was being swamped by a tide of illegal immigrants.
"Islamophobia is not just about religion. It's about people who are of colour and a whole set of presuppositions about these people," he said.
"You can see it not only with Muslims but with Mexicans, people who look Hispanic. Now we have hard data from Gallup and Pew that demonstrate in America how integrated the vast majority of Muslims are – economically, politically and religiously. And yet a significant number of Americans can be appealed to in what is nothing less than hate speech, the same hate speech directed against immigrants."
Hostile messages
• Members of an evangelical church in Texas travelled to Connecticut to verbally attack worshippers leaving a mosque in Bridgeport, carrying signs reading: "Jesus hates Muslims"
• In Tennessee, Republican politicians have condemned plans to build a large Muslim centre in Murfreesboro. Hundreds of people have joined protests
ok, i've read this. now i'll ask you again: because of this, and anything else you've read or seen online, do you think that every single person that doesn't want that mosque built that close to ground zero is anti muslim? that's my only question.
Ground Zero mosque plans 'fuelling anti-Muslim protests across US'
Friday, 13 August 2010
Religious leaders warn of Islamophobia surge with hate speech and opposition to new Islamic centres across America
The battle over plans to build a mosque near the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York is fuelling a surge in anti-Muslim protests across the US, including opposition to new Islamic centres from California to Georgia.
Religious leaders and civil rights activists warn that a tide of Islamophobia that has swept the country since the destruction of the twin towers is being heightened by political exploitation of the New York dispute before nationwide elections and is increasingly bound up with hostility to immigrants and other forms of racism.
They say the outpouring of condemnation at the "outrage" of a mosque close to the "hallowed ground" of the World Trade Centre site also goes hand in hand with the increasing acceptability of what they describe as hate speech.
A Florida church, Dove World Outreach Centre, is planning a "burn the Qur'an" day on September 11 and has already outraged Muslims by planting a sign on its front lawn that reads: Islam is the Devil.
The church's senior pastor, Terry Jones, has said he is "exposing Islam for what it is".
"It is a violent and oppressive religion that is trying to masquerade itself as a religion of peace, seeking to deceive our society," the church said. "Islam is a lie based upon lies and deceptions and fear. In Muslim countries, if you preach the gospel or convert to Christianity – you will be killed. That is the type of religion it is."
A leading Muslim educational institution, al-Azhar's Supreme Council in Egypt, has accused the Florida church of "stirring up hate and discrimination" and called on other American churches to condemn it.
Many religious leaders have spoken out against Muslim-bashing, including rabbis in New York who have defended the plans for the mosque two blocks from the site of the 9/11 attacks, which would not be visible from Ground Zero.
But John Esposito, director of the Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, said many Americans shared Jones's views. He said the dispute over the proposed mosque had given cover for more open hostility unleashed after the 9/11 attacks that was evident during the last presidential election when some of Barack Obama's opponents attempted to portray him as a Muslim.
"The World Trade Centre thing has shown that what has been up to now seen as a local issue has gone global and provided an umbrella so that suddenly people feel freer to go public with their objections to Muslims," he said.
"Historically we've had problems in Mississippi or Georgia or New York or wherever when someone wants to establish a mosque.
"The cover for opposition used to be that people will say: we're not really prejudiced but it'll affect the traffic in the area, not facing the fact that it is very common if you have a significant number of Jews or Protestants or Catholics to expect that they're going to want to have a synagogue or a church and chances are the town's going to go along with it."
But today, Americans increasingly no longer shy away from saying they oppose mosques on the grounds that Muslims are a threat or different.
In New York, a group called the American Freedom Defence Initiative is placing adverts on New York buses showing a plane flying into one of the World Trade Centre towers and what it calls a "Mega Mosque" and asking "Why There?".
Azeem Khan, of the Islamic Circle of North America, said the bus adverts promoted fear and hatred. "People want Islam and Muslims to be the bogeyman right now," he said.
The issue is increasingly being exploited by politicians in the run-up to November's mid-term elections. Opposition to a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, intensified after Republican candidates for Congress and state governor made opposition part of their campaigns.
Sarah Palin, the former vice presidential candidate, has been a vocal opponent of the controversial New York mosque.
Other prominent politicians have cast the net wider. Newt Gingrich, the Republican former speaker of the House of Representatives, who is thought likely to make a run for president, has warned that Muslims are attempting to impose sharia law in the US and that it poses a "mortal threat to freedom" in America.
Gingrich said that he would push for legislation to prevent states from adopting sharia law even though none are proposing it and there is no likely prospect of it happening.
Esposito said politicians' fearmongering over Muslims was similar to exploitation of fears that the country was being swamped by a tide of illegal immigrants.
"Islamophobia is not just about religion. It's about people who are of colour and a whole set of presuppositions about these people," he said.
"You can see it not only with Muslims but with Mexicans, people who look Hispanic. Now we have hard data from Gallup and Pew that demonstrate in America how integrated the vast majority of Muslims are – economically, politically and religiously. And yet a significant number of Americans can be appealed to in what is nothing less than hate speech, the same hate speech directed against immigrants."
Hostile messages
• Members of an evangelical church in Texas travelled to Connecticut to verbally attack worshippers leaving a mosque in Bridgeport, carrying signs reading: "Jesus hates Muslims"
• In Tennessee, Republican politicians have condemned plans to build a large Muslim centre in Murfreesboro. Hundreds of people have joined protests
ok, i've read this. now i'll ask you again: because of this, and anything else you've read or seen online, do you think that every single person that doesn't want that mosque built that close to ground zero is anti muslim? that's my only question.
Ground Zero mosque plans 'fuelling anti-Muslim protests across US'
Friday, 13 August 2010
Religious leaders warn of Islamophobia surge with hate speech and opposition to new Islamic centres across America
The battle over plans to build a mosque near the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York is fuelling a surge in anti-Muslim protests across the US, including opposition to new Islamic centres from California to Georgia.
Religious leaders and civil rights activists warn that a tide of Islamophobia that has swept the country since the destruction of the twin towers is being heightened by political exploitation of the New York dispute before nationwide elections and is increasingly bound up with hostility to immigrants and other forms of racism.
They say the outpouring of condemnation at the "outrage" of a mosque close to the "hallowed ground" of the World Trade Centre site also goes hand in hand with the increasing acceptability of what they describe as hate speech.
A Florida church, Dove World Outreach Centre, is planning a "burn the Qur'an" day on September 11 and has already outraged Muslims by planting a sign on its front lawn that reads: Islam is the Devil.
The church's senior pastor, Terry Jones, has said he is "exposing Islam for what it is".
"It is a violent and oppressive religion that is trying to masquerade itself as a religion of peace, seeking to deceive our society," the church said. "Islam is a lie based upon lies and deceptions and fear. In Muslim countries, if you preach the gospel or convert to Christianity – you will be killed. That is the type of religion it is."
A leading Muslim educational institution, al-Azhar's Supreme Council in Egypt, has accused the Florida church of "stirring up hate and discrimination" and called on other American churches to condemn it.
Many religious leaders have spoken out against Muslim-bashing, including rabbis in New York who have defended the plans for the mosque two blocks from the site of the 9/11 attacks, which would not be visible from Ground Zero.
But John Esposito, director of the Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, said many Americans shared Jones's views. He said the dispute over the proposed mosque had given cover for more open hostility unleashed after the 9/11 attacks that was evident during the last presidential election when some of Barack Obama's opponents attempted to portray him as a Muslim.
"The World Trade Centre thing has shown that what has been up to now seen as a local issue has gone global and provided an umbrella so that suddenly people feel freer to go public with their objections to Muslims," he said.
"Historically we've had problems in Mississippi or Georgia or New York or wherever when someone wants to establish a mosque.
"The cover for opposition used to be that people will say: we're not really prejudiced but it'll affect the traffic in the area, not facing the fact that it is very common if you have a significant number of Jews or Protestants or Catholics to expect that they're going to want to have a synagogue or a church and chances are the town's going to go along with it."
But today, Americans increasingly no longer shy away from saying they oppose mosques on the grounds that Muslims are a threat or different.
In New York, a group called the American Freedom Defence Initiative is placing adverts on New York buses showing a plane flying into one of the World Trade Centre towers and what it calls a "Mega Mosque" and asking "Why There?".
Azeem Khan, of the Islamic Circle of North America, said the bus adverts promoted fear and hatred. "People want Islam and Muslims to be the bogeyman right now," he said.
The issue is increasingly being exploited by politicians in the run-up to November's mid-term elections. Opposition to a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, intensified after Republican candidates for Congress and state governor made opposition part of their campaigns.
Sarah Palin, the former vice presidential candidate, has been a vocal opponent of the controversial New York mosque.
Other prominent politicians have cast the net wider. Newt Gingrich, the Republican former speaker of the House of Representatives, who is thought likely to make a run for president, has warned that Muslims are attempting to impose sharia law in the US and that it poses a "mortal threat to freedom" in America.
Gingrich said that he would push for legislation to prevent states from adopting sharia law even though none are proposing it and there is no likely prospect of it happening.
Esposito said politicians' fearmongering over Muslims was similar to exploitation of fears that the country was being swamped by a tide of illegal immigrants.
"Islamophobia is not just about religion. It's about people who are of colour and a whole set of presuppositions about these people," he said.
"You can see it not only with Muslims but with Mexicans, people who look Hispanic. Now we have hard data from Gallup and Pew that demonstrate in America how integrated the vast majority of Muslims are – economically, politically and religiously. And yet a significant number of Americans can be appealed to in what is nothing less than hate speech, the same hate speech directed against immigrants."
Hostile messages
• Members of an evangelical church in Texas travelled to Connecticut to verbally attack worshippers leaving a mosque in Bridgeport, carrying signs reading: "Jesus hates Muslims"
• In Tennessee, Republican politicians have condemned plans to build a large Muslim centre in Murfreesboro. Hundreds of people have joined protests
to me it seems like those people are the same way about islam as they are about nuclear energy, all in favor of it "but not in my backyard"...
they have stated no other credible reason to be against it. it does not affect them at all, the mosque can not be seen from ground zero, so what other logical conclusion is there? did you read the underlined parts in the article? i can find more but that one was from today thus the most current. what is your opinion?
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
to me it seems like those people are the same way about islam as they are about nuclear energy, all in favor of it "but not in my backyard"...
they have stated no other credible reason to be against it. it does not affect them at all, the mosque can not be seen from ground zero, so what other logical conclusion is there? did you read the underlined parts in the article? i can find more but that one was from today thus the most current. what is your opinion?
see the problem i have with you saying that you think the majority of people not wanting that mosque in that area are anti muslim is that in this very same thread it's been said you shouldn't generalize against a group because of the actions of some that belong to that group (not all muslims are extremists).
yes, gimme, i read the underlined parts of your post. i read the whole thing. i don't agree with burning koran's or blindly painting the entire religion as blood thirsty savages. that's just plain and simple idiocy.
as far as building the mosque (or cultural center) where they're planning on building it: i think it might be in poor taste a little, but i don't have a problem with it being built there. personally, i think it's a stupid idea, and by stupid i mean whoever is planning this had to know prior to it becoming public that it was going to stir the pot, and i don't mean like a mild stir. i'm talking tweak from south park stirring it, while having a seizure. i hope they have tight security during the building of it, and even after it's up. i can only imagine what kind of vandalism (and god knows what else) will happen once it's built.
In the wake of the uproar over the mosque to be built near "ground zero" in New York, a prominent, controversial social conservative is calling for the prohibition of the construction of any mosques in the United States.
"Permits should not be granted to build even one more mosque in the United States of America, let alone the monstrosity planned for Ground Zero," Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association wrote this week on the AFA website. "This is for one simple reason: each Islamic mosque is dedicated to the overthrow of the American government."
Fischer is the AFA's director of Issue Analysis for Government and Public Policy. The AFA is a conservative Christian group that been in the news before for taking a number of extreme positions -- for instance, earlier this year Fischer called for Tilikum, the SeaWorld orca that thrashed its trainer to death, to be killed according to Biblical rules. In 2005, the AFA finally ended its boycott of Disney, which it kept of for nine years to protest the company's erosion of moral values.
The AFA operates nearly 200 radio stations across the country under the American Family Radio banner and sometimes features congressmen on its shows. Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), for instance, were recent guests of one show. Fischer is listed as an invited speaker at the Values Voter Summit next month, along with Rep. Michele Bachmann, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, among others.
A number of conservatives have decried the decision by New York City officials to allow for the construction of an Islamic community center and mosque a few blocks from the site of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. A conservative advocacy group founded by the Rev. Pat Robertson vowed to challenge the city's decision in state court.
Fischer's position takes the debate to an entirely new level. He writes that every mosque "is a potential jihadist recruitment and training center" and that because of Islam's "subversive ideology, Muslims cannot claim religious freedom protections under the First Amendment."
Another AFA writer, Elijah Friedeman, wrote that he agreed each mosque is a "potential jihadist recruitment and training center" -- Friedeman wrote, "Each and every mosque could potentially - existing in possibility - be a threat, but the fact is that the very large majority of mosques don't threaten America's existence or anything for that matter."
Friedeman said that the right to build mosques in the U.S. should be protected.
"If we ignore the legal foundation of our nation, we will be left in a legal quicksand with no protection from others who want to suspend our freedoms when they feel like it," he said. "I would give the Devil the benefit of the law, if for no other reason than my own safety."
Meanwhile, while the debate continues over the New York mosque, President Obama yesterday released a statement to commemorate the start of Ramadan, saying Islam has always been part of America. Ramadan is the holiday during which observant Muslims fast from dawn to dusk each day for a month to develop patience, humility and spirituality.
"These rituals remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and Islam's role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings," Mr. Obama said in a statement. "Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for great diversity and racial equality. And here in the United States, Ramadan is a reminder that Islam has always been part of America and that American Muslims have made extraordinary contributions to our country."
The president will be hosting an Iftar dinner celebrating Ramadan at the White House later this week.
The White House has refused to weigh in on the mosque debate in New York. Deputy White House Press Secretary Bill Burton said Tuesday, "The president has made clear that we are not at war with Islam, and that we can have these sorts of discussions well within the traditions of openness and religious freedom that our country is based on."
A number of potential Republican 2012 presidential nominees have weighed in on the issue, however. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee called the New York mosque "really offensive to most New Yorkers and Americans," while Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty called it "inappropriate."
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
What I find funny is someone telling others not to judge an entire religion by the actions of a few is doing the exact same thing here.
Hey everyone...guess what? There are some bad muslims...bad christians...bad jews...some bad people in every walk of life, every profession, every color, every sex, every age, every religion.
And as far as religion goes, in each one, there are bad people using it to try and justify terrible hatred and/or violence against others.
everything i have posted suggests that people are afraid of losing their country or somehow having it overthrown by these muslims. it is a reaction based on fear and fear alone. i am not afraid of anyone, any group or any religion. i feel that the muslims have the right to build their mosque/cultural center anywhere they want to. if they can afford the land and pay the taxes then they can buy the land and build their building. the cbs article i just posted points to the leaders of the opposition's bigotry and fear as the only reasons to oppose it. these are the same people who go on and on and on about freedom, yet they are wanting to deny these people the right to build their place of worship wherever they want to put it. to me that is the highest form of hypocracy....these people like gingrich, et al in the article are so quick to talk about freedom and liberty and constitution, yet they are the first ones to advocate suspending parts of it when it suits them. to me that is more dangerous than any mosque.
to me it seems like those people are the same way about islam as they are about nuclear energy, all in favor of it "but not in my backyard"...
they have stated no other credible reason to be against it. it does not affect them at all, the mosque can not be seen from ground zero, so what other logical conclusion is there? did you read the underlined parts in the article? i can find more but that one was from today thus the most current. what is your opinion?
see the problem i have with you saying that you think the majority of people not wanting that mosque in that area are anti muslim is that in this very same thread it's been said you shouldn't generalize against a group because of the actions of some that belong to that group (not all muslims are extremists).
yes, gimme, i read the underlined parts of your post. i read the whole thing. i don't agree with burning koran's or blindly painting the entire religion as blood thirsty savages. that's just plain and simple idiocy.
as far as building the mosque (or cultural center) where they're planning on building it: i think it might be in poor taste a little, but i don't have a problem with it being built there. personally, i think it's a stupid idea, and by stupid i mean whoever is planning this had to know prior to it becoming public that it was going to stir the pot, and i don't mean like a mild stir. i'm talking tweak from south park stirring it, while having a seizure. i hope they have tight security during the building of it, and even after it's up. i can only imagine what kind of vandalism (and god knows what else) will happen once it's built.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
Press Release
Top Religious Leaders Denounce Growing Anti-Muslim Sentiment; Express Support for NY Mosque, Community Center
Challenge Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin To Stop Exploiting Fear
August 11, 2010
More than 40 prominent Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders and religion scholars issued a statement today condemning the "xenophobia and religious bigotry" fueling the increasingly strident opposition to a proposed Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero. These leaders from New York City and across the country are specifically challenging the divisive rhetoric of Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, who have strongly opposed a center that will promote interfaith relations, combat extremism, and offer community programs for Americans of all religious backgrounds.
"It's simply wrong for Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin to malign all Muslims by comparing this cultural center and mosque with a radical ideology that led to the horrific attacks of 9-11," said Sister Simone Campbell, Executive Director of NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby. "We fail to honor those killed by terrorists when we betray the bedrock principle of religious freedom that has guided our democracy for centuries."
Newt Gingrich recently claimed that the Cordoba House "... is a sign of their contempt for Americans and their confidence in our historic ignorance that they would deliberately insult us this way." Palin called plans for the center a "provocation" that "stabs at the heart."
Faithful America - an online community of more than 100,000 people of faith - is also standing up for the American Muslim community and interfaith cooperation today in response to anti-Muslim sentiment and fierce opposition to proposed mosques in communities across the country. Faithful America members are signing a petition to honor the "many contributions of American Muslims toward global peace" and denounce bigotry and limits on religious freedom as a betrayal of American values.
"Christians who believe in the values of religious freedom and interfaith cooperation welcome plans for Cordoba House, a center of culture and dialogue that will honor our nation's highest ideals," said the Rev. Peg Chemberlin, President of the National Council of Churches. "We are deeply saddened by those who denigrate a religion which in so many ways is a religion of compassion and peace by associating all Muslims with violent extremism. That's like equating all Christians to Timothy McVeigh's actions. This center will reflect not only the best of Islam, but the enduring hope that Christians, Jews and Muslims can together find common ground in addressing the most urgent challenges of our time."
"Back in the fall of 2001, when President George W. Bush assured the American people that the War on Terror was not a war against Islam, it would have been hard to imagine a more picture perfect example of Muslim Americans exercising their civic responsibilities than by building a thirteen-story YMCA-style community center," said Rev. Chloe Breyer, Executive Director of the Interfaith Center of New York. "Cordoba House is exactly the kind of initiative that we need here in New York - it will serve people of all faith traditions and enrich the city, cultivating a society that lives up to our highest ideals, not our worse fears."
"I'm proud to join so many leaders from diverse faith traditions who recognize that fear-mongering and scapegoating 'the other' has no rightful place in a nation that strives to be a beacon of hope for all those seeking opportunity or escaping persecution," said Simon Greer, President and CEO of Jewish Funds for Justice. "At a time when Americans deserve real solutions to profound challenges, I am hopeful that the shrill voices of division will be drowned out by a chorus of citizens dedicated to working across lines of race and faith to serve the common good."
Rabbi Marc Schneier, President of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding in New York, said: "A fundamental tenet of the Torah teaches us to 'Love thy neighbor as thyself' (Leviticus 19:18). Far more challenging is the dictum, 'Love the stranger, for you too were strangers in the land of Egypt' (Deuteronomy 10:19). 'Love thy neighbor' is mentioned only once in the Bible while 'Love the stranger' is repeated 36 times. This added emphasis highlights how challenging and important it is to love someone different than yourself. Our great nation's history as a beacon of tolerance and religious freedom further encourages us to embrace the strangers in our midst of different faiths and backgrounds. The Cordoba House embodies these proud and sacred traditions."
Interfaith Leaders Stand with Cordoba House, Denounce Hateful Rhetoric
As Catholic, evangelical, mainline Protestant, Jewish and Muslim leaders and scholars committed to religious freedom and inter-religious cooperation, we are deeply troubled by the xenophobia and religious bigotry that has characterized some of the opposition to a proposed Islamic center and mosque near where the World Trade Center towers once stood.
Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House, is the most recent prominent opponent to cast this debate in a way that demonizes all Muslims and exploits fear to divide Americans. "It is a sign of their contempt for Americans and their confidence in our historic ignorance that they would deliberately insult us this way," Gingrich said in a statement. Sarah Palin called plans for the center a "provocation." Fox News has aired a steady stream of irresponsible commentary and biased coverage that reduces what should be a civil debate into starkly combative terms.
The profound tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001 revealed the horror that can unfold when a small minority of violent extremists manipulates religious language for political gain and falsely claims to represent one of the world's great religions. We have witnessed this sinful corruption of religion across faith traditions throughout history and must condemn it without equivocation whenever or wherever it occurs. However, we fail to honor those murdered on that awful day - including Muslim Americans killed in the Twin Towers and Pentagon - by betraying our nation's historic commitment to religious liberty, fueling ugly stereotypes about Islam and demeaning the vast majority of Muslims committed to peace. The proposed mosque would be part of Cordoba House, a center open to all Americans that will provide Islamic, interfaith and secular programs. The project aims to support "integration, tolerance of difference and community cohesion through arts and culture," according to the Cordoba Initiative, which promotes improved "Muslim-West relations." These are exactly the kind of efforts that foster dialogue, break down barriers and begin to build a world where religiously inspired violent extremism is less likely.
Mr. Gingrich, Ms. Palin and other prominent voices privileged to have the ear of the media would make a more lasting contribution to our nation if they stopped issuing inflammatory statements and instead helped inspire a civil dialogue between Christians, Jews and Muslims committed to a future guided by the principles of compassion, justice and peace. Fear-mongering and hateful rhetoric only undermine treasured values at the heart of diverse faith traditions and our nation's highest ideals.
So if we are supposed to be willing to accept other religions and their freedoms to worship can we build some cathedrals in Mecca?
Is New York City all of a sudden a christian city? or jewish? or is it supposed to be a representation of freedom of religion and worship? this is a horrible analogy. Saudi Arabia and subsequently the city of Mecca have overwhelming Muslim populations and it's an Islamic country and city. building a cathedral there is not useful at all. on the other hand, New York City is home to nearly a million Muslims and tons more going in and out everyday. it's usefulness is very obvious. if NYC was to purport an image of being a Christian city (so if it would prevent the building of a synagogue, hindu temple, etc, in addition to the mosque as Saudi Arabia would do in addition to a cathedral, that is one thing). however, this is clearly just targeting one group of people and thus is just a display of intolerance. nothing less. the people who are against this don't give a shit about those who died on 9/11!! they are just using this to push a political agenda and some of you idiots actually bought it! i know a kid whose dad died on 9/11, this kid is like 13 years old and guess what, he's Muslim. but does anyone give a shit about these people's opinion? no.
and since when do those whose family died on 9/11 claim a moral high ground over anyone else? because when it comes to the ethical stance on this issue, it is completely unethical to prevent the building of a mosque anywhere. islam is not responsible for 9/11, crazy people are. I'm sick of these same people acting like they respect the religion too - just fucking admit that you're an intolerant bigot already.
also the muslims who wrote the article are just idiots, no different than the dumb ass mexican people the neocons found to go to townhall meetings and speak out in favor of the racist arizona law. their whole argument is flawed because it's based on a stupid assumption that the mosque was built to provoke people, when it was clearly not. and no Muslim should be forced to build a church and a synagogue in addition to a mosque, just like no christian or jew should be forced to build anything other than their own house of worship.
Where do people like you come from ??? No one is claiming the MORAL HIGH GROUND.. and So just bcos you dissagree with the article the two authors are idiots ? It also sounds like you don't have a damn clue about why people are pissed off.
No one is claiming the moral high ground? Sounds like you know what everyone's saying. The point of me writing that is because I was analyzing every single argument and saying that even when we take into account the ethical stance that should be prevalent in this case, the building of a mosque should be welcomed by the American community. it's a method of argument to consider everything when you're discussing something but I wouldn't expect you to anything I'm talking about.
I clearly did not say that just because I disagree with the article the authors are idiots. I VERY clearly pointed out "their whole argument is flawed because it's based on a stupid assumption that the mosque was built to provoke people, when it was clearly not." You may not have the patience to read my entire post because you're so itching to preach your ignorance, but don't make me waste my time having to rewrite shit for your blind eyes.
this is clearly just targeting one group of people and thus is just a display of intolerance. nothing less. the people who are against this don't give a shit about those who died on 9/11!! they are just using this to push a political agenda/quote]
Really ? ??? You don't know a damn thing about me or anyone else for that matter.. And this is why I can't stand people like you or people that think like you.
I'm glad it offended you because I wrote that to offend you. It's completely true, this mosque has nothing to do with 9/11, the only similarity behind the people building this mosque and those who did the attacks is religion. so if you're against the mosque because of the 9/11 then logically following this only similarity, you're against ANYTHING to do with that religion. it's just a logical step process, it's the only thing that makes sense, and in fact I am the one who is offended that you are using the victims of 9/11 to pursue a political agenda. As an American, I find it repulsive and I would expect a little more respect for those who died on 9/11 from someone like you.
While were at it what about building a memorial site of Japanese Kamizake pilots where USS Arizona was sunk in Pearl Harbor to promote understanding and forgiveness?
Is this really how you see things? Christ, you're so blinded by ignorance.
horrible analogy. I couldn't think of a more stupid analogy in fact.
1. the comparison between japanese kamikaze (not kamizake) pilots to the entire Muslim religion is astonishing. Is that how you see normal, American Muslims? if they were building an Al Qaeda memorial site, this analogy would be more apt. but they are not doing that at all, and this center has nothing to do with the attackers on 9/11 other than the fact that they happen to share the same religion (and even at that, a different interpretation of it).
2. this mosque should be to promote understanding, as you mockingly claim so, but not forgiveness. There is no one related to this mosque to forgive, unless you mean Muslims. So are you insinuating that all Muslims in the world need to be forgiven by Americans for 9/11? Disgusting, your Islamophobia is showing a little too much.
You really need to get a life.. No one NO ONE IS ADVOCATING ATTACKS ON MUSLIMS.. nor are they condeming thier religion. Maybe you and others will get that through your thick skull. Then again you not being from here or american you probably wont.These people have every damn right to speak out against this mosque. Also people want to know where the funding is coming from. Which Abdual raulf refuses to let anyone know..
unless the government forces him to make his funding public, it's none of your fucking business.
and you don't have to outright condemn the entire Muslim religion, that would be a little too blunt. Instead, just speak out against a mosque they wanna build and target them in separate ways.
ok, i've read this. now i'll ask you again: because of this, and anything else you've read or seen online, do you think that every single person that doesn't want that mosque built that close to ground zero is anti muslim? that's my only question.
i'll gladly answer that myself as well, but only after you clarify what you mean by anti-muslim.
Maybe you and others will get that through your thick skull. Then again you not being from here or american you probably wont.
so according to you, anyone who was not born with a red white and blue stripe on their butt, doesn't have rights to an opinion or understand the 'american way'.
certainly explains your hateful attitude towards others.
and try again genius, i may not have been born American but i've certainly lived and worked in 'your' country long enough to have an informed opinion.
So if we are supposed to be willing to accept other religions and their freedoms to worship can we build some cathedrals in Mecca?
Is New York City all of a sudden a christian city? or jewish? or is it supposed to be a representation of freedom of religion and worship? this is a horrible analogy. Saudi Arabia and subsequently the city of Mecca have overwhelming Muslim populations and it's an Islamic country and city. building a cathedral there is not useful at all. on the other hand, New York City is home to nearly a million Muslims and tons more going in and out everyday. it's usefulness is very obvious. if NYC was to purport an image of being a Christian city (so if it would prevent the building of a synagogue, hindu temple, etc, in addition to the mosque as Saudi Arabia would do in addition to a cathedral, that is one thing). however, this is clearly just targeting one group of people and thus is just a display of intolerance. nothing less. the people who are against this don't give a shit about those who died on 9/11!! they are just using this to push a political agenda and some of you idiots actually bought it! i know a kid whose dad died on 9/11, this kid is like 13 years old and guess what, he's Muslim. but does anyone give a shit about these people's opinion? no.
and since when do those whose family died on 9/11 claim a moral high ground over anyone else? because when it comes to the ethical stance on this issue, it is completely unethical to prevent the building of a mosque anywhere. islam is not responsible for 9/11, crazy people are. I'm sick of these same people acting like they respect the religion too - just fucking admit that you're an intolerant bigot already.
also the muslims who wrote the article are just idiots, no different than the dumb ass mexican people the neocons found to go to townhall meetings and speak out in favor of the racist arizona law. their whole argument is flawed because it's based on a stupid assumption that the mosque was built to provoke people, when it was clearly not. and no Muslim should be forced to build a church and a synagogue in addition to a mosque, just like no christian or jew should be forced to build anything other than their own house of worship.
Where do people like you come from ??? No one is claiming the MORAL HIGH GROUND.. and So just bcos you dissagree with the article the two authors are idiots ? It also sounds like you don't have a damn clue about why people are pissed off. Also im highly offended by you saying
this is clearly just targeting one group of people and thus is just a display of intolerance. nothing less. the people who are against this don't give a shit about those who died on 9/11!! they are just using this to push a political agenda/quote]
Really ? ??? You don't know a damn thing about me or anyone else for that matter.. And this is why I can't stand people like you or people that think like you.
Press Release
Top Religious Leaders Denounce Growing Anti-Muslim Sentiment; Express Support for NY Mosque, Community Center
Challenge Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin To Stop Exploiting Fear
August 11, 2010
More than 40 prominent Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders and religion scholars issued a statement today condemning the "xenophobia and religious bigotry" fueling the increasingly strident opposition to a proposed Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero. These leaders from New York City and across the country are specifically challenging the divisive rhetoric of Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, who have strongly opposed a center that will promote interfaith relations, combat extremism, and offer community programs for Americans of all religious backgrounds.
"It's simply wrong for Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin to malign all Muslims by comparing this cultural center and mosque with a radical ideology that led to the horrific attacks of 9-11," said Sister Simone Campbell, Executive Director of NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby. "We fail to honor those killed by terrorists when we betray the bedrock principle of religious freedom that has guided our democracy for centuries."
Newt Gingrich recently claimed that the Cordoba House "... is a sign of their contempt for Americans and their confidence in our historic ignorance that they would deliberately insult us this way." Palin called plans for the center a "provocation" that "stabs at the heart."
Faithful America - an online community of more than 100,000 people of faith - is also standing up for the American Muslim community and interfaith cooperation today in response to anti-Muslim sentiment and fierce opposition to proposed mosques in communities across the country. Faithful America members are signing a petition to honor the "many contributions of American Muslims toward global peace" and denounce bigotry and limits on religious freedom as a betrayal of American values.
"Christians who believe in the values of religious freedom and interfaith cooperation welcome plans for Cordoba House, a center of culture and dialogue that will honor our nation's highest ideals," said the Rev. Peg Chemberlin, President of the National Council of Churches. "We are deeply saddened by those who denigrate a religion which in so many ways is a religion of compassion and peace by associating all Muslims with violent extremism. That's like equating all Christians to Timothy McVeigh's actions. This center will reflect not only the best of Islam, but the enduring hope that Christians, Jews and Muslims can together find common ground in addressing the most urgent challenges of our time."
"Back in the fall of 2001, when President George W. Bush assured the American people that the War on Terror was not a war against Islam, it would have been hard to imagine a more picture perfect example of Muslim Americans exercising their civic responsibilities than by building a thirteen-story YMCA-style community center," said Rev. Chloe Breyer, Executive Director of the Interfaith Center of New York. "Cordoba House is exactly the kind of initiative that we need here in New York - it will serve people of all faith traditions and enrich the city, cultivating a society that lives up to our highest ideals, not our worse fears."
"I'm proud to join so many leaders from diverse faith traditions who recognize that fear-mongering and scapegoating 'the other' has no rightful place in a nation that strives to be a beacon of hope for all those seeking opportunity or escaping persecution," said Simon Greer, President and CEO of Jewish Funds for Justice. "At a time when Americans deserve real solutions to profound challenges, I am hopeful that the shrill voices of division will be drowned out by a chorus of citizens dedicated to working across lines of race and faith to serve the common good."
Rabbi Marc Schneier, President of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding in New York, said: "A fundamental tenet of the Torah teaches us to 'Love thy neighbor as thyself' (Leviticus 19:18). Far more challenging is the dictum, 'Love the stranger, for you too were strangers in the land of Egypt' (Deuteronomy 10:19). 'Love thy neighbor' is mentioned only once in the Bible while 'Love the stranger' is repeated 36 times. This added emphasis highlights how challenging and important it is to love someone different than yourself. Our great nation's history as a beacon of tolerance and religious freedom further encourages us to embrace the strangers in our midst of different faiths and backgrounds. The Cordoba House embodies these proud and sacred traditions."
Interfaith Leaders Stand with Cordoba House, Denounce Hateful Rhetoric
As Catholic, evangelical, mainline Protestant, Jewish and Muslim leaders and scholars committed to religious freedom and inter-religious cooperation, we are deeply troubled by the xenophobia and religious bigotry that has characterized some of the opposition to a proposed Islamic center and mosque near where the World Trade Center towers once stood.
Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House, is the most recent prominent opponent to cast this debate in a way that demonizes all Muslims and exploits fear to divide Americans. "It is a sign of their contempt for Americans and their confidence in our historic ignorance that they would deliberately insult us this way," Gingrich said in a statement. Sarah Palin called plans for the center a "provocation." Fox News has aired a steady stream of irresponsible commentary and biased coverage that reduces what should be a civil debate into starkly combative terms.
The profound tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001 revealed the horror that can unfold when a small minority of violent extremists manipulates religious language for political gain and falsely claims to represent one of the world's great religions. We have witnessed this sinful corruption of religion across faith traditions throughout history and must condemn it without equivocation whenever or wherever it occurs. However, we fail to honor those murdered on that awful day - including Muslim Americans killed in the Twin Towers and Pentagon - by betraying our nation's historic commitment to religious liberty, fueling ugly stereotypes about Islam and demeaning the vast majority of Muslims committed to peace. The proposed mosque would be part of Cordoba House, a center open to all Americans that will provide Islamic, interfaith and secular programs. The project aims to support "integration, tolerance of difference and community cohesion through arts and culture," according to the Cordoba Initiative, which promotes improved "Muslim-West relations." These are exactly the kind of efforts that foster dialogue, break down barriers and begin to build a world where religiously inspired violent extremism is less likely.
Mr. Gingrich, Ms. Palin and other prominent voices privileged to have the ear of the media would make a more lasting contribution to our nation if they stopped issuing inflammatory statements and instead helped inspire a civil dialogue between Christians, Jews and Muslims committed to a future guided by the principles of compassion, justice and peace. Fear-mongering and hateful rhetoric only undermine treasured values at the heart of diverse faith traditions and our nation's highest ideals.
I really hope this mosque/center opens now - mostly to show all these intolerant American people what things like peace and acceptance are. We really such a dim society.
CONservative governMENt
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
i'm looking into opening a strip club next to this mosque
anyone wanna be partners with me
:P
i just can't wait till a terrorist uses this mosque as a backdrop for a weekly anti-american rant and praises this as a victory against america. maybe bin laden will give a statement bout this and say how it's a victory for jihad from his cave. haven't seen him in a while.
Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
If the money was coming from groups like hamas or Al Qaeda I would say it's real big deal. I would at least hope we could agree on that.
what evidence do you have to support this fear mongering? or is it just a 'feeling' that your poor little tummy gets?
do share.
No it's not fear mongering. We have a right to know where the funding is coming from as do the families 0f 911. Then again you and others that support this probably wouldn't care if Osama himself was funding it. it doesn't suprise me either that you and others that support this are the same ones that dont support Israel.
Mmmm..
Opponents Question Ground Zero Mosque's Murky Funding, Mysterious Sponsors
Thursday, 05 Aug 2010 12:49 PM Article Font Size
By: David A. Patten
A Landmarks Preservation Commission decision to allow a new $100 million Islamic cultural center and mosque to be built just two blocks from the site of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City has triggered a lawsuit and calls for an investigation into the center's shadowy funding.
Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), an organization founded by religious broadcaster the Rev. Pat Robertson, filed suit Wednesday urging the New York Supreme Court to toss the commission's ruling for not following its own regulations and precedents.
In appealing the commission's finding that the building fails to qualify for historic preservation, Sekulow pointed out that the landing gear from the first airliner to slam into the trade center plummeted to earth and crashed through the roof of the very structure now scheduled to be demolished for construction of the "ground zero mosque."
Video: Former New York Gov. George Pataki on the Ground Zero Mosque (Story continues below).
"That should have been enough to have it deemed landmark status," Sekulow tells Newsmax. "Instead, and this is what is so unusual about this, months ago the Landmark Commission approved the idea of having a mosque there.
"That's not their job. Their job's not to approve whether it’s a mosque or not.
Their job is to determine whether the building has landmark significance . . . they've thwarted their own policies in order to do a politically correct thing here by approving this mosque at ground zero."
Sekulow likens putting a mosque and cultural center at the site to "putting a monument to kamikaze pilots at the Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor," and says he has questions about "where is this money coming from and who is behind it?"
The 9/11 first responders he represents are "outraged and shocked at the same time," he says.
"The shock is the idea that this mosque would go up at the same site," Sekulow says. "The outrage is that the government is allowing it, and not only allowing it but is complaisant in it. The irony of this is quite unbelievable."
Critics say the funding sources for the 13-story project, initially called the Cordoba House but now more commonly referred to by its proponents as "Park51," are very murky.
The Cordoba Initiative, which describes its objective on its website as "steering the world back to the course of mutual recognition and respect and away from heightened tensions," is led by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and his wife, Daisy Khan. The organization lists scores of "supporters" on its home page, including 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, the American Jewish Committee, the Interfaith Center of New York, St. Bartholomew's Church, and the Episcopal Diocese of New York.
The site does not specify, however, whether any of those organizations has contributed financially to the cultural center project.
The organization's website solicits donations by directing donors to a PayPal account, and does not require disclosure of identity other than payment information and an e-mail address.
"If this project were what it was represented to be, which is an exercise in building bridges and a more ecumenical kind of Islam, then there shouldn't be any shroud whatsoever over who is behind it," Andrew C. McCarthy, the former assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, and author of "The Grand Jihad," tells Newsmax. "The fact that there is an obvious reluctance about saying who is behind it would lead a rational person to think it isn't what it's represented to be."
New York GOP gubernatorial hopeful Rick Lazio has called for an investigation into the proposed project, including its funding. But New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who applauded the commission's ruling Tuesday, blasted any probe into the finances of Imam Feisal's organizations as “out of character for what this nation stands for and the way we conduct ourselves.”
Bloomberg recently told NY 1: "I don't think we're going to go and start investigating funding sources for religious organizations or vetting people who preach or pray in religious organizations.”
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., also has called for an investigation.
"It's a house of worship, but we are at war with al-Qaida," King told The Associated Press last month. "I think the 9/11 families have a right to know where the funding comes from. I think there are significant questions."
Former New York Gov. George Pataki tells Newsmax.TV that Bloomberg is "dead wrong on this. The mosque does not belong anywhere near ground zero, and it's not a matter of tolerance."
Pataki questioned the financing of the project.
"This isn't the local community corner mosque," he said. "This is a $100 million, 13-story facility. Where are the funds coming from? We as Americans have a right to know where are the funds coming from? Are they coming from foreign governments? Foreign governments don't have the right, I don't believe, to come and build a facility like this.
"Are they coming from people who have backed terrorists in the past? You know Sept. 11 was not just some random attack. It was a planned assault on New York America by Islamic terrorists. And we have every right to stand up and say we need to know where the funds are coming from," Pataki said.
Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, the Muslim president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, a group seeking to discourage Islamic extremism, tells Newsmax that construction of an Islamic prayer area overlooking ground zero will be seen in the Muslim world as "a victory for political Islam."
Jasser, a former U.S. Navy lieutenant, has said Muslim youths must be taught American liberty and freedom are preferable to the harsh regime of Islamic laws known as Shariah. Islamic experts say that in extreme cases Shariah has led to stonings after alleged infidelity, and profound discrimination against women.
Asked who is paying for the religious facility, Jasser replied, "That's what I want to know. I don't know. Nobody knows. The organization certainly has not said that they will not take foreign funding. They have had some funding that they [have] gotten, I believe, from a Qatari foundation. So they do take foreign moneys by their previous example. But they haven't answered the question."
Among the concerns raised about Abdul Rauf and the proposed Islamic center:
Jasser says Abdul Rauf has refused to condemn Hamas or Hezbollah out of concern for alienating some Muslims. "It's just absurd that he can't identify groups that use terrorism as a means as corrupt and unIslamic," Jasser says. "So this is why the money is very important."
Abdul Rauf recently wrote a commentary published on HuffingtonPost.com that compared Shariah with the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. "He is completely misrepresenting what Shariah really is," Jasser warns. "We are not a theocracy, canon law is not part of Western society, and our laws are based on a separation of powers and an Establishment clause that could never be interpreted the way Shariah law is [as] simply the domain of clerics. I think it's very deceptive for him to say that and it shows that he's really not a reformist, but an apologist."
The New York Post has reported that Abdul Rauf is a "prominent member" of the Malaysian-based Perdana Global Peace Organization. That is the single largest donor to the Free Gaza Movement, which in turn played a key role in organizing the violence-marred flotilla that tried to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. Deborah Burlingame, sister of an American Airlines pilot who died on 9/11, told the Post: "I think it goes to show he is not the man he represents himself to be. We have two Imam Raufs."
The Anti-Defamation League caught many civil rights groups by surprise when it came out against the ground zero mosque. ADL leader Abe Foxman told NPR Tuesday that if Cordoba's leaders sincere in their desire to encourage inter-faith harmony and understanding, the best way to accomplish that objective would be to move the facility to a less controversial location.
Even the name Cordoba is controversial. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has written that the name derives from "a city in Spain where a conquering Muslim army replaced a church with a mosque. This name is a very direct historical indication that the ground zero mosque is all about conquest and thus an assertion of Islamist triumphalism which we should not tolerate."
Shortly after 9/11, Abdul Rauf strongly denounced the attacks, saying on "60 Minutes" that "Fanaticism and terrorism have no place in Islam." But he also remarked: "I wouldn't say that the United States deserved what happened, but United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened."
Jasser says the financing is important because the ideas and teachings of a mosque can be greatly influenced by those who are footing the bill.
Abdul Rauf has been a voice of reason within the Muslim community at times. Shortly after the Fort Hood shootings in Texas, for example, he decried the violence as a "senseless act."
"What this unfortunate Army major did was against the laws of Islam," Abdul Rauf wrote on his site's blog. "He obviously was violating his faith when he undertook this act. Killing is as much a sin in Islam as it is in Christianity, Judaism and all the major religions. Taking the law into one's own hands is against Islamic teachings."
Imam Feisal is a Sufi Muslim, which has been described as more centered on spiritual pursuits than on strict rituals. The FBI has officially credited Imam Feisal with helping the agency to reach out to Muslims in the aftermath of 9/11. He founded the American Society for Muslim Advancement in 1997, a group aimed at bringing Muslims and non-Muslims together through academic and cultural programs. His biography states he holds a B.S. in physics from Columbia University. His wife has won several awards for promoting interfaith understanding.
Jasser credits Abdul Rauf with being "very nonviolent."
"He has condemned terrorism as a tactic, and he's pretty smooth when it comes to these things," Jasser tells Newsmax. "But yet he's an apologist for political Islam and Shariah. You can't help but think he's part of the same Islamist ideas of wanting to spread Islam in an evangelical way globally, and probably establish an Islamic state."
Newsmax contacted Abdul Rauf's office seeking his comment on the lawsuit and the financing. His assistant replied via e-mail: "Imam Feisal is still out of town and will not be available for an interview."
and what we should be suprised by this.. :roll: :roll: give me a break. I knew sooner or later he would.. You think he cares about winning a second term ? No !! This was just a way for him to shove his idoeolgy down the throats of americans. He doesn't like this country.. When has he ever talked about the constituion or the founding fathers in a positive light ? He despises the constituion and our history just like most of the people on this mb and on the left do.
do you? well then i assume you are checking where ALL the funding comes from for all the Religious institutions in the area because you're not just singling out Muslims, right?
you really neeed to give your head a shake.. If it's no big deal than why wont the emam or whatever the hell he is tell anyone. Obviously he doesn't want people to know if he did he would make his records public.
and what we should be suprised by this.. :roll: :roll: give me a break. I knew sooner or later he would.. You think he cares about winning a second term ? No !! This was just a way for him to shove his idoeolgy down the throats of americans. He doesn't like this country.. When has he ever talked about the constituion or the founding fathers in a positive light ? He despises the constituion and our history just like most of the people on this mb and on the left do.
wasn't america based on the principles of religious freedom? didn't the Founding Fathers decide that religious freedom was central to the idea of a man's freedom?
why do you pick and chose to follow the Constitution only when it suits you? gotta love how some "patriots" are immediately willing to push the founding principles of the country to the gutter whenever something doesn't suit their interests.
maybe they are the ones that ''despise" the Constitution...
and what we should be suprised by this.. :roll: :roll: give me a break. I knew sooner or later he would.. You think he cares about winning a second term ? No !! This was just a way for him to shove his idoeolgy down the throats of americans. He doesn't like this country.. When has he ever talked about the constituion or the founding fathers in a positive light ? He despises the constituion and our history just like most of the people on this mb and on the left do.
You mean his "ideolgy" of the legal usage of private property and the right to religious freedom? How can you possibly say Obama did not side with the constitution on this 100%? I think you've just been goofing with us the whole time. I, for one, am not taking the bait anymore.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win ."
Comments
no, i'm not going to do any of that. i'm asking you one simple question. you write that, because of one picture of one sign and other reports that you've read, your belief is that anyone that's against this mosque being built in that location is actually saying they don't want a mosque anywhere in the country and they're anti muslim. that is what i'm getting from your posts. i'm not trying to bash, i'm just asking a question. do you really feel that way because of one sign and some articles you've read?
and if you refuse to maybe spend five minutes to enlighten yourself then you and i are finished here....
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
how am i not enlightening myself? by not going back and re-reading your posts? you don't even know my thoughts on this issue. sometimes, gimme, you need to get off your high horse.
Friday, 13 August 2010
Religious leaders warn of Islamophobia surge with hate speech and opposition to new Islamic centres across America
The battle over plans to build a mosque near the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York is fuelling a surge in anti-Muslim protests across the US, including opposition to new Islamic centres from California to Georgia.
Religious leaders and civil rights activists warn that a tide of Islamophobia that has swept the country since the destruction of the twin towers is being heightened by political exploitation of the New York dispute before nationwide elections and is increasingly bound up with hostility to immigrants and other forms of racism.
They say the outpouring of condemnation at the "outrage" of a mosque close to the "hallowed ground" of the World Trade Centre site also goes hand in hand with the increasing acceptability of what they describe as hate speech.
A Florida church, Dove World Outreach Centre, is planning a "burn the Qur'an" day on September 11 and has already outraged Muslims by planting a sign on its front lawn that reads: Islam is the Devil.
The church's senior pastor, Terry Jones, has said he is "exposing Islam for what it is".
"It is a violent and oppressive religion that is trying to masquerade itself as a religion of peace, seeking to deceive our society," the church said. "Islam is a lie based upon lies and deceptions and fear. In Muslim countries, if you preach the gospel or convert to Christianity – you will be killed. That is the type of religion it is."
A leading Muslim educational institution, al-Azhar's Supreme Council in Egypt, has accused the Florida church of "stirring up hate and discrimination" and called on other American churches to condemn it.
Many religious leaders have spoken out against Muslim-bashing, including rabbis in New York who have defended the plans for the mosque two blocks from the site of the 9/11 attacks, which would not be visible from Ground Zero.
But John Esposito, director of the Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, said many Americans shared Jones's views. He said the dispute over the proposed mosque had given cover for more open hostility unleashed after the 9/11 attacks that was evident during the last presidential election when some of Barack Obama's opponents attempted to portray him as a Muslim.
"The World Trade Centre thing has shown that what has been up to now seen as a local issue has gone global and provided an umbrella so that suddenly people feel freer to go public with their objections to Muslims," he said.
"Historically we've had problems in Mississippi or Georgia or New York or wherever when someone wants to establish a mosque.
"The cover for opposition used to be that people will say: we're not really prejudiced but it'll affect the traffic in the area, not facing the fact that it is very common if you have a significant number of Jews or Protestants or Catholics to expect that they're going to want to have a synagogue or a church and chances are the town's going to go along with it."
But today, Americans increasingly no longer shy away from saying they oppose mosques on the grounds that Muslims are a threat or different.
In New York, a group called the American Freedom Defence Initiative is placing adverts on New York buses showing a plane flying into one of the World Trade Centre towers and what it calls a "Mega Mosque" and asking "Why There?".
Azeem Khan, of the Islamic Circle of North America, said the bus adverts promoted fear and hatred. "People want Islam and Muslims to be the bogeyman right now," he said.
The issue is increasingly being exploited by politicians in the run-up to November's mid-term elections. Opposition to a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, intensified after Republican candidates for Congress and state governor made opposition part of their campaigns.
Sarah Palin, the former vice presidential candidate, has been a vocal opponent of the controversial New York mosque.
Other prominent politicians have cast the net wider. Newt Gingrich, the Republican former speaker of the House of Representatives, who is thought likely to make a run for president, has warned that Muslims are attempting to impose sharia law in the US and that it poses a "mortal threat to freedom" in America.
Gingrich said that he would push for legislation to prevent states from adopting sharia law even though none are proposing it and there is no likely prospect of it happening.
Esposito said politicians' fearmongering over Muslims was similar to exploitation of fears that the country was being swamped by a tide of illegal immigrants.
"Islamophobia is not just about religion. It's about people who are of colour and a whole set of presuppositions about these people," he said.
"You can see it not only with Muslims but with Mexicans, people who look Hispanic. Now we have hard data from Gallup and Pew that demonstrate in America how integrated the vast majority of Muslims are – economically, politically and religiously. And yet a significant number of Americans can be appealed to in what is nothing less than hate speech, the same hate speech directed against immigrants."
Hostile messages
• Members of an evangelical church in Texas travelled to Connecticut to verbally attack worshippers leaving a mosque in Bridgeport, carrying signs reading: "Jesus hates Muslims"
• In Tennessee, Republican politicians have condemned plans to build a large Muslim centre in Murfreesboro. Hundreds of people have joined protests
Guardian
http://www.hizb.org.uk/hizb/news-watch/ ... ss-us.html
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
to me it seems like those people are the same way about islam as they are about nuclear energy, all in favor of it "but not in my backyard"...
they have stated no other credible reason to be against it. it does not affect them at all, the mosque can not be seen from ground zero, so what other logical conclusion is there? did you read the underlined parts in the article? i can find more but that one was from today thus the most current. what is your opinion?
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
see the problem i have with you saying that you think the majority of people not wanting that mosque in that area are anti muslim is that in this very same thread it's been said you shouldn't generalize against a group because of the actions of some that belong to that group (not all muslims are extremists).
yes, gimme, i read the underlined parts of your post. i read the whole thing. i don't agree with burning koran's or blindly painting the entire religion as blood thirsty savages. that's just plain and simple idiocy.
as far as building the mosque (or cultural center) where they're planning on building it: i think it might be in poor taste a little, but i don't have a problem with it being built there. personally, i think it's a stupid idea, and by stupid i mean whoever is planning this had to know prior to it becoming public that it was going to stir the pot, and i don't mean like a mild stir. i'm talking tweak from south park stirring it, while having a seizure. i hope they have tight security during the building of it, and even after it's up. i can only imagine what kind of vandalism (and god knows what else) will happen once it's built.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162- ... 03544.html
In the wake of the uproar over the mosque to be built near "ground zero" in New York, a prominent, controversial social conservative is calling for the prohibition of the construction of any mosques in the United States.
"Permits should not be granted to build even one more mosque in the United States of America, let alone the monstrosity planned for Ground Zero," Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association wrote this week on the AFA website. "This is for one simple reason: each Islamic mosque is dedicated to the overthrow of the American government."
Fischer is the AFA's director of Issue Analysis for Government and Public Policy. The AFA is a conservative Christian group that been in the news before for taking a number of extreme positions -- for instance, earlier this year Fischer called for Tilikum, the SeaWorld orca that thrashed its trainer to death, to be killed according to Biblical rules. In 2005, the AFA finally ended its boycott of Disney, which it kept of for nine years to protest the company's erosion of moral values.
The AFA operates nearly 200 radio stations across the country under the American Family Radio banner and sometimes features congressmen on its shows. Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), for instance, were recent guests of one show. Fischer is listed as an invited speaker at the Values Voter Summit next month, along with Rep. Michele Bachmann, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, among others.
A number of conservatives have decried the decision by New York City officials to allow for the construction of an Islamic community center and mosque a few blocks from the site of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. A conservative advocacy group founded by the Rev. Pat Robertson vowed to challenge the city's decision in state court.
Fischer's position takes the debate to an entirely new level. He writes that every mosque "is a potential jihadist recruitment and training center" and that because of Islam's "subversive ideology, Muslims cannot claim religious freedom protections under the First Amendment."
Another AFA writer, Elijah Friedeman, wrote that he agreed each mosque is a "potential jihadist recruitment and training center" -- Friedeman wrote, "Each and every mosque could potentially - existing in possibility - be a threat, but the fact is that the very large majority of mosques don't threaten America's existence or anything for that matter."
Friedeman said that the right to build mosques in the U.S. should be protected.
"If we ignore the legal foundation of our nation, we will be left in a legal quicksand with no protection from others who want to suspend our freedoms when they feel like it," he said. "I would give the Devil the benefit of the law, if for no other reason than my own safety."
Meanwhile, while the debate continues over the New York mosque, President Obama yesterday released a statement to commemorate the start of Ramadan, saying Islam has always been part of America. Ramadan is the holiday during which observant Muslims fast from dawn to dusk each day for a month to develop patience, humility and spirituality.
"These rituals remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and Islam's role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings," Mr. Obama said in a statement. "Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for great diversity and racial equality. And here in the United States, Ramadan is a reminder that Islam has always been part of America and that American Muslims have made extraordinary contributions to our country."
The president will be hosting an Iftar dinner celebrating Ramadan at the White House later this week.
The White House has refused to weigh in on the mosque debate in New York. Deputy White House Press Secretary Bill Burton said Tuesday, "The president has made clear that we are not at war with Islam, and that we can have these sorts of discussions well within the traditions of openness and religious freedom that our country is based on."
A number of potential Republican 2012 presidential nominees have weighed in on the issue, however. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee called the New York mosque "really offensive to most New Yorkers and Americans," while Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty called it "inappropriate."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Hey everyone...guess what? There are some bad muslims...bad christians...bad jews...some bad people in every walk of life, every profession, every color, every sex, every age, every religion.
And as far as religion goes, in each one, there are bad people using it to try and justify terrible hatred and/or violence against others.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Top Religious Leaders Denounce Growing Anti-Muslim Sentiment; Express Support for NY Mosque, Community Center
Challenge Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin To Stop Exploiting Fear
August 11, 2010
More than 40 prominent Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders and religion scholars issued a statement today condemning the "xenophobia and religious bigotry" fueling the increasingly strident opposition to a proposed Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero. These leaders from New York City and across the country are specifically challenging the divisive rhetoric of Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, who have strongly opposed a center that will promote interfaith relations, combat extremism, and offer community programs for Americans of all religious backgrounds.
"It's simply wrong for Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin to malign all Muslims by comparing this cultural center and mosque with a radical ideology that led to the horrific attacks of 9-11," said Sister Simone Campbell, Executive Director of NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby. "We fail to honor those killed by terrorists when we betray the bedrock principle of religious freedom that has guided our democracy for centuries."
Newt Gingrich recently claimed that the Cordoba House "... is a sign of their contempt for Americans and their confidence in our historic ignorance that they would deliberately insult us this way." Palin called plans for the center a "provocation" that "stabs at the heart."
Faithful America - an online community of more than 100,000 people of faith - is also standing up for the American Muslim community and interfaith cooperation today in response to anti-Muslim sentiment and fierce opposition to proposed mosques in communities across the country. Faithful America members are signing a petition to honor the "many contributions of American Muslims toward global peace" and denounce bigotry and limits on religious freedom as a betrayal of American values.
"Christians who believe in the values of religious freedom and interfaith cooperation welcome plans for Cordoba House, a center of culture and dialogue that will honor our nation's highest ideals," said the Rev. Peg Chemberlin, President of the National Council of Churches. "We are deeply saddened by those who denigrate a religion which in so many ways is a religion of compassion and peace by associating all Muslims with violent extremism. That's like equating all Christians to Timothy McVeigh's actions. This center will reflect not only the best of Islam, but the enduring hope that Christians, Jews and Muslims can together find common ground in addressing the most urgent challenges of our time."
"Back in the fall of 2001, when President George W. Bush assured the American people that the War on Terror was not a war against Islam, it would have been hard to imagine a more picture perfect example of Muslim Americans exercising their civic responsibilities than by building a thirteen-story YMCA-style community center," said Rev. Chloe Breyer, Executive Director of the Interfaith Center of New York. "Cordoba House is exactly the kind of initiative that we need here in New York - it will serve people of all faith traditions and enrich the city, cultivating a society that lives up to our highest ideals, not our worse fears."
"I'm proud to join so many leaders from diverse faith traditions who recognize that fear-mongering and scapegoating 'the other' has no rightful place in a nation that strives to be a beacon of hope for all those seeking opportunity or escaping persecution," said Simon Greer, President and CEO of Jewish Funds for Justice. "At a time when Americans deserve real solutions to profound challenges, I am hopeful that the shrill voices of division will be drowned out by a chorus of citizens dedicated to working across lines of race and faith to serve the common good."
Rabbi Marc Schneier, President of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding in New York, said: "A fundamental tenet of the Torah teaches us to 'Love thy neighbor as thyself' (Leviticus 19:18). Far more challenging is the dictum, 'Love the stranger, for you too were strangers in the land of Egypt' (Deuteronomy 10:19). 'Love thy neighbor' is mentioned only once in the Bible while 'Love the stranger' is repeated 36 times. This added emphasis highlights how challenging and important it is to love someone different than yourself. Our great nation's history as a beacon of tolerance and religious freedom further encourages us to embrace the strangers in our midst of different faiths and backgrounds. The Cordoba House embodies these proud and sacred traditions."
Interfaith Leaders Stand with Cordoba House, Denounce Hateful Rhetoric
As Catholic, evangelical, mainline Protestant, Jewish and Muslim leaders and scholars committed to religious freedom and inter-religious cooperation, we are deeply troubled by the xenophobia and religious bigotry that has characterized some of the opposition to a proposed Islamic center and mosque near where the World Trade Center towers once stood.
Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House, is the most recent prominent opponent to cast this debate in a way that demonizes all Muslims and exploits fear to divide Americans. "It is a sign of their contempt for Americans and their confidence in our historic ignorance that they would deliberately insult us this way," Gingrich said in a statement. Sarah Palin called plans for the center a "provocation." Fox News has aired a steady stream of irresponsible commentary and biased coverage that reduces what should be a civil debate into starkly combative terms.
The profound tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001 revealed the horror that can unfold when a small minority of violent extremists manipulates religious language for political gain and falsely claims to represent one of the world's great religions. We have witnessed this sinful corruption of religion across faith traditions throughout history and must condemn it without equivocation whenever or wherever it occurs. However, we fail to honor those murdered on that awful day - including Muslim Americans killed in the Twin Towers and Pentagon - by betraying our nation's historic commitment to religious liberty, fueling ugly stereotypes about Islam and demeaning the vast majority of Muslims committed to peace. The proposed mosque would be part of Cordoba House, a center open to all Americans that will provide Islamic, interfaith and secular programs. The project aims to support "integration, tolerance of difference and community cohesion through arts and culture," according to the Cordoba Initiative, which promotes improved "Muslim-West relations." These are exactly the kind of efforts that foster dialogue, break down barriers and begin to build a world where religiously inspired violent extremism is less likely.
Mr. Gingrich, Ms. Palin and other prominent voices privileged to have the ear of the media would make a more lasting contribution to our nation if they stopped issuing inflammatory statements and instead helped inspire a civil dialogue between Christians, Jews and Muslims committed to a future guided by the principles of compassion, justice and peace. Fear-mongering and hateful rhetoric only undermine treasured values at the heart of diverse faith traditions and our nation's highest ideals.
http://faithinpubliclife.org/content/pr ... ounce.html
I clearly did not say that just because I disagree with the article the authors are idiots. I VERY clearly pointed out "their whole argument is flawed because it's based on a stupid assumption that the mosque was built to provoke people, when it was clearly not." You may not have the patience to read my entire post because you're so itching to preach your ignorance, but don't make me waste my time having to rewrite shit for your blind eyes.
I'm glad it offended you because I wrote that to offend you. It's completely true, this mosque has nothing to do with 9/11, the only similarity behind the people building this mosque and those who did the attacks is religion. so if you're against the mosque because of the 9/11 then logically following this only similarity, you're against ANYTHING to do with that religion. it's just a logical step process, it's the only thing that makes sense, and in fact I am the one who is offended that you are using the victims of 9/11 to pursue a political agenda. As an American, I find it repulsive and I would expect a little more respect for those who died on 9/11 from someone like you.
horrible analogy. I couldn't think of a more stupid analogy in fact.
1. the comparison between japanese kamikaze (not kamizake) pilots to the entire Muslim religion is astonishing. Is that how you see normal, American Muslims? if they were building an Al Qaeda memorial site, this analogy would be more apt. but they are not doing that at all, and this center has nothing to do with the attackers on 9/11 other than the fact that they happen to share the same religion (and even at that, a different interpretation of it).
2. this mosque should be to promote understanding, as you mockingly claim so, but not forgiveness. There is no one related to this mosque to forgive, unless you mean Muslims. So are you insinuating that all Muslims in the world need to be forgiven by Americans for 9/11? Disgusting, your Islamophobia is showing a little too much. unless the government forces him to make his funding public, it's none of your fucking business.
and you don't have to outright condemn the entire Muslim religion, that would be a little too blunt. Instead, just speak out against a mosque they wanna build and target them in separate ways.
certainly explains your hateful attitude towards others.
and try again genius, i may not have been born American but i've certainly lived and worked in 'your' country long enough to have an informed opinion.
it's not a mosque
it's not at ground zero
what evidence do you have to support this fear mongering? or is it just a 'feeling' that your poor little tummy gets?
do share.
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100814/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_ground_zero_mosque_obama
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
anyone wanna be partners with me
:P
i just can't wait till a terrorist uses this mosque as a backdrop for a weekly anti-american rant and praises this as a victory against america. maybe bin laden will give a statement bout this and say how it's a victory for jihad from his cave. haven't seen him in a while.
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
No it's not fear mongering. We have a right to know where the funding is coming from as do the families 0f 911. Then again you and others that support this probably wouldn't care if Osama himself was funding it. it doesn't suprise me either that you and others that support this are the same ones that dont support Israel.
Mmmm..
Opponents Question Ground Zero Mosque's Murky Funding, Mysterious Sponsors
Thursday, 05 Aug 2010 12:49 PM Article Font Size
By: David A. Patten
A Landmarks Preservation Commission decision to allow a new $100 million Islamic cultural center and mosque to be built just two blocks from the site of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City has triggered a lawsuit and calls for an investigation into the center's shadowy funding.
Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), an organization founded by religious broadcaster the Rev. Pat Robertson, filed suit Wednesday urging the New York Supreme Court to toss the commission's ruling for not following its own regulations and precedents.
In appealing the commission's finding that the building fails to qualify for historic preservation, Sekulow pointed out that the landing gear from the first airliner to slam into the trade center plummeted to earth and crashed through the roof of the very structure now scheduled to be demolished for construction of the "ground zero mosque."
Video: Former New York Gov. George Pataki on the Ground Zero Mosque (Story continues below).
"That should have been enough to have it deemed landmark status," Sekulow tells Newsmax. "Instead, and this is what is so unusual about this, months ago the Landmark Commission approved the idea of having a mosque there.
"That's not their job. Their job's not to approve whether it’s a mosque or not.
Their job is to determine whether the building has landmark significance . . . they've thwarted their own policies in order to do a politically correct thing here by approving this mosque at ground zero."
Sekulow likens putting a mosque and cultural center at the site to "putting a monument to kamikaze pilots at the Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor," and says he has questions about "where is this money coming from and who is behind it?"
The 9/11 first responders he represents are "outraged and shocked at the same time," he says.
"The shock is the idea that this mosque would go up at the same site," Sekulow says. "The outrage is that the government is allowing it, and not only allowing it but is complaisant in it. The irony of this is quite unbelievable."
Critics say the funding sources for the 13-story project, initially called the Cordoba House but now more commonly referred to by its proponents as "Park51," are very murky.
The Cordoba Initiative, which describes its objective on its website as "steering the world back to the course of mutual recognition and respect and away from heightened tensions," is led by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and his wife, Daisy Khan. The organization lists scores of "supporters" on its home page, including 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, the American Jewish Committee, the Interfaith Center of New York, St. Bartholomew's Church, and the Episcopal Diocese of New York.
The site does not specify, however, whether any of those organizations has contributed financially to the cultural center project.
The organization's website solicits donations by directing donors to a PayPal account, and does not require disclosure of identity other than payment information and an e-mail address.
"If this project were what it was represented to be, which is an exercise in building bridges and a more ecumenical kind of Islam, then there shouldn't be any shroud whatsoever over who is behind it," Andrew C. McCarthy, the former assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, and author of "The Grand Jihad," tells Newsmax. "The fact that there is an obvious reluctance about saying who is behind it would lead a rational person to think it isn't what it's represented to be."
New York GOP gubernatorial hopeful Rick Lazio has called for an investigation into the proposed project, including its funding. But New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who applauded the commission's ruling Tuesday, blasted any probe into the finances of Imam Feisal's organizations as “out of character for what this nation stands for and the way we conduct ourselves.”
Bloomberg recently told NY 1: "I don't think we're going to go and start investigating funding sources for religious organizations or vetting people who preach or pray in religious organizations.”
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., also has called for an investigation.
"It's a house of worship, but we are at war with al-Qaida," King told The Associated Press last month. "I think the 9/11 families have a right to know where the funding comes from. I think there are significant questions."
Former New York Gov. George Pataki tells Newsmax.TV that Bloomberg is "dead wrong on this. The mosque does not belong anywhere near ground zero, and it's not a matter of tolerance."
Pataki questioned the financing of the project.
"This isn't the local community corner mosque," he said. "This is a $100 million, 13-story facility. Where are the funds coming from? We as Americans have a right to know where are the funds coming from? Are they coming from foreign governments? Foreign governments don't have the right, I don't believe, to come and build a facility like this.
"Are they coming from people who have backed terrorists in the past? You know Sept. 11 was not just some random attack. It was a planned assault on New York America by Islamic terrorists. And we have every right to stand up and say we need to know where the funds are coming from," Pataki said.
Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, the Muslim president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, a group seeking to discourage Islamic extremism, tells Newsmax that construction of an Islamic prayer area overlooking ground zero will be seen in the Muslim world as "a victory for political Islam."
Jasser, a former U.S. Navy lieutenant, has said Muslim youths must be taught American liberty and freedom are preferable to the harsh regime of Islamic laws known as Shariah. Islamic experts say that in extreme cases Shariah has led to stonings after alleged infidelity, and profound discrimination against women.
Asked who is paying for the religious facility, Jasser replied, "That's what I want to know. I don't know. Nobody knows. The organization certainly has not said that they will not take foreign funding. They have had some funding that they [have] gotten, I believe, from a Qatari foundation. So they do take foreign moneys by their previous example. But they haven't answered the question."
Among the concerns raised about Abdul Rauf and the proposed Islamic center:
Jasser says Abdul Rauf has refused to condemn Hamas or Hezbollah out of concern for alienating some Muslims. "It's just absurd that he can't identify groups that use terrorism as a means as corrupt and unIslamic," Jasser says. "So this is why the money is very important."
Abdul Rauf recently wrote a commentary published on HuffingtonPost.com that compared Shariah with the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. "He is completely misrepresenting what Shariah really is," Jasser warns. "We are not a theocracy, canon law is not part of Western society, and our laws are based on a separation of powers and an Establishment clause that could never be interpreted the way Shariah law is [as] simply the domain of clerics. I think it's very deceptive for him to say that and it shows that he's really not a reformist, but an apologist."
The New York Post has reported that Abdul Rauf is a "prominent member" of the Malaysian-based Perdana Global Peace Organization. That is the single largest donor to the Free Gaza Movement, which in turn played a key role in organizing the violence-marred flotilla that tried to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. Deborah Burlingame, sister of an American Airlines pilot who died on 9/11, told the Post: "I think it goes to show he is not the man he represents himself to be. We have two Imam Raufs."
The Anti-Defamation League caught many civil rights groups by surprise when it came out against the ground zero mosque. ADL leader Abe Foxman told NPR Tuesday that if Cordoba's leaders sincere in their desire to encourage inter-faith harmony and understanding, the best way to accomplish that objective would be to move the facility to a less controversial location.
Even the name Cordoba is controversial. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has written that the name derives from "a city in Spain where a conquering Muslim army replaced a church with a mosque. This name is a very direct historical indication that the ground zero mosque is all about conquest and thus an assertion of Islamist triumphalism which we should not tolerate."
Shortly after 9/11, Abdul Rauf strongly denounced the attacks, saying on "60 Minutes" that "Fanaticism and terrorism have no place in Islam." But he also remarked: "I wouldn't say that the United States deserved what happened, but United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened."
Jasser says the financing is important because the ideas and teachings of a mosque can be greatly influenced by those who are footing the bill.
Abdul Rauf has been a voice of reason within the Muslim community at times. Shortly after the Fort Hood shootings in Texas, for example, he decried the violence as a "senseless act."
"What this unfortunate Army major did was against the laws of Islam," Abdul Rauf wrote on his site's blog. "He obviously was violating his faith when he undertook this act. Killing is as much a sin in Islam as it is in Christianity, Judaism and all the major religions. Taking the law into one's own hands is against Islamic teachings."
Imam Feisal is a Sufi Muslim, which has been described as more centered on spiritual pursuits than on strict rituals. The FBI has officially credited Imam Feisal with helping the agency to reach out to Muslims in the aftermath of 9/11. He founded the American Society for Muslim Advancement in 1997, a group aimed at bringing Muslims and non-Muslims together through academic and cultural programs. His biography states he holds a B.S. in physics from Columbia University. His wife has won several awards for promoting interfaith understanding.
Jasser credits Abdul Rauf with being "very nonviolent."
"He has condemned terrorism as a tactic, and he's pretty smooth when it comes to these things," Jasser tells Newsmax. "But yet he's an apologist for political Islam and Shariah. You can't help but think he's part of the same Islamist ideas of wanting to spread Islam in an evangelical way globally, and probably establish an Islamic state."
Newsmax contacted Abdul Rauf's office seeking his comment on the lawsuit and the financing. His assistant replied via e-mail: "Imam Feisal is still out of town and will not be available for an interview."
and what we should be suprised by this.. :roll: :roll: give me a break. I knew sooner or later he would.. You think he cares about winning a second term ? No !! This was just a way for him to shove his idoeolgy down the throats of americans. He doesn't like this country.. When has he ever talked about the constituion or the founding fathers in a positive light ? He despises the constituion and our history just like most of the people on this mb and on the left do.
you really neeed to give your head a shake.. If it's no big deal than why wont the emam or whatever the hell he is tell anyone. Obviously he doesn't want people to know if he did he would make his records public.
so, for the second time, can you clarify what you mean by that statement? including the mmm.
wasn't america based on the principles of religious freedom? didn't the Founding Fathers decide that religious freedom was central to the idea of a man's freedom?
why do you pick and chose to follow the Constitution only when it suits you? gotta love how some "patriots" are immediately willing to push the founding principles of the country to the gutter whenever something doesn't suit their interests.
maybe they are the ones that ''despise" the Constitution...
You mean his "ideolgy" of the legal usage of private property and the right to religious freedom? How can you possibly say Obama did not side with the constitution on this 100%? I think you've just been goofing with us the whole time. I, for one, am not taking the bait anymore.
"With our thoughts we make the world"