The Mosque near Ground Zero

[Falconer02]

I'm sure most of you have heard of the situation in NY where they are building a mosque community center near the 9/11 incident and was curious to know your opinions on it. If you haven't, here is a basic article of the whole situation.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/editorials/view.bg?articleid=1272814&srvc=rss

Here are a few of the points people tend to leave out of their argument-

The mosque will not be built AT the site. It will be built 2-3 blocks from it.
The site will include an area near the center where people of all faiths are free to pray.
The 1st amendment.
From what I've heard, there is a catholic church right down the road from where they are going to build it.
Muslims died in the 9/11 attack too. This was a terrorist attack. If you think all muslims are terrorists, gtfo of this thread.

My opinion? When I first heard about it, I thought it was rather rude to build in a place where islamic terrorists killed so many. And with things like the muhammad cartoon stirring so much violence, I thought muslims just shot themselves in the foot when it came to trying to respect whatever thing they're trying to acheive. I also heard a lot of families who had members die in the 9/11 attack were against it, so surely their opinions held more weight. I did not understand why so many political officials were supporting it until I really sat down and thought about separation of church and state and how this is a decent test to show if history will cool down. Right now I'm alright with the idea after I did some research. I will admit this could have done with a bit more tact, but how far away does it have to be until everyone agrees that it's okay to build?

I also read a funny metaphor for the situation which holds a little weight-
"The unabomber lived in a shack in a forest while he did his deeds. Therefore we cannot build shacks of any type in or near forests."

Edit: I will add any valid points to this post whether it be for or against the idea as I'm sure I've left plenty out. I also wrote this at 2 am so I may edit the wording later.

[muush88]

I think they should have thought about building the Mosque so close to ground zero a little more. Your gonna have people defacing/ vandalising it.  Plenty of unbalanced people out there who blame all for the actions of a few.

Is it a mosque they are building or more like a community center for muslims?

[clarkmartin]

I agree that they have the right to build....but there are a LOT of mosques (along with other churches and places of worship) in Manhatten.

Also, there is a Greek Orthodox Church that has been trying to rebuild since 9/11 and have been blocked by the city....why is it that the city is practically begging to have this mosque built but doing nothing for this other church? Same rules and attitudes toward religious groups should be the same if you are truely going to have church/state separation!!

I'm just sayin....

[FuzzyCottonsocks]

I feel like this only going to lead to trouble, unfortunately.  If they do build a mosque there I'm afraid some hateful person will do something violent.   

[Falconer02]

Is it a mosque they are building or more like a community center for muslims?

It is both apparently. Thanks for saying this-- I'll add that up top.

Also, there is a Greek Orthodox Church that has been trying to rebuild since 9/11 and have been blocked by the city....why is it that the city is practically begging to have this mosque built but doing nothing for this other church? Same rules and attitudes toward religious groups should be the same if you are truely going to have church/state separation!!

Do you have a source for this? I haven't heard of this yet. If it's true, it might be because it is on the 'landmark status' of Ground Zero. The building they're tearing down for the mosque was not. This does bring up a point in my mind though- why would a city in troubled economic times favor building a religious building who will be tax-free rather than taxable?

I feel like this only going to lead to trouble, unfortunately.  If they do build a mosque there I'm afraid some hateful person will do something violent.

Maybe. I think if this happens, it only proves we're a nation of xenophobes. It depends on how both sides act.

I'd like to talk about the Cordoba Initiative but I haven't done enough research on it yet. So if anyone knows anything on it, please share.

[jordandog]

Falc,
The main thing I know as far as the Cordoba Initiative is the uproar over it's executive director, the imam Feisal Abdul Raufof. There are people and groups all over saying he has some lengthy and long standing ties to terrorism, but as far as I have been able to glean, it is not true. More the 'guilt by association' slander.

Here is a link to a good article that was in my N.Y.Times yesterday. Hopefully it will explain some of what I am saying. It also has links to other very good info on Cordoba and Raufof.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/nyregion/22imamfacts.html

[flotowngolfer]

I don't see what the big deal is. Islamic Americans are people, just as everyone else is, and should be treated as such. Where they build shouldn't be determined by anything other than the price of the real estate. 

[jordandog]

I don't see what the big deal is. Islamic Americans are people, just as everyone else is, and should be treated as such. Where they build shouldn't be determined by anything other than the price of the real estate. 

I am going to venture a guess that you are fairly young. I agree that Islamic people living here are just people, but I think you fail to realize what a huge emotional impact 9/11 had on this country. It was not like watching the news day in and day out and seeing bombings, etc. from filming by correspondents in other countries around the world. It happened right here and the consequences from that day are still manifesting themselves. I lost friends that day. I'm sure there are others on FC who did also. With the exception of Pearl Harbor, we, as Americans, have never had to live in terror from anything close to home like so many other countries and their people. Whenever emotions are linked to something, and especially on as huge a scale as what 9/11 brought about, it will always be a "big deal" - right, wrong, or otherwise.

[amyrouse]

There was a topic in the off-topic forums earlier this month about this... http://www.fusioncash.net/forum.php?topic=17528.0

I can't think of much else to say except for what I've already said before.  If you're interested, go check it out.   

[emerald6786]

This is true. The should be aloud to build and pray where ever they wish. When the 9-11 situation to it not only changed our lives but they way we think and live. The fear that this is the end of the world.  This horrific ordeal caused alot of family members pain and anguish. My question is why they want to built it near the area where the Word Trade Center was destroyed? What are thier motives? What we must realize is that racism still exist no matter how we try to change our life styles. We have those individuals that can't accept change. A church is built where your heart is....We must realize that everyo ehas their own religious belief and we either accept it or reject it.

[jordandog]

amyrouse, I NEVER saw that thread on here and probably because it was in Off Topic - or I was somewhere out in spaceland. Thanks for the link, just looked through it now.

[ButterflyWings]

No I think it is tacky 9/11 affected to many people of all races..I think it would cause a lot of unnecessary problems in a area that still feels the pain from it..And I think it would be ugly cause of all the fanatical people and groups it would make a place with a painful moment and memory in history Ugly and I think most have not healed enough to have this happen

[walksalone11]

For the intolerant who oppose such a building, based on the aggressor/victim stance, would you also support the removal of all Christian institutions on historical Indigenous lands? What about those on reservations? What about the church built mere feet from the Wounded Knee Memorial where the victims of the massacre are resting?

[walksalone11]

Separation of Church and Hate:
The Kate Mosque Solution

by Greg Palast
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Since everyone seems to have an opinion about the mosque near Ground Zero (and President Obama has two), I'd like to ask you all a couple of questions:

Given that white Christian supremacist Tim McVeigh bombed the Oklahoma City Federal Building, shouldn't we ban white churches from Oklahoma?

As New York City's indigenous Lanape Natives died at Ground Zero by the thousands when overrun by Christian colonists, shouldn't we ban Christian churches from their sacred ground?

If a mosque near Ground Zero is bad, then why not ban all Muslims from downtown New York? For this to work, should we require all Muslims in the city to wear yellow crescents?

My office was in the WTC towers, which will now be rebuilt with all the upscale shops I remember. So, Mrs. Palin, are you saying it's OK for Muslims to shop at Ground Zero as long as they don't pray there?

The new tower will have the old one's Off-Track Betting windows and bars with after-work "happy hours." So here's a solution to make everyone happy: Why not camouflage the mosque as a place to gamble and get into your secretary's panties?

How about disguising it as a discount fashion shop: Kate Mosque? Or as a Disney retail outlet: Mickey Mosque?

Jamie Kilstein has suggested to me that we ban Burger Kings from Ground Zero in honor of the victims of heart disease. But Jamie, the BKs are memorials to remind us that in the eyes of God, all of us - no matter what religion - are just hamburger meat.

"O. Bin Laden" signed Glenn Beck's petition to ban mosques from Ground Zero. Al Qaeda sure as hell doesn't want Muslims and Christians worshipping in amicable proximity.

Several new Christian churches have been welcomed near Ground Zero ... in Hiroshima.

Am I being too kum-ba-yah by suggesting some of the money raised for the mosque go to building a synagogue in Saudi Arabia, rebuilding the Latin Church in mGaza burnt by Hamas kooks, rebuilding the Babri Masjid mosque burnt down by Hindi fascists, rebuild the Hindi temples destroyed by Sinhalese Buddhists, and for Christ's sake, build a bridge, not a wall, to share, not divide, Al-Aksa and the Dome of the Rock?

WWTJD? (What Would Thomas Jefferson Do?)

My own view? I don't want a mosque near Ground Zero; I want it right on top of Ground Zero, in the new tower, so when we go down again, we all go together.

********

Journalist Greg Palast was raised by Gil and Gladys Palast, two terror babies.

[amyrouse]

Walks...you have just become my favorite person of the day.

I agree...the hypocrisy of it makes me queasy.  But then again, I posted this same opinion on the previous thread.