Mosque being built at Ground Zero

[Indy Coug]

I'm patiently waiting for someone to analogize this to the thwarted attempt to building an LDS temple in White Plains.

[Jacob]

I Other religious groups would back out if a sect of their religion was responsible for the place being called "Ground Zero" in the first place and the response to the project was so negative and controversial.

I honestly don't see why. If they don't see themselves as practicing the same religion as that other sect, why should they take ownership of its bad acts? I certainly don't take ownership of the acts of the FLDS.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I honestly don't see why. If they don't see themselves as practicing the same religion as that other sect, why should they take ownership of its bad acts? I certainly don't take ownership of the acts of the FLDS.

It's matter of a sense of decency and respect. Every extremist Islamic faction would use the mosque to say "we tore down the towers, and Allah has now prevailed." I don't think that anyone would have an issue if it was a normal, run of the mill mosque (perhaps the size of the LDS temple in Manhattan?), but this thing is thirteen stories high. If they want to build it, do it somewhere else where nutjobs didn't kill 2700 people in the name of the same basic religion you belong to.

[Jeff Lebowski]

If this is a progressive sect of Islam, then it doesn't say much for Islam in general.

And yet Park51's main movers, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and his wife Daisy Khan, are actually the kind of Muslim leaders right-wing commentators fantasize about: modernists and moderates who openly condemn the death cult of al-Qaeda and its adherents — ironically, just the kind of "peaceful Muslims" whom Sarah Palin, in her now infamous tweet, asked to "refudiate" the mosque. Rauf is a Sufi, which is Islam's most mystical and accommodating denomination.

The Kuwaiti-born Rauf, 52, is the imam of a mosque in New York City's Tribeca district, has written extensively on Islam and its place in modern society and often argues that American democracy is the embodiment of Islam's ideal society. (One of his books is titled What's Right with Islam Is What's Right with America.) He is a contributor to the Washington Post's On Faith blog, and the stated aim of his organization, the Cordoba Initiative, is "to achieve a tipping point in Muslim-West relations within the next decade, steering the world back to the course of mutual recognition and respect and away from heightened tensions." His Indian-born wife is an architect and a recipient of the Interfaith Center Award for Promoting Peace and Interfaith Understanding.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/arti...008432,00.html

[Indy Coug]

Well, if he's interested in steering away from heightened tensions, his Ground Zero Mosque project was a gross miscalculation.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

http://www.time.com/time/nation/arti...008432,00.html

He sounds like a perfectly reasonable man. During these difficult economic times, surely he can find another place in Manhattan to build a 13 story mosque.

If 70% of the population isn't comfortable with it, then why the rock the boat (and why create a propaganda tool for the nutjob factions of Islam).

[beelzebabette]

So the closest mosque to ground zero is one that roundly condemns the attacks. Sounds good to me.

[Portland Ute]

At least government officials aren't pressuring the Catholic Church to let Muslims pray in St. Patrick's Cathedral.

If you read Spanish, you might find this article interesting.

http://www.webislam.com/?idn=16991Some politicians are supporting

Muslims' request to use the Cathedrals in Sevilla and Cordoba for Islamic prayer and worship.

Yes, I realize that both of those Cathedrals were once Muslim mosques. Until about 900 years ago. However, those Mosques were built on top of Christian Holy sites.

[Portland Ute]

Just to reply to myself, read this:

They have been denied their request to perform Islamic rites in the Cathedrals, yet, the proceed, undeterred:

http://yahel.wordpress.com/2010/04/0...al-de-cordoba/

Absolutely NO respect for other religions or the feelings of their adherents.

Can you imagine Christians entering Islamic holy places in Islamic countries to say Mass, offer prayers or other Christian rites?

Imagine, if you will, a group of 100 Christians entering the Mosque in Damascus that was once a great Basilica or the Hagia Sofia which was once a great Cathedral but served as a mosque and holding a Christian service.

What would their outcome be? Death.

[YOhio]

You can follow the Park51 Twitter feed here:

http://twitter.com/park51

I'm not sure the Twitter idea will be helpful in the long run.

[Sleeping in EQ]

I'm in favor of building the Islamic Center--including the mosque--near ground zero.

[byu71]

I was thinking about this this morning. I have noticed a lot of progressives not only feel the group has the legal right, which I agree with, to build the facility, but also that it is a good idea to promote tolerance.

On the other hand, if a school like BYU gets blackballed by Cal Berkley, progressives have no problem with that because Cal Berkley is fighting against BYU's intolerance.

It depends on whose ox is being gored doesn't it. Those wanting the facility built there are also showing insensitivity or tolerance.

Why would progressives come down being more tolerant of a religion like Islam, which is far more restrictive and intolerant than they would be of Mormonism, which I agree is restrictive and intolerant, but not anywhere in the league with the Islamic religion.

Do progressives by nature just tend to dislike anything that is Christian or home grown.

[YOhio]

I'm in favor of building the Islamic Center--including the mosque--near ground zero.

I have mixed feelings on whether I think it's a good idea. I recognize their right to do it and don't support any government entity blocking their path. But the symbolism of it honestly bothers me a bit. IIt would be as if the LDS church decided to build a temple adjacent to the departure point of the Fancher party in Arkansas. Yeah, they could do it. But should they? Not a perfect analogy, but one that I can relate to.

[Sleeping in EQ]

I have mixed feelings on whether I think it's a good idea. I recognize their right to do it and don't support any government entity blocking their path. But the symbolism of it honestly bothers me a bit. IIt would be as if the LDS church decided to build a temple adjacent to the departure point of the Fancher party in Arkansas. Yeah, they could do it. But should they? Not a perfect analogy, but one that I can relate to.

I think the mosque states, unequivocably, that the U.S. is not what the terrorists believe it to be.

I understand your analogy, but I don't agree with it. The LDS Church is not parallel with Islam. The people who will worship and socialize in the Islamic Center near ground zero have no more in common with the 9/11 terrorists than a mainline Christian has with Ervil Lebaron.

This Islamic center, and other centers like it, can help American muslims integrate with, and contribute to, American society at large. The day when Muslim financiers and academics get together and found an Islamic university in the U.S. will also help. I see the desire to build Islamic centers as a step in the right direction for everyone, and this center in particular can help us all move forward, and against terrorism.

I'd like to see conservatives stop playing the "sensitivity" PC card on this. There's a bigger picture here.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

[byu71]

I think the mosque states, unequivocably, that the U.S. is not what the terrorists believe it to be.

I understand your analogy, but I don't agree with it. The LDS Church is not parallel with Islam. The people who will worship and socialize in the Islamic Center near ground zero have no more in common with the 9/11 terrorists than a mainline Christian has with Ervil Lebaron.

This Islamic center, and other centers like it, can help American muslims integrate with, and contribute to, American society at large. The day when Muslim financiers and academics get together and found an Islamic university in the U.S. will also help. I see the desire to build Islamic centers as a step in the right direction for everyone, and this center in particular can help us all move forward, and against terrorism.

I'd like to see conservatives stop playing the "sensitivity" PC card on this. There's a bigger picture here.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

I would like to ask you this. How do you know who is financing and who will run this "center". There isn't transparency and while the head guy is considered moderate, some of the things he has said isn't so moderate. Plus, it is comparative. I don't think there are any major Islamic leaders who could really be considered "moderate" is there.