Hat tip to JV.
Mosque madness at Ground Zero
Andrea PeyserA mosque rises over Ground Zero. And fed-up New Yorkers are crying, “No!”
A chorus of critics — from neighbors to those who lost loved ones on 9/11 to me — feel as if they’ve received a swift kick in the teeth.
Plans are under way for a Muslim house of worship, topped by a 13-story cultural center with a swimming pool, in a building damaged by the fuselage of a jet flown by extremists into the World Trade Center.
The opening date shall live in infamy: Sept. 11, 2011. The 10th anniversary of the day a hole was punched in the city’s heart.
How the devil did this happen?
Plans to bring what one critic calls a “monster mosque” to the site of the old Burlington Coat Factory building, at a cost expected to top $100 million, moved along for months without a peep. All of a sudden, even members of the community board that stupidly green-lighted the mosque this month are tearing their hair out.
Paul Sipos, member of Community Board 1, said a mosque is a fine idea — someplace else.
“If the Japanese decided to open a cultural center across from Pearl Harbor, that would be insensitive,” Sipos told me. “If the Germans opened a Bach choral society across from Auschwitz, even after all these years, that would be an insensitive setting. I have absolutely nothing against Islam. I just think: Why there?”
Why, indeed.
A rally against the mosque is planned for June 6, D-Day, by the human-rights group Stop Islamicization of America. Executive director Pamela Geller said, “What could be more insulting and humiliating than a monster mosque in the shadow of the World Trade Center buildings that were brought down by an Islamic jihad attack? Any decent American, Muslim or otherwise, wouldn’t dream of such an insult. It’s a stab in the eye of America.”
Called Cordoba House, the mosque and center is the brainchild of the American Society for Muslim Advancement. Executive director Daisy Khan insists it’s staying put.
“For us, it’s a symbol, a platform that will give voice to the silent majority of Muslims who suffer at the hands of extremists. A center will show that Muslims will be part of rebuilding lower Manhattan,” said Khan, adding that Cordoba will be open to everyone.
“We were pleased to see that the community welcomed us as an asset to lower Manhattan,” she added. “The community board approved it.”
Not so fast.
The Financial District Committee of Community Board 1 seems to have gotten ensnared in a public-relations ploy by mosque-makers. At a May 5 meeting, the committee gave the project an enthusiastic thumbs-up. But boards have zero say over religious institutions.
Board chair Julie Menin, blind-sided by the move, predicts “this will be overturned by the full board” later this month.
But the damage is done.
Wounds that have yet to heal are now opening, as mosque opponents are branded, unfairly, as bigots.
“The worst tendency is the knee-jerk, emotional, angry, hateful response to acts of violence and war,” said Donna Marsh O’Connor, who lost daughter Vanessa on 9/11 and supports the mosque. “I think it’s racist tendencies.”
Many more feel like Bill Doyle — doubly maimed as he’s forced to defend himself against charges of prejudice.
“I’m not a bigot. What I’m frightful about is, it’s almost going to be another protest zone. A meeting place for radicals,” said Doyle, whose son, Joseph, was murdered on 9/11.
“It’s a slap in our face!” said Nelly Braginsky, who lost son Alexander.
Unclear is how the mosque will raise the $100 million-plus it needs.
“We would be seeking funding from anyone who would help,” Khan told me. “Seeking maybe some bonds or something like that.” At the May 5 community board meeting, she displayed a sign with names like “Rockefeller Brothers Fund” and “Ford Foundation,” which observers believed meant money is coming from those organizations. But Khan says those groups merely gave money in the past, and no funding is yet in place.
There are many questions about the Ground Zero mosque. But just one answer.
Move it away.
For the life of me, I cannot understand why Islam is even allowed in the a western democracy, let alone in the USA.
We fought 2 world wars to prevent the spread of dangerously aggressive ideology such as Nazi Fascism and Japanese imperialism, yet we sit idly by and not only allow Islam, the most disgusting ideology ever devised by man, but actively enable it.
Is the world completely insane?
Hi David,
After the Barbary Coast Wars, Islam should of never been allowed to be practiced in America. Being that it has religion status, many people, especially politicians are afraid to speak out against it.
BUILD A MASSIVE GRAVEYARD FOR THOSE KILLED BY US SOLDERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
Its the libtard enablers. They are purposely encouraging it in Europe with their wholesale arselifter immigration policy because they know it will destroy society as they know it – one of their great aims. Unfortunately, they don't know what to expect after that. Dhimmi status.
And the same thing will happen in the US unless its stopped soon. Currently, arselifters only make up 1% of the population. You'll really start getting problems once it climbs over 2%.
You haven't had the rape gangs yet. At least, not in the proportions Europe is experiencing. Its an epidemic over there. But the same thing will happen if its not stopped.
If the name Cordoba House doesn't ring any alarm bells, I suggest people look up Cordoba Moske.
Chris had written an article about it here too.
BUILD AN ORPHANAGE FOR CHILDREN WHOSE PARENTS WERE KILLED BY US MILITARY IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN ETC
muslims always build monuments at their sites of conquest. That's what this is. It should not be allowed. Anyone voting for this will NOT be re-elected.
You have to stop this project at all costs. If it's allowed to be built it will spell Game Over!
Looks like there's a big ground swell against it.
I would love a first shooter game about killing arselifters. That would be absolutely hilarious. A game that ends with nuking Mecca. Or one that takes place in the 7th century where the final level ends with mo as end of the level boss.
There's a few simple games online. Wouldn't be too hard to change them if you knew flash or javascript.
I know about those god fighting allah and jesus vs mohammed but I grow tired of them fast. I want something more complicated like first shooters, rpg, or strategy games. That would be more fun, considering there is someone with the guts to manufacture and spread them though.
And growing fast. They have pushed too far.
They always push too far. How the heck they get away with it I don't know.
Because as of now, non-Muslims do not have the stomach for this everyday fight.