Ground Zero Mosque: The Battle Beyond Palin

The day my family and I discovered a swastika painted on the side of our synagogue I lost faith in my fellow man to act appropriately in spite of disagreements and differences. My parents, holocaust survivors, never completely recovered from the incident. The congregation though shaken was resolved to attend services. Rather than hire someone to remove the symbol, we decided to do it ourselves. We were a community. During the 50's-60's, growing up Jewish in a Christian world gave me the experience and perspective of what it is to be a minority. Schools, clubs, hotels had policies restricting Jews. The discrimination was more subtle than overt; the expression of it snide rather than crude but all the more hurtful and intentional in its thin disguise. You ask yourself WHY? It doesn't ever make sense. You can never REALLY figure it out let alone understand what anti-Semitism is. Jews were commies and socialists; spies; they owned the media, Hollywood and controlled the entire financial system. The gist of this is that I learned empathy. And that's what I have for Muslims living in America. They're not evil. Some are and some are not religious. Some have read the Qu'ran others have not. Like all of us they hold disparate views of themselves and the world. When I heard a protester shout out his threat to "bombard" the Cordoba51 complex if it were built I felt dread. And despair. And a desire, no matter how simplistic or naive it may sound, for us to be at peace with differences in matters of faith, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation. It's imperative that we learn the give-and-take that is a sign of a mature moral integrity, true tolerance and willingness to learn about and to accept diversity. We should not be disinclined to reject our humanity in the cause of some misguided and dangerous sense of American exceptionalism.

It is the first amendment to say what they want and believe in and i think its a good idea to build a mosque building next to the ground zero. they have the right to say what they want and we should respect their right. We are americans with different religions living in the united states with a whole lot of beliefs. So i believe they have a right to say where they want to put their building to worship in.

I believe where it says that America is very strong and we welcome all people, faith, and creeds. And that yes, we can build mosques near terrorist disasters. It strengthens our image of the world.

I don't understand why they have to build the mosque on the grave of many people. To me it seems disrespectful and insensitive. But, as many others are saying, it is the right in out first amendment that anyone had freedom of religion. I do not say that i agree with what Palin said in her comment to them, it was a little harsh. But i do understand where she is coming from. It is a disrespectful move on their part and I do not think it should be done.

This decision to build a mosque near ground zero does seem a bit insensitive, however the fact remains that we remain a free society. Freedom of (or from) religion is one of the guaranteed rights provided in the first amendment, and just because we may not like or agree with the decision to build the mosque near ground zero, that does not give us the right to bypass the first amendment. Personally, I think they should NOT build it near ground zero, however; I respect (respect, not agree with, or support) their right to build it, because just because some people don't like it and find it insensitive, that is no reason at all (in a legal sense) to deny them the rights to build it. This is a free society, and the first amendment has no grey areas. Either you support freedom of speech/freedom of (or from)religion, or you don't. You can't have it both ways.

I was not going to comment and then I read Mayor Bloomburgs' quote from the article " Ground Zero Mosque: The Battle Beyond Palin"
Bloomburg quote: "Every thing the U.S. and New York stand for Tolerance and openness" The above quote is exactly what Islam opposes.

Why shouldn't they have a Mosque there? After all these years Americans still believe that Arab Muslims flew planes into the towers? Really, do you just believe everything the media tells you? Research, read and you will find the truth. All you have to do is look for it. This isn't a conspiracy theory. The facts are the facts. Many intelligent human beings have taken the time to expose the governments lies about what happenend that day. Wake the hell up. Man created GOD and since then Death lingers in the name of GOD. You know with all this technology we have it makes me wonder how us humans were able to create the things we have. On one hand you want me to believe we are capable of creating the technologies of today. Then on the other hand I see the idiotic things we kill for in the name of GOD. No wonder in the bible no one makes it to Heaven. Oh sorry, I forgot. Born Again Christians have that one way ticket...My bad

This is an issue of Freedom of Religion. It is guaranteed by our Constitution. In our Nation we do not prohibit the location of houses of worship of any kind or where you can worship. You can believe in whatever you want to believe as long as you do not try to stop anybody else from doing the same.

The "controversy" is caused by intolerant people who want to stop the mosque because it is a Muslim house of worship, period. If any of the Christian religions had proposesd building a church in that location, we would not be having this discussion. It would be a non-event. The opposition is based on the fact that it is a Muslim house of worship and that the terrorists were Muslims.

The other reason is that these intolerant people are playing politics. They want another wedge issue to divide us in order to influence the coming elections for their own purposes.

We need to get over the double standard in how so many of us look at religions.
The Catholic Church (into which I was born and educated)is embroiled in a world wide scandal coverup over the actions of pedophile priests. Yet, nobody is talking about how any limits to the practice of that faith because a perceived threat to children. Fundamentalist protestant christians have blown up medical clinics which provide abortions, they have also killed doctors who performed abortions, yet nobody has been opposed to the location of their churches.

When acts of terrorism are performed in our Country by Protestant christians we blame the individuals involved, not the religions they are affiliated with. When Catholic priests committ crimes against children, we hardly ever even blame them.

The 911 terrorists were Muslims. Lets blame them, not their religion.

If you believe in our Constitution, if you beleieve in what our Nation stands for,
you will be in favor of letting the Mosque be built.

I have to agree completely with Cheeesey. We aren't saying they cannot worship. We aren't saying they shouldn't have their own church. We aren't trying to take anyone's freedom away. We are just saying that they shouldn't have that church built in this particular spot. I honestly don't think anything should be put in Ground Zero except a tribute to the several lives we lost on that day. Show respect for the dead and for the families of the dead. Give them a place to rest. I am a Southern Baptist and I would have a problem if they wanted to build a Baptist church in this spot.

The Imam behind the Ground Zero Mosque represented Islam on the Barbara Walter's special 'Heaven. Is it Real?

Islam teaches, historically, that its self-proclaimed founding prophet Mohammed not only murdered/beheaded 700 Jewish men in a 12 hour period after one battle, but that Mohammed also gave their women and children to his men as slaves and sold the rest. He also married a 6 year old baby girl named Ayesha (some say 9 years old) when he was 53 to 56 years old.

A pedophile? A mass murderer? A slave trader?
This man was a 'Prophet of GOD' and we need to respect him?

One Imam, Faisal Abdul Rauf, tells Barbara Walters on her ABC special about Muslim's in Heaven:

"We will be in comfortable homes, reclining on silk couches. We will have people coming - servants, lovely servants, young youths to regale you, Barbara. Residing in gardens beyond which rivers flow." He talks about young children
who will be used for sex and personal satisfaction once a Muslim makes it to heaven. If they did not intend to use them for sex, why would their virginity be so important?

Yes - to cut to the chase - there will be virgins, too. Even for women. (Barbara's "youths.") And why not?
So says Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf, who quarrels only with the widespread misconception that Islami martyrs get 72 virgins. Seventy-two, he says, is just an Arabic expression for "countless." Countless children for sexual pleasure?

We are told that this religion should be part of Western society and treated with respect and should be allowed to build a mosque as a 'TROPHY' to the 1000's of murdered American's on 9/11?

Why are these Islamic historical 'FACTS' never mentioned about this Imam and his Islamic religion?

He's on TAPE with Barbara Walter!