Mosque by Ground Zero? This Is America!

On a few occasions in the past, Shiite Muslims have accused Sunni Muslims of tampering with the Quran text, but the theme is muted in Islam, and the overwhelming majority of Muslims are convinced that the present text of the Book is the uniquely authentic one. Do you doubt the divine origins of this Book, it asks. Then you try to produce another just like it (Quran 10:38, etc.). The doubters did not, of course, and, in the later Muslim view, could not. The earliest known translation of the Quran was into Latin in 12th century Spain for Christian missionary purposes. The Bible, Old and New Testament, has long been available in English, and early on in a version that shaped the English language itself, the so-called King James version of 1611. It is more than familiarity that makes both Bible and Gospels better served by their translations than is the Arabic Quran. God’s message to Muhammad was delivered in the highly charged affective images of the sacred poet. It is allusive rather than explicit, a great body of warning, command, injunction, and instruction delivered against a barren background. In the Quran, we search without success for Mecca, for the profane but vividly commercial life of the Quraysh, for Muhammad’s family and companions. In it’s pages there is only a voice. When it was heard, it overwhelmed hearts, and it still does in it’s written form, but it leaves the historian attending vainly, and deafly, for context. The Bible speaks of a deity making contact with a paltry sheepherder, Abram, on the margins of the Fertile Crescent. The Bible provides knowledge of what was happening during those times, what the people were like, what was going on. The Quran just has this one voice, period.

Harvey- Do you even know why there were Crusades? Seeing as I am the son of an immigrant from Spain, I do. It started with the caliphate at Cordoba. That is the site where Muslim faithful slaughtered millions of Christians and took over most of the Iberian penninsula. The 1st Crusade was for Spaniards to take back Spain from the Muslim invaders and push them back into the Middle East. They won't teach you that in American history books.

WHY is this even an issue??? Nobody investigates where money comes from to build Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, or any other church or religious place of worship in America. What is all the broo-ha-ha over an Islamic based structure? This IS America, based on freedom of religion and religious beliefs. This freedom does not apply to specific religions. It applies to ALL religions, beliefs, and organizations. The fact that the building of a Mosque is being protested, and the fact that the financial backers of the Mosque construction are being investigated, is so absurd and so "UN-American". THAT is what is criminal here. The people who are being disruptive and trying to prevent the Mosque from being built should be arrested, charged with disrupting a community, and wasting our city's resources such as police and court proceedng costs.

very rich and sudry discussion!

How can anyone support a religous group that condones the execution on non-believers. Where do they get off with such a negative outlook on the Worlds differant Religous groups.

The iman pushing the mosque told an ARAB audience, the only way to conquer either a kingdom or democracy is Sharia Law....so keep your PC

Let's quit dancing around the Muslim issue. The fact is that the principles of Islam, found mostly in the Koran, are essentially one long, harsh, belligerent, venomous diatribe against infidels, or all non-Muslims, but especially Jews and Christians. According to the Koran, whatever a Muslim does to an infidel is OK-steal from them, cheat them, lie to them, hurt them, or even kill them and all is just, sanctioned, and even encouraged by Allah. In fact, bonus points are given in heaven for it. I didn't make this up READ FOR YOURSELF. Given that sort of hate filled principle, it is difficult to believe that ANY Koran believing, Koran-loving Muslim is anything but an enemy of America and the Western world.

They say don't build there but what about Tennessi? Kentucky? I understand there has been a bit of trouble therre as well.

New York City is the heart and soul of our country. It is where many Americans and their families came through to build themselves a new life. There are few is any other areas in the worls with so much diversity. There are those who wish to stir up fear, or anger. Those people who are doing just that cannot call themselves Christian.

Once again, i am against the buiding of any mosque anywhere in america.