Saturday, August 28, 2010

On The "Ground Zero Mosque"

I've stayed out of the discussion about the Mosque at ground zero controversy for several reasons. Mostly, because there really isn't anything to say about it that hasn't been said already. And, it doesn't require a lengthy statement to state my opinion which is:

They have the right to build it there, but they shouldn't.

However, allow me to respond to the points made by the left in their attempts to justify their support of the Mosque by repeating, ad nauseum, some, but not all of the following points:

1. The Mosque won't be built right on Ground Zero, but is instead a couple of blocks away.

2. It really isn't a Mosque, per se, but an Islamic "cultural center". The Mosque is only a small part of the entire center.

3. They have a legal, first amendment right to build their Mosque wherever they want.

4. Their stated intent is to dissolve the antipathy between Islam and all other religions and to unite the community.

5. Not all Muslims are terrorists.

6. Americans are racist bigots for not wanting to allow the Muslims to build their Mosque near Ground Zero.

7. We need to be tolerant of other religions and cultures. Intolerance is anti-American.

8. It doesn't matter who is funding the project.

9. Americans who oppose the building of the Mosque only oppose it because they hate Obama. (I've actually heard this)

10. Some of the families of the victims of 9/11 support the project.

This is my response to those points:

1. It doesn't matter if the Mosque isn't right at ground Zero. The intent is clear. It is a "victory" Mosque. Make no mistake. Muslims, by and large, consider the attacks on the WTC a victory for Islam. If one does the necessary research, one will find it is standard operating procedure for Muslims to build Mosques upon the rubble of property taken in battle. I'm sure the Muslims probably wanted to build it right at Ground Zero, but were disallowed because it is now considered an historical site, so they got as close as they were allowed.

2. An Islamic cultural center is even more dangerous to Americans than merely a Mosque. A cultural center, especially one that promotes itself as multi-culturist, will attempt to convert all who make use of the facility to Islam, and by extension, some of the more impressionable converts may become terrorists, or at least, terrorist sympathizers themselves.

Think of your local Evangelical Church establishing programs for the youth in the community for the purpose of evangelism. It's the same concept.

Except, Christian community programs don't usually teach kids how to blow things up.

An Islamic Cultural center may breed terrorism. Any true Christian should oppose this cultural center on the basis that Islam is a Satanic religion intent on wiping Christianity out, if for no other reason.

3. This is true. But, just because they have the right to build it wherever they want, it doesn't mean they have to build it wherever they want.

4. If they are truly trying to "unite" the community as they claim, they would build it almost anywhere else (with the exception, of course, next to the Pentagon or in a certain field in Pennsylvania).

5. This is true also, but most terrorists are Muslims, with very few exceptions. And, regardless whether certain Muslims are terrorists themselves, the majority of them support terrorism, or refuse to condemn terrorist acts.

6. Some Americans are indeed bigots and racists, but they aren't the only Americans who oppose the project. Muslims are bigoted against Jews, Americans, women, and homosexuals, along with every other group in the world that represents any group except Muslims. In fact, there are Muslims that are even prejudiced against other Muslims who are not of the same sect of Islam. Muslims, as a rule, are much more bigoted than the majority of Americans. Why doesn't the left have a problem with that?

7. Intolerance is a door that swings both ways. Why is there no outrage over the intolerance exhibited by supporters of the Mosque? Why do they have no tolerance for my opinions? I've said this often: I find Liberal intolerance of my intolerance intolerable.

8. This is true, also. I see no reason why Conservatives would use this as an objection to the Mosque. Does anyone ever ask who funds Baptist Church buildings? How about Catholics? Mormons? Scientologists? It doesn't matter who funds the project. The better question is why they are funding the project. What is their motive?

9. No, we oppose it because it is highly insulting and insensitive to the memory of the victims of the WTC attacks in 2001. We don't oppose the project because Obama supports it. Obama's support of the project is yet another in a long list of reasons why we hate Obama.

10. So what? Families of the victims have every right to be supportive of the group that destroyed their lives. They also have the right to be wrong, misguided, and deluded.

It's called Liberty.

Giving tacit approval of a bad idea doesn't make it a good idea.

Bottom line: Muslims have the right to build their Mosque anywhere they want. But, if they are truly a "religion of peace", as the Liberals claim, why would they want to build it near Ground Zero unless they want to intentionally insult and offend America?

Cross posted at Casting Pearls before Swine

4 comments:

  1. Mark,

    Well said. While I affirm the right of these folks to build on a sight of their choosing, it seems incredibly insensitive to choose this sight. Having said that the first amendment protects insensitive speech/religious practice for all. Personally, I have never found insulting or being insensitive to someone an effective way to build bridges and promote understanding. Maybe it's a cultural thing.

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  2. Personally, and I know I'll be branded a constitutional heretic for saying so, but at this point I don't really give a fuck. Pardon my French.

    Yes. They have the right to build where they desire. They have the right to gloat over their victory. They have the right to stick in the knife every time the Adhan is voiced and echoed through the streets surrounding, and the hollow space of Ground Zero.

    Imagine that... the Muslim call to prayer... "Ahdan" begins with "Allahu Akbar" 'God is Greatest'... These were the words the terrorists were no doubt shouting as they slammed their planes into both towers, the Pentagon, and that lonely field in Pennsylvania.

    If we cave in to this argument of constitutionality, will we cave when they demand the right to broadcast the Ahdan 5 times a day? Will we, because we are too chicken-shit, panty-waisted, small 'a' americans to balk and refuse this evil religion their right, and enable them to echo their call to pray to a false god through the empty hole that is Ground Zero? Where near 3000 people, died?

    Will we allow this murderous religion to build their monument to triumph over the 'great satan' before we even get building our own monument? We're going to let this bastard religion, devoid entirely of anything resembling holiness, plant their flag before we plant ours?

    I understand, Mark, your acceptance of 'their right,' but I would deny this right were it in my power to do so. And I would say to anyone in the world, on camera, who disagreed with me... "Fuck You!" And let the FCC fine me as they wish.

    There is only one God, and His name is not allah. Nor is Muhammad a genuine prophet. It sickens me to my very soul to know that this murderous religion could end up broadcasting 'allahu akbar' through the empty space that is Ground Zero... The terrorists shouted it in exultation as they destroyed the twin towers, and now, before we can even build a monument to our own grief, these murderous assholes will again, in triumph, utter the same shit on the graves of those they killed.

    I am so close to being able to say I am deeply ashamed of my country. America has lost its balls, and we've allowed rough and uncouth men to pervert our government.

    When I think of our president... I think of 'shit.' I pray for his soul just about every time I get down on my knees. But Jesus only said I had to love my enemy. He didn't say I had to like the bastard.

    AND WHERE! does it say in the Bible that I have to respect the faith of others? Anyone who thinks the bible says just that, is either an idiot, a liar, or wholly ignorant of what the Bible says about God...

    "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God..." Exodus 20: 2-5

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  3. I echo your sentiments, Eric. Frankly, I don't much care about what islam would think of us if we denied them the permit to build there. I don't know that the Constitution protects anyone from being denied a building permit if the city, on behalf of its citizens, prefers they build elsewhere. There is no way, with the many mosques in Manhatten, not to mention NYC altogether, that any discrimination/bigotry charges makes any sense. Ya wanna build a cultural center to pretend to extend the hand of friendship? Fine. Build it a mile down the road. Not here. We don't want it here. Why does it have to be right there, anyway? What's so important to your sorry asses that it absolutely must go up in that particular spot? And why does that reason trump the feelings of the rest of the city? It's a bullshit argument and accusation. They can pound sand.

    At this stage of the game, I'm willing to be friendly to the individual muslims that I meet. I have no problem being a nice guy to anyone. But institutionally, I need to see a bit more balls on their own people against their own people, before I buy into the line that says they're peaceful and don't support those who seem to be devout and devoted to the message of their despotic pedophile founder. There are many who have studied their holy book and know of its teachings, some brought up in the "faith" and confirm that the worst is true. So if they insist they don't abide, then they should tear that crap out of their book and fight against the murderous scumbags who are supposedly twisting that "beautiful religion". That's the only game I wanna play with islam.

    Furthermore, this goes to the whole idea of assimilation. It is one thing to be free to express one's religion, but it's another to expect a nation to bend to the dictates of that religion. Where's the separation about which we hear so much? If we have to keep our Christian faith under wraps in the public square, something the Constitution never intended, then I damned well expect other religions to stuff it as well.

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  4. And speaking to that so-called "separation" how many here have heard about the little Greek Othodox Christian church that was destroyed on 9/11? The one that was right across the street, not two blocks down?

    They can't even get the city of New York to approve their rebuilding plans. What? Is the city of New York worried about placing a CHRISTIAN church too close to Ground Zero for fear of "offending" someone?

    What passes for fairness in this country, as purveyed by the Left, makes me want to puke. They are all idiots who spout such nonsense.

    And speaking of hypocrisy... Remember Obama's laughing retort on Monday? "they talk about me like I'm a dog!" Could this fucker be any bigger of a hypocrite? How has he spoken of the right? Of president Bush? The man is a hypocrite, a coward, and an imbecile, and January 21, 2013 can't come soon enough for me.

    Calling this presidency "Carter's second term" is an insult to Carter.

    ---

    And to forestall any mocking of my getting the inauguration date wrong, the 20th falls on a Sunday. According to the feds inauguration day will be on Monday the 21st. So, Obama will get one more day than he deserves. It could be argued that he doesn't deserve the days he has, but he did managed to get elected; by hook or crook, his is, at present, president of the once proud United States of America.

    That's right, 'once proud.' I'll believe there's a shred of American pride left in this country when Republicans take the House in November... IF they take the house. Otherwise, forget about it. America is dead anyway unless we take the House.

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Your First Amendment right to free speech is a privilege and comes with a measure of responsibility. You have the right to exercise that responsibility here but we reserve the right to inform you when you've used that right irresponsibly.

We are benevolent dictators in this regard. Enjoy.