Brooklyn, New York – June 1st, 2010 –
The Tea Party of Brooklyn has announced a demonstration against the building of a mosque on Ground Zero to be held on June 12th, at 2 pm, in McKinley Park in Bay Ridge. Organizers emphasized that the rally was not just for Tea Party members.
The President of the Brooklyn Tea Party, Dr. John Press said “Personally, I see building this mosque as an act of aggression and triumphalism by a foreign power. But, this rally will also give voice to those who just see the building of a mosque on this site as painful and insensitive.”
New York City Community Board 1 member Rob Townley, who voted for the project, argued that it would ultimately decrease extremism. He explained, “We believe that this is significant step in the Muslim community to counteract the hate and fanaticism in the minority of the community.”
Named “The Cordoba House” after the Capital city from which Muslims ruled much of Spain between 711 and 1492, its developer, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, claimed that it would only serve as a community center. While admitting it would have a prayer room, he highlighted its housing basketball courts, a swimming pool, and arts programs.
But, the site actually already serves as a mosque where Imam Rauf leads prayer every Friday. And an activist against the mosque, Debra Burlingame, went to the developers, Soho Properties, and the real estate brokers clarified that the 13 story structure would feature a mosque on the top floor overlooking Ground Zero.
Retired FDNY Deputy Chief Al Santora, whose 23-year-old son Christopher was the youngest firefighter to die on 9 – 11, told Community Board 1, “I do have a problem with having a mosque on top of the site where [terrorists] can gloat about what they did.”
Dr. Press noted that no one has been willing to say where the 100 – 150 million dollars to build the mosque has come from, “But, logic makes one suspect that Malaysia, where the Cordoba House project’s office is located, or Saudi Arabia are funding it.”
The protest will feature an opportunity for community members to express their disgust with and opposition to the proposed mosque.
13 comments:
These "critics" adopt the rhetorical tactic of the Nazi. Hitler also accused Jews of categorically "quietly" undermining the nations they lived in. Muslims who will be running and attending this mosque are the Muslims of NYC. Doctors, accountants, storekeepers, lawyers, taxi drivers...People who've been a part of New York for decades.
I'm a Muslim and I've been a New Yorker for 30 years. I'm not the enemy. And I don't have to take crap from bigots over this mosque. Don't know where they're getting most of their funds, but they can count on a small check from me.
Culturist John,
You're the president of the Brooklyn Tea party? That's pretty impressive!
Ibrahim,
I know for a fact that not all Muslims are Jihadists, and not all of them support things like Sharia law and putting people to death who leave the faith, so I won't prejudge you based on the fact that you are a Muslim. That said, do you know anything about the People behind the construction of the "Ground Zero Mosque?" Including its developer, and the group he belongs to?
Not all muslims are terorists but all terorists are muslims..
ibraham, sorry to say that the agenda of the militant or should I say radical Muslims has no consideration for their fellow Muslims such as yourself. To think of Islam as a homogeneous mass of like minded people is naive in the extreme. If you ibrahim, as a Muslim condone everything that is proposed in the name if Islam, then you must be naive or unaware of the bigger picture. Also, referring to Nazi strategies cuts both ways and history will tell you ibrahim that the Muslims were very comfortable with an alliance with Hitler.
I take the word of the Imam of this mosque at his word. He's written and spoken against radicalism and terror before. I have no reason to suspect him.
As for Shariah, of 48 countries recognized as Muslim-majority in the world, only 2 adopt a fully Islamic system of government - Iran and Saudi Arabia. Others ceremonially recognize Islam as the official religion, and places like Pakistan and Malaysia adopt some laws founded on Shariah. The point is, the vast majority of Muslims in the world don't choose Islamic law. To fear that American Muslims would prefer it is absurd.
ibrahim, Indonesia and Thailand are on the verge of introducing Sharia Law. Pakistan has conceded to the Taliban for Sharia Law in some regions. Then there is Ghana,Kuwait,Oman,Kenya,Yemen and Gambia who also have some form of Sharia Law.Even in the UK there are concessions to allow Sharia Law. The truth shall set you free.
Ibrahim,
First off let me say that I recognize that you - I assume - and the vast majority of Muslims do not engage in terrorism. That said, the support for terrorism is widespread. In poll after poll, Muslims say they consider themselves muslims first and members of their host countries second and the belief that Sharia law should predominate. For example -
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1510866/Poll-reveals-40pc-of-Muslims-want-sharia-law-in-UK.html
In no country does less than 10% of muslims in a nation approve of terrorism. See here -
http://pewglobal.org/2005/07/14/islamic-extremism-common-concern-for-muslim-and-western-publics/
So the question is, does the West gain more or risk more by having continued Islamic immigration? What do you think? What is the big gain? What is the possible cost?
More than that, you seem to not understand the extent to which Islam has been expansionist in its history. The turning of areas of take over and destruction into mosques is a signature in Istanbul, Cordoba, and India.
For centuries Islam tried to take Europe. To deny the expansive aspect of Islam reveals deception or ignorance. Do you know that Islam took Spain and headed the new Caliphate in Cordoba. Do you think that naming the mosque "Cordoba house" is an accident? Do you deny that Islam worked to overtake Europe for centuries?
In the era of total western domination (during the last 150 years), Islam was largely mute. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, identity politics have taken off. Since 1979 we have seen Islam getting increasingly aggressive. Indeed, you may not know this, but Imam Rauf's father was a leading architect in the resurgent Islamic movement. AS LEXCEN POINTS OUT, SHARIA is expanding. To not be worried about it in many nations is impossible. To think the West is magically immune is wishful thinking.
Nations with Sharia exist. To not think that Saudi Arabia does not promote Jihad and the spread of Sharia can only be willed ignorance. To not see the import of the death threats against cartoonists, film makers, and politicians to the West can only be willed ignorance.
I ask you again. Are democratic states' long-earned separation of church and state and stability made more stable by immigration from radical nations such as Pakistan or not? The Times Square bombing attempt should help you answer. And, to not see the building of a mosque on the 9 -11 site as aggressive or, at very least, insensitive shows great willed ignorance.
You seem like a nice man. I ask you to take your personal feelings and point of view out of the equation. Tell me what you would do to safeguard the West against the threat of Islamic radicalism. Tell me if you do not think that allowing the building of a mosque on the site of the greatest Islamic attack on the West in modern times will make terrorists world wide feel powerful. Answer honestly.
Thanks for participating honestly.
DAMIEN!! Yes, I am the President of the chapter. But that is honorary because I have been putting in the hours and someone needs to be the contact person. It does not imply not totally wanting and hoping for grassroots leadership.
BEN, thanks for the poll.
Your points are mostly irrelevant to the issue at hand.
Islam was the religion of an empire, just as Christianity was. How do you suppose America came into contact with Christianity? What did the Spaniards do to the people of the Indies, citing their rights given to them by their understanding of God? They tortured, they killed, they looted. Should Christians today be judged because of what their forefathers did in the Americas and Africa?
Support for terrorism is to be condemned. So is support for needless war, which results in the same ends using the same means. 10% of Muslims might (wrongfully) support the causes of radical groups, but more than 50% of Americans supported George Bush's second term even when it became clear that the case for going to war in Iraq was based on lies. That isn't to say that support for terrorism is excusable, just that a certain percentage of people support stupid things, regardless of their faith or nationality. Look at your teabaggers and far-right Republicans. Had chance had them born into a Muslim country, they'd be the pro-Taliban crowd.
I'm all for separation of church and state, but the land slated for this mosque is private property. Given the outcry from bigots using hateful language towards the entirety of the Muslim population, I don't just think the idea of building this mosque is just a good idea, it's downright essential. Muslims shouldn't pretend to be "understanding" in the face of hostile bigotry, regardless of whether the bigots in question are family to 911 victims or not. BTW, 9-11 is not the only atrocity to have been committed against a people in the history of mankind. Ask the Palestinians, they've experienced a perpetual 9-11 for the last half century. Other nations have experienced genocides and ethnic cleansing, wars, massacres...And yet nobody seems to have gone as far in making excuses for absurd bigotry than these 9-11 families. My willingness to be understanding stretches up to a point. I won't accept the notion that I should surrender my rights to religious assembly because of these peoples poor view of Muslims based on the actions of a few.
It is the "actions of a few" that effect the course of world history.
Let's not ever underestimate the implications of the actions of a few.
Ibrahim, as a Muslim, you have Muslim affinities. Of course you consider the Palistinians victims. Of course you side against our ally Israel. Exactly, we do not need more anti-West people in our nation.
As for the Catholic atrocities, you are right. But those happened despite the teachings of Jesus, not because of them. Jesus had no weapons and told Peter to put his away. Muhammed is the head of your religion and he was a Warrior. No??
So when our religion looks in its texts, when enlightened, we do not expand. Islam on the other hand . . .
And, we wouldn't even be having this discussion, we wouldn't even be thinking about the separation of church and state and appeasing those who attacked us on 9 - 11 if Muslims were not flooding into our nation.
Why do you think Saudi Arabia does not let Christians into their nation? They are smart. And, we also have a right to be culturist.
BTW, who, again, is footing the money?? Oh yeah. It is a secret because there is no reason to fear or suspect a connection between the mosque and 9 - 11. HOW STUPID DO YOU THINK WE ARE??
www.culturism.us
CJ, Islam just wants to piss on our face in domination because it can, plain and simple. It isn't about culture or any of that crap; it's about domination. It's what Islam has historically done and will continue to do if unimpeded.
Islam has the mind of the thug: "What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine unless you have the strength to stop me."
BZ
Ibrahim,
I don't care what the hell you or any Muslim thinks this is America and BTW there is no extreme Islam or moderate Islam there is only Islam. As far as I'm concerned you already have over 200 Mosques in N.Y. alone that's plenty. God knows how many acts of evil will be born in that house of "Worship"Imam Rauf has already written about his goal of implementing Shiria within the U.S. and those of you reading this in London there are "Peaceful" demonstrations in the street with charming tolerant signs like Behead Those Who Mock Islam or Get Ready for the Real Holocaust.Islam is the only religion completely intolerant of others. There goal is to convert or kill no grey area in this. The last time an attempt to bring this religion into a nice warm and fuzzy setting was when a TV show called Bridges was about to go mainstream but hit a snag in the road. The producers a husband wife team got into a quarrel so he cut her head off! Honor Killing another wonderful tenant of Islam.
Wake up America!
Andy
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