Imagine a Mosque at Ground Zero. Can You Imagine Two?
posted at 9:44 am on May 18, 2010 by Howard Portnoy
[ Double Standards ]
It is hard to imagine why the site where the worst terrorist attack in American history, perpetrated in the name of Islam, seems like a fitting site for a tribute to that religion, but plans are now underway for a second mosque close to Ground Zero.
In case you missed it, the first announcement of plans to build a mosque close to the site of the World Trade Center came last week. The structure, Cordoba House, is being underwritten by the American Society for Muslim Advancement. The building selected to house the 13-story cultural center is one that was damaged by the debris from one of the jetliners flown into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. And just in case your blood isn’t quite at the boiling point, get a load of the date selected for the grand opening: Sept. 11, 2011.
This time around the message is even more “in your face,” if such a thing is possible. The website of Masjid Manhattan, the organization raising funds for the construction, features a banner that taunts: “Build the ‘House of Allah’ next to the World Trade Center! Help us raise the flag of ‘LA ILLAH ILLA ALLAH’ in downtown Manhattan.”
According to FOX News, the group has already raised $8.5 million in donations. Once it has secured another $2.5 million, construction on the mosque will begin.
Daisy Kahn, executive director of the Cordoba Initiative—the group spearheading construction of Cordoba House—claims to have had no knowledge of Masjid Manhattan’s plans. “They have no connection to us,” a spokesperson for Kahn is reported to have told FOX News. “We didn’t even know they were there.”
Julie Menin, chairwoman of Community Board 1, which oversees development in the district surrounding Ground Zero, has been unavailable so far for comment. The same is true for leaders of Masjid Manhattan, though the banner at their website seems to speak loud and clear.
The lack of response from either side is significant. I suspect that Menin, who is a contributing blogger to the Huffington Post and occasional voice for the far left on Hannity, would be yapping up a blue streak if the plans were for a center to eradicate worldwide terrorism. As for the courageous leaders of the mosque, I suspect they will have plenty to say as well the next time some westerner draws a cartoon depiction of Allah.
| Follow me on Twitter or join me at Facebook. You can reach me at howard.portnoy@gmail.com or by posting a comment below. |
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Oh, hell no.
OhioCoastie on May 18, 2010 at 10:22 AM
This is being done for no other reason than to stir trouble. It’s disgusting and tasteless, but then what can one expect?
We’re nearly 10 years after the 9/11 attacks and no one can agree on an appropriate memorial. We’ve already had the libbies try to take over the process with their anti-American, “It was all our fault” monument. What a surprise that others have decided it’s a good idea to honor the religion that murdered nearly 3,000 Americans and destroyed the lives of many thousands more right near the place the atrocities began.
I hope the people of New York fight this. I hope the families scream and holler and put an end to this. I pray the people do not let the president and his thugs intimidate them into allowing this to happen.
This is the kind of hope I pray takes root and grows into a movement that stops the never-ending politically correct stupidity that has taken over a good portion of this country.
Mad Mad Monica on May 18, 2010 at 10:45 AM
La la la la? WT…?
SnowSun on May 18, 2010 at 10:55 AM
I guess looking on the bright side, next time there’s a huge attack against the United States we can target both of those buildings first with our precision missles. It’s good to have something tangible to reach out and touch.
Heralder on May 18, 2010 at 11:08 AM
Try to build a church anywhere near there.
Kissmygrits on May 18, 2010 at 11:10 AM
There’s a beautiful old church (Trinity) pretty close by already, just a few blocks, and there’s a chapel not too far away from that.
None of that makes it okay to raise buildings dedicated to Islam next to the symbolic grave of thousands that were murdered by it.
Heralder on May 18, 2010 at 11:55 AM
I’ll confess – the more I see, and the more of this kind of thing that occurs, the more I lose a sense that we need to *not* be at war with Islam – period. Not just ‘radical Islam’, not just ‘terrorists’, but ‘Islam’ and muslims in general.
That religion – and it’s followers who, while perhaps not intolerant bastard terrorists themselves, certainly have no problem encouraging this kind of behavior, cheering and supporting terrorism when it does occur, etc.
I honestly think I’ve had enough of this bullsh1t.
Midas on May 18, 2010 at 12:04 PM
Only an intolerant jacka** would oppose the mosque.
How far away from Ground Zero is far away enough, Portnoy?
10 blocks? 20? How about no more mosques in Manhattan? How about you go burn then down? Because they really don’t belong in America, do they.
You people are fu*king amazing.
Dave Rywall on May 18, 2010 at 1:47 PM
I’ll confess – the more I see, and the more of this kind of thing that occurs, the more I lose a sense that we need to *not* be at war with Islam – period. Not just ‘radical Islam’, not just ‘terrorists’, but ‘Islam’ and muslims in general.
That religion – and it’s followers who, while perhaps not intolerant bastard terrorists themselves, certainly have no problem encouraging this kind of behavior, cheering and supporting terrorism when it does occur, etc.
I honestly think I’ve had enough of this bullsh1t.
Midas on May 18, 2010 at 12:04 PM
——
Speaking of intolerant jacka**es.
Are all Muslims terrorists?
Wait let me rephrase that – are all Catholic priests child rapists?
Clearly you were born in the wrong century.
Dave Rywall on May 18, 2010 at 1:49 PM
Is it really intolerant to not want Islam glorified in the spot where its ideologies cost a few thousand lives? I don’t believe so, no.
Something to take into account, Dave, is that these two projects could be executed anywhere else. That they are taking great pains to erect them in plain view of ground zero is a statement. At least, that’s how I view it. I work in Manhattan, there is alot of real estate available in virtually every area on the island.
Do you think that that is an unreasonable conclusion? And if so, why?
Heralder on May 18, 2010 at 2:02 PM
Is it really intolerant to not want Islam glorified in the spot where its ideologies cost a few thousand lives? I don’t believe so, no.
Something to take into account, Dave, is that these two projects could be executed anywhere else. That they are taking great pains to erect them in plain view of ground zero is a statement. At least, that’s how I view it. I work in Manhattan, there is alot of real estate available in virtually every area on the island.
Do you think that that is an unreasonable conclusion? And if so, why?
Heralder on May 18, 2010 at 2:02 PM
——–
You’re more than entitled to be intolerant.
Just don’t get all pissy when someone calls you out on it.
Be a man for chrissakes.
If America can tolerate the KKK, it can probably tolerate you.
Dave Rywall on May 18, 2010 at 2:10 PM
You didn’t answer my question, you simply reiterated your original baseless charge.
Is the question too hard?
Heralder on May 18, 2010 at 2:23 PM
Let’s see now: you have
Zero information on the planning of the mosque
Zero knowledge of how they decided on the proposed location
Zero information on available suitable real estate in Manhattan
Yet you oppose it because you baselessly claim
-They’re building it there to be provocative/make a statement
-They’re “taking great pains’ to secure that location
You’re intolerant. Suck it up.
Dave Rywall on May 18, 2010 at 2:37 PM
Someone keeps putting this turd back in the punchbowl, wtf?
Midas on May 18, 2010 at 2:56 PM
You really should read before making a fool of yourself (well, you can’t help that part even if you do read, I suppose).
From the post:
“The website of Masjid Manhattan, the organization raising funds for the construction, features a banner that taunts: “Build the ‘House of Allah’ next to the World Trade Center! Help us raise the flag of ‘LA ILLAH ILLA ALLAH’ in downtown Manhattan.””
Gee, we really don’t have any idea why they chose the location, do we? It’s ‘baseless’ to claim that they’re being provacative or making a statement, right?
Holy f@#$ you’re an idiot.
Midas on May 18, 2010 at 3:02 PM
Dave, if what you claim is true, it must also be true that you have:
Zero information on the planning of the mosque.
Zero knowledge of how they decided on the proposed location.
Zero information on available suitable real estate in Manhattan.
So can you explain to me how you know two Islamic centers being built right next to the crater in the ground created by adherants to that very faith is a coincidence?
Is this what you’re arguing, that it is coincidence?
You’re more than welcome to make that argument, but it’d be helpful if you could back that up with something more concrete … other than accusations of intolerance which are really just dull weapons weilded by morally confused intellectually challenged cowards.
So, do you want to discuss the subject of the post, or do you want to keep making character judgements to distract from your markedly less than impressive ability to construct a valid point?
Heralder on May 18, 2010 at 3:05 PM
I guess I’ll have to check back tomorrow.
Heralder on May 18, 2010 at 3:46 PM
OlympicLeprechaun on May 18, 2010 at 9:48 PM
Hey Dave, I’m putting up a huge lighted swastika on a big tower over Auschwitz! Want to help me put it up, or are you just intolerant?
gordo on May 18, 2010 at 11:45 PM
The comparison gordo made to Auschwitz is particularly apt. Ground Zero is not just a symbolic grave. It is the actual grave of thousands of people. How many bodies were recovered from the site? Just as at Auschwitz, they are still there – in the soil, in the air. Their fellow citizens literally breathed them in. They were not just murdered. They were obliterated, vaporized, turned to ash and smoke, by those who wished to destroy not just their lives but their very bodies, their culture, and even the memory of them. Those who mourn them are left with no tangible grave to visit but their murder site.
`
They deserve a better memorial than muezzins disturbing their rest five times a day, but our country no longer has the shared symbols, values, and vision – not to mention the self-confidence – necessary to put up an appropriate memorial. Our enemies, unfortunately, do.
littlemary on May 19, 2010 at 3:32 AM
Drywall, have you converted yet or are you still just a dhimmi?
Disturb the Universe on May 19, 2010 at 9:14 AM