The Cordoba Initiative, which is headed by an imam named Feisal Abdul Rauf, is an enemy of al Qaeda, no less than Rudolph Giuliani and the Anti-Defamation League are enemies of al Qaeda. Bin Laden would sooner dispatch a truck bomb to destroy the Cordoba Initiative's proposed community center than he would attack the ADL, for the simple reason that Osama's most dire enemies are Muslims.

"On Sept. 11, 2001, thousands of first responders heroically rushed to the scene and saved tens of thousands of lives. More than 400 of those first responders did not make it out alive. In rushing into those burning buildings, not one of them asked, 'What God do you pray to?' (Bloomberg's voice cracks here a little as he gets choked up.) 'What beliefs do you hold?'

"The attack was an act of war, and our first responders defended not only our city, but our country and our constitution. We do not honor their lives by denying the very constitutional rights they died protecting. We honor their lives by defending those rights and the freedoms that the terrorists attacked.

Why is an Islamic cultural center rubbing salt in the wound? Are you trying to argue that all of Islam was responsible for the terror attacks on 9-11?

Did any Americans who were also Muslims get killed on that day? Were the Muslim victims on that day any different than any of the other New Yorkers?

There are over 3,000 Muslims serving on active duty in our armed forces. I suppose they should have less rights under the first amendment?

Anyone who thinks this is rubbing salt in the wounds is just painting all of Islam with an extremist brush.

Here is Jefferey Goldberg on the subject -



And Micheal Bloomberg's speech -

BRADLEY (Ed 60 minutes): Are — are — are you in any way suggesting that we in the United States deserved what happened?

Imam ABDUL RAUF: I wouldn’t say that the United States deserved what happened, but the United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened.

BRADLEY: OK. You say that we’re an accessory?

Imam ABDUL RAUF: Yes.

BRADLEY: How?

Imam ABDUL RAUF: Because we have been an accessory to a lot of — of innocent lives dying in the world. In fact, it — in the most direct sense, Osama bin Laden is made in the USA.

For the record, while I'm not in full agreement with Monte, I see no problem with the Mosque going in.

So, we should be infringing on our citizens rights because people who already hate us will like this?

Might as well build a statue of Hitler at Arlington then...don't want to offend any Germans.

Godwins!

So, we should be infringing on our citizens rights because people who already hate us will like this?

It doesn't matter why it's needed, although it's more of a community center than a mosque. Why is any church needed? And who gets to say which ones are and are not needed? And why should this religious group be treated any differently?

Any way you slice it, opposition this is about painting all Muslims as extremists. Micheal Bloomberg has the right of it.

Different level of offense, by a few factors.

We aren't building the mosque, the people who will worship there are building it. How far exactly off ground zero could a mosque be built and not offend someone?

Do citizens in America have the right to freedom of religion?

So, we should be infringing on our citizens rights because people who already hate us will like this?

I have seen others (myself included) ask you this very same question when it comes to taking money from others and giving it to others who did not earn it themselves, you once again prove that your hypocrisy knows no bounds.

I hate this idea. I really do. And any self-respecting, decent Muslim should have the decency to oppose this, for the shame and tarnishment that this mosque's placement brings.

That said, what is the good reason to disallow it? Something articulable, something based in law. If that cannot be provided, then it should pass (though ideally, there would be such an outcry from within the Muslim community itself that the builders would be forced to reconsider it themselves).

By the way, the "more a community center than a mosque" line is hilarious.

Remember, this is the same guy that thought Christian radio stations should be forced to pay for airtime for everyone else's religious message.