Proposed Mosque Near Ground Zero

[Jude]

Superfemme, My apologies to you directly. I used the wrong name in my response. It was not intended for you.

I do, however, stand firmly in suggesting that the source was a pure, vile, hate site. What The entire mosque controversty (not just here, but in the news), in my personal opinion, is absurd, dangerous, pure hatred.

I've opted out of the thread after reading that link. Better things to do with my time. I do, however, apologize to you for responding to the incorrect name.

[SuperFemme]

Originally Posted by Jude

Superfemme, My apologies to you directly. I used the wrong name in my response. It was not intended for you.

I do, however, stand firmly in suggesting that the source was a pure, vile, hate site. What The entire mosque controversty (not just here, but in the news), in my personal opinion, is absurd, dangerous, pure hatred.

I've opted out of the thread after reading that link. Better things to do with my time. I do, however, apologize to you for responding to the incorrect name.

I accept your apology, however: why leave the thread?
You've had great stuff to offer and we all know what that link was.
We're a smart bunch.

Your power lies in the fact that your voice lends to teaching others the difference between fact and dangerous fear mongering hatred.

[Jude]

You said:
"I accept your apology, however: why leave the thread?
You've had great stuff to offer and we all know what that link was.
We're a smart bunch.

Your power lies in the fact that your voice lends to teaching others the difference between fact and dangerous fear mongering hatred."

.................................................. .................................................. ............

Thank you for your kind words. The two things I can't deal with graciously are racism and false elitism under any guise.

Noticed in this thread, and another, people seeking out "popularity". Thought that was something we get over when we're all grown up.

I'm a Jew who works for Palestinian children's relief and medical assistance. Trust me. in the Jewish community, that's not a very popular stance to take, although, thankfully, more and more Jews of conscience are standing with the people of Palestine every day.

All to say, I didn't come to this forum to make as many friends as possible. A couple or few authentic ones would be a delight.

Think that at this point we've established that there is really no difference between a "mosque" and an "Islamic Commnuity Center" any more than there is a difference between a temple and a Jewish Community Center. Both are ostensibly religious institutions that serve their own people as a spiritual, cultural and social center.
I'm not sure there's much else to say on the matter. There are magnificent, altruistic Muslims and there are crummy Muslims. Likewise, there are superb Jews with a heart and there are dreadful Jews. Certainly, things have been perpetrated in the name of Jesus Christ that are among the great historical atrocities of mankind. What some of us do in the name of our various faiths often bears little resemblance to what the founders of these beliefs preached and practiced.

Whenever we come upon hatred, my own belief is that it is our personal responsiblity to speak out and take appropriate action if we possibly can. Graciousness, in the face of ethnic viciousness is not, in my opinion, a personal attribute I feel the need to cultivate at this point in my life.
_

[SuperFemme]

Jude, thanks for sharing your stance, history and what you do.

As a Latina, I find the targeting of brown people abhorrent and have been shocked by the Islamophobia rearing it's ugly head around this country.

What is Islamophobia if not racism, right?

As for graciousness? I get your point. Trust me on that. It gets so tiresome turning around and seeing racist things coming from people in this community. Or any community.

[Jude]

You said: "It gets so tiresome turning around and seeing racist things coming from people in this community...."

Agree 100%. If we don't stand up for the civil rights of another disenfranchised people, how can we expect anyone to stand with us?

I think there is a point in life when we come to realize that some people are going to like us and some people are not. It's not even a question of "well, that's their problem". It's nobody's problem. It's simply not a problem at all. That's just how it is and so what?

[o222Good]

Let me preface this post with this statement:
It's what our country was founded on: Freedom of religion (or no religion!)

This link is a long read, but I think everyone should be educated about the topic
Park51
It's interesting that Con Edison actually owns half the building.
It's also interesting, and confusing, as to why part of the project is called a Prayer Room (seating up to 2000) instead of a mosque. The wife of the Imam said, "You can't stop anyone who is a Muslim despite his religious ideology from entering the mosque and staying there. With a prayer space, we can control who gets to use it." (from the above link)

This link discusses the apparent practice of mosque building as a display of victory and territorial advance.
Symbol of Conquest
If this were true, it would kind of make sense. The World Trade Center was a symbol of western capitalism and power.

I was in Manhattan that day, as a number of other members of this site also were. It was a terrifying day that I will never forget for the rest my life.

Really, I personally (just me!) think that just about all religions suck. If you are not a member, well you are just not quite good enough - at best! At worst, you are less than human.

When I first heard about this, what came to mind were the Carmelite nuns who wanted to build a convent right next to the Auschwitz death camp. It was to be built as a place for reconciliation and prayer. Sound familiar? Of course, they had to plant a huge cross there, too. Frankly, the insensitivity of that, and this, is gross to me.

Let them build it in New Jersey! (local joke, really!)

[Diva]

Freedom must begin somewhere.

[Corkey]

If this community center is not built I fear the terrorist will have won. Because there is nothing worse to me than to loose the 1st amendment rights guaranteed in our Constitution. It doesn't matter that I am not a "believer" in any institutional religion, the very act of stopping this building being rebuilt will effect all religious freedoms, not just Islam. Hypocrisy runs deep and the only way the terrorists win is if we give in to fear. You can't have it both ways, "We get to have our" christian houses there, but no one else can. That is the hypocrisy of the religious right wing that takes our rights and spits on them. Build it, and then we all win.