Comments on: Little Mosque in the Big City

By: paperboy

paperboy — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:12:10 +0000

“Those that stick their heads in the sand are in perfect position to be f***ed in the arse”
Winston Churchill

By: Nicole

Nicole — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:33:27 +0000

Once again John Stewart points out just what silly little people some Americans are

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-august-10-2010/municipal-land-use-hearing-update

By: Morris Keesan

Morris Keesan — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:58:26 +0000

Bill (#77), you’re asking for consistency and logic from these folks, which is expecting at least a little bit too much.

What bothers me the most in this whole affair is the ADL’s position.

By: Detcord

Detcord — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:24:55 +0000

Until recently, my information on this topic has been second or third hand. As such, I was vaguely opposed to a, “victory mosque at Ground Zero”, but was reserving judgement until I knew more. Then I encountered this comment piece in a London paper I read occasionally. I suppose this might qualify as a case of serendipity CIDU-style.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23864421-the-ground-zero-mosque-would-heal-old-wounds.do

Assuming the article is reasonably accurate, I am hard-pressed to see a problem with this proposal. Maybe I am naive, but this development offer seems to be a “hand across the aisle” from that portion of the Muslim community that wishes, for want of a better phrase, “to heal the breach” and do something useful for the city. I cannot, for the life of me, see anything wrong with that - though I do see much wrong with those saying “NO”.

By: Kay Shawn

Kay Shawn — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:52:15 +0000

The NYTimes ran an article going through the origin of the Mosque community center project, begun before 9/11, and it has been a series of misunderstandings and lost opportunities on all sides. Those who are even a little against its location have no idea what being American is about.

By: Cidu Bill

Cidu Bill — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:57:34 +0000

Woodrowfan, I bet she somehow also believes that Obama was born in Kenya.

Apparently it’s not difficult to believe two conflicting theories at once: many of the same people who claimed that Obama was in thrall to Reverend Wright also believed Obama was a Muslim.

By: Cidu Bill

Cidu Bill — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:52:33 +0000

Good point, Morris. Of course, if the group running these offensive ads justify them on First Amendment grounds, they’ll be hard pressed to say the YMMA shouldn’t be built because its presence might offend people.

By: Woodrowfan

Woodrowfan — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:30:00 +0000

just to add to the crazy, the person behind these bus ads argued, quite seriously, that Malcolm X was President Obama’s REAL biological father….

Part of the problem I suspect is that when people hear “mosque” they’re thinking towers, minarets, Imans calling prayers at dusk, etc. In reality it’s more like a YMCA with a space for worship inside. There is already a mosque nearby, along with a strip club, several gay bars, several Christian churches of various types., etc, etc….

By: Czhorat

Czhorat — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:38:24 +0000

@Morris (74)

A victory for free speech, perhaps. Tolerance? I have trouble accepting that allowing someone to make a stupid, bigotted statement is advancing the cause of tolerance.

It’s a victory for free speech bit, sadly, also a victory for bigotry.

By: Morris Keesan

Morris Keesan — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:21:48 +0000

felixthecat #59, belief in an afterlife is something that Christianity and Islam share, but not Judaism.
No afterlife, not one that “brings us closer to God” or any other kind. After we’re gone, we live on in the
effects of the deeds we did while we were alive, and in the memories of those who knew us. That’s one
reason for the Ashkenazic custom of naming children after deceased family members.

And similar to your cited passages from the Koran [ (2:191) and (3:28)] is the commandment to stone
those who come to us and ask us to follow false gods. I don’t recall where in Torah this is; probably in
Exodus or Leviticus. I’ve been tempted to quote this to people who come to my door trying to convert
me to their religions.

Finally, in response to CIDU Bill’s initial comments: Yes, the ads against the mosque are disgusting, but as a card-carrying ACLU member, I have to agree with the spokesperson for the group who wants to run the ads. Allowing the ads is a victory for free speech and tolerance. Freedom of speech is meaningless if we don’t extend that freedom to speech that disgusts us, and tolerance including tolerating others’ disgusting opinions that we disagree with.