http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/american-life/New-Yorkers-Divided-Over-Planned-Mosque-Near-Ground-Zero-95183039.html

Boy, this is a tough one. I see both sides of the issue, honestly, understand the views of those who want it to be built as well as those who are opposed, especially those who lost loved ones on 9/11.

However, i've heard that some of those funding the venture are/have been controversial figures, which is a problem.

Islam didn't kill anyone on 9/11. Crazy assholes that were members of a terrorist group killed people on 9/11.

I get that people who were directly involved might feel some hesitation to this but there really shouldn't be any.

That is pretty much how i am leaning, IWP.

I mean, weren't there a decent amount of Muslims in the WTC towers when they were attacked?

Would be interesting to see how their families feel about it.

Not to mention, the more community centers and the like in urban locations, the better, as far as i'm concerned.

Could be a real nice way to mend the fences between the Muslim faith in general and those in NYC who, understandably so, became wary of it after 9/11.

The only potential problem I would have would be if those running/founding the mosque were people with (as Cbus pointed out) shady mfers...if not, who cares, let em build it.

I can see a lot of outrage over this. I mean, sure people may want to sit back and call those people upset about it "idiots" but this is an issue that literally puts your logic and emotion at complete odds with each other

Agreed, LJ. I'm definitely not going to call those opposed "idiots," because i can see completely where they are coming from.

Definitely a "logic vs. emotion" issue.

Has the Imam or whoever is in charge of the mosque spoken out in regards to 9/11 and the terrorists attacks?

You have to have your head up your ass to even think that anything remotely justified the building anything Mosque/Cultural Center Islamic and or Muslin related or linked to Middle East is a good idea. Hey! Let have Obama do the ribbon cutting on opening day or have Mahmoud Ahmadinejad throw out the first grenade ………..

Don't know much about him, but from what i have read, seems like a good guy, devoted to improving relations between the West and the Muslim world, he is an American, and is definitely one who practices what most believe to be "true" Islam.

http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Right-Islam-Vision-Muslims/dp/0060750626, one book he authored, looks like a good read.

Doesn't seem like the type of man i would be worried about leading the Cordoba center, is devoted to spreading a positive, tolerant, and "true" Islamic message.

I think there would have been other places to put it. I have a feeling they'll be dealing with a lot of vandalism at that location.

Mr. 300;375580 wrote:I think there would have been other places to put it. I have a feeling they'll be dealing with a lot of vandalism at that location.

This. They're free to put it wherever they want, but it's a stupid location. This dude can "mend fences" from a couple blocks away just as easily.

This is an insult! If Muslims were truly concerned with mending ties they would denounce the terrorism that is taking place. Their silence speaks volumes!
I realize that not every Muslim is a terrorist and there are many good people who follow Islam but it is also my opinion that it is their express desire to spread their religion all over the world and have done very little, as a whole, to denounce the radicals in their own religion. If you think that people in many Muslim countries are sorry for what happened on 9/11 you are naive!
And before any of you bleeding hearts attack me for my statements just know that I have had a lot of contact with Muslims in both this country and elsewhere.
Talk with many Europeans who have seen the spread of Islam on their continent and get their perspective. Women's rights have regressed as more Muslims have taken leadership in politics.
Ask yourself this question; why build a mosque at Ground Zero?

matdad;375596 wrote:This is an insult! If Muslims were truly concerned with mending ties they would denounce the terrorism that is taking place. Their silence speaks volumes!
I realize that not every Muslim is a terrorist and there are many good people who follow Islam but it is also my opinion that it is their express desire to spread their religion all over the world and have done very little, as a whole, to denounce the radicals in their own religion. If you think that people in many Muslim countries are sorry for what happened on 9/11 you are naive!
And before any of you bleeding hearts attack me for my statements just know that I have had a lot of contact with Muslims in both this country and elsewhere.
Talk with many Europeans who have seen the spread of Islam on their continent and get their perspective. Women's rights have regressed as more Muslims have taken leadership in politics.
Ask yourself this question; why build a mosque at Ground Zero?

Exactly. The "peaceful" and "tolerant" Muslims need to get a clue and realize this is rubbing it in the faces of Americans.

BTW, "improving relations between the West and the Muslim world" means the West bowing to more and more shari'a law.

jhay78;375615 wrote:Exactly. The "peaceful" and "tolerant" Muslims need to get a clue and realize this is rubbing it in the faces of Americans.

BTW, "improving relations between the West and the Muslim world" means the West bowing to more and more shari'a law.

Interesting take on this. Does Shari'a law bend or mold to the west???

Here's the analogy I've been saying to people on this issue. It's the equivalent of building a US Embassy building in Nagasaki or Hiroshima. It's just in poor taste

krazie45;375660 wrote:Here's the analogy I've been saying to people on this issue. It's the equivalent of building a US Embassy building in Nagasaki or Hiroshima. It's just in poor taste

Not even close

BTW, the U.S. has an embassy and multiple military bases in Okinawa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa

Care to elaborate on that position?

LJ;375671 wrote:Not even close

Care to elaborate on that position? How would people feel about a Japanese Embassy in Hawaii next to Pearl Harbor?

I'm not going to say it's right or wrong, but it is in poor taste. If it were just a mosque being built in NYC that would be one thing, but the fact that it's so close to ground zero makes it insensitive. Though Islam did not kill anyone on 9/11 you cannot ignore the connection that is there.

krazie45;375710 wrote:Care to elaborate on that position? How would people feel about a Japanese Embassy in Hawaii next to Pearl Harbor?

I'm not going to say it's right or wrong, but it is in poor taste. If it were just a mosque being built in NYC that would be one thing, but the fact that it's so close to ground zero makes it insensitive. Though Islam did not kill anyone on 9/11 you cannot ignore the connection that is there.

Because you are comparing a whole gov't that orchestrated a whole war vs a small group of radicals. Since you hold this stance, I expect you to denounce the embassy and military bases in Okinawa where ~200,000 Japanese lives were lost.

There is also a strip club two blocks away from Ground Zero. Thats okay but not a mosque? Lol okay. I'll put this in the patriotism gone a little too far category.

LJ;375673 wrote:BTW, the U.S. has an embassy and multiple military bases in Okinawa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa

True, but we also beat their ass to get control of the island in order to place the original base there. At the cost of 12,500 dead.

majorspark;375715 wrote:True, but we also beat their ass to get control of the island in order to place the original base there. At the cost of 12,500 dead.

So? ~200,000 Japanese lost their lives in that battle and we have the audacity to put military bases and an embassy there? If he is going to take that stance, he has to follow through with it. You can't just pick and choose, that is called being "hypocritical".

LJ;375713 wrote:Because you are comparing a whole gov't that orchestrated a whole war vs a small group of radicals. Since you hold this stance, I expect you to denounce the embassy and military bases in Okinawa where ~200,000 Japanese lives were lost.

Okinawa
12, 513 Americans killed
38,000 wounded
they are lucky we let them live there.

Like I said before, I'm not arguing "rightness/wrongness" of these buildings being where they are. I will agree that the bases in Okinawa are also in poor taste as I'm sure many Japanese that live there probably agree.