Should we be like Saudis re Religious Freedom?

[Will B]

The big issue, IMHO, with the proposed mosque at ground zero is that the guy who wants to build it has repeatedly spoken out against the US and wants the US Government to implement Sharia Law as a separate set of laws within US laws.

Sorry, Momar or whatever your name is. If you came to the USA, play by our rules or get the heck out...

 

[Gidget]

The big issue, IMHO, with the proposed mosque at ground zero is that the guy who wants to build it has repeatedly spoken out against the US and wants the US Government to implement Sharia Law as a separate set of laws within US laws.

Oh wow - I missed that. So there's an agenda to this. Not just a neighborhood mosque going up among churches and other places of worship.

So wrong then.

Thanks for pointing that out.

G

 

[Rita]

Should we be like Saudis re Religious Freedom?

Newt Gingrich argues that the US should?like the oppressive theocracy of Saudi Arabia?forbid certain religions from building places of worship in certain places. Specifically, we should reject (?refudiate??) the mosque near Ground Zero.

In essence, his argument is: they're intolerant, thus we should be intolerant.

Do you agree?

Newt Gingrich Statement on the Proposed ?Cordoba House? Mosque at Ground Zero | Newt.org

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Interesting take from a New Yorker on the site being a secular site, a site without religious significance and questioning why some, such as Palin, are weighing in on the urban planning of the NY area and what constituency she represents.

@ Sarah Palin, pls understand, this is America

"... In demographic terms, ?Ground Zero? is actually ?Ground Infinity? if calibrated in terms of gods worshipped, languages spoken, cuisines eaten, tones of skin seen there on a daily basis. .....

What Palin and her compatriots who don?t live in diverse megacities are asking us to do is deny who we are in the service of some untrue idea that Muslims aren?t as natively American as Christians. Palin is essentially asking that Muslims hide and stay out of the way until people who hate Muslims get over their hatred.
Nothing in New York City could ever advance the pursuit of monoculture. In fact, New Yorkers of every religious persuasion in every degree of religiosity ? often religiously anti-religious ? live and work together in blocks immediately adjacent to the former twin towers. We are not by any means a tolerant society. Many of us are openly intolerant of others, but still we live and work together.
If Palin did her homework, she?d know that there are dozens of mosques already located within a one-mile radius of those craters, ..."

.

 

[Will B]

Google "Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf" and start reading. Admittedly, there are a few nut job sites that you will run across.

Here's a quote to get you going. This is from his 60 Minutes appearance...
"Fanaticism and terrorism have no place in Islam... I wouldn't say that the United States deserved what happened, but the United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened."

 

[Mango]

Should we be like Saudis re Religious Freedom?

Newt Gingrich argues that the US should?like the oppressive theocracy of Saudi Arabia?forbid certain religions from building places of worship in certain places. Specifically, we should reject (?refudiate??) the mosque near Ground Zero.

In essence, his argument is: they're intolerant, thus we should be intolerant.

Do you agree?

Newt Gingrich Statement on the Proposed ?Cordoba House? Mosque at Ground Zero | Newt.org

First off, Newt is misinformed. The Cordoba House will be a diverse cultural center which will not be a mosque and have nothing to do with religion whatsoever. It will be a place for community gatherings in promotion of tolerance of all, mainly utilizing arts and culture as a catalyst. As far as the name is concerned, Cordoba was a thriving city a thousand years ago that housed the largest library in the world and it was a global center of trade and culture where Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in prosperous harmony.

The World Trade Center reflected that tolerance, hence it's name. What would be a better site than the Cordoba house to teach acceptance and tolerance, especially in New York where millions of immigrants entered this Country. When we reject projects based on the faith of the builder it is a danger to our economic and cultural future and is not what this Country stands for.

 

[Mango]

Google "Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf" and start reading. Admittedly, there are a few nut job sites that you will run across.

Here's a quote to get you going. This is from his 60 Minutes appearance...
"Fanaticism and terrorism have no place in Islam... I wouldn't say that the United States deserved what happened, but the United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened."

I would hope that Mayor Bloomberg, a Jew nonetheless, would have done his homework before endorsing the Center. Further, you can't build anything in New York without knowing who is financially supporting a project.

 

[Lynnie]

It's tricky. I am open and don't believe most Muslims are radical. However, this location does seem questionable to me.

 

[Andy A]

.
If Palin did her homework, she?d know that there are dozens of mosques already located within a one-mile radius of those craters, ..."

Good! Since this is the case, it would appear there are plenty of mosques already built and located in the area of ground zero. Certainly seems there is no need to build another. (Unless you have a specific agenda).

 

[Gidget]

First off, Newt is misinformed. The Cordoba House will be a diverse cultural center which will not be a mosque and have nothing to do with religion whatsoever. It will be a place for community gatherings in promotion of tolerance of all, mainly utilizing arts and culture as a catalyst. As far as the name is concerned, Cordoba was a thriving city a thousand years ago that housed the largest library in the world and it was a global center of trade and culture where Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in prosperous harmony.

The World Trade Center reflected that tolerance, hence it's name. What would be a better site than the Cordoba house to teach acceptance and tolerance, especially in New York where millions of immigrants entered this Country. When we reject projects based on the faith of the builder it is a danger to our economic and cultural future and is not what this Country stands for.

It pays to get "the rest of the story". Thanks for posting

 

[ugabuga]

Let's assume that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is a bad guy with a really disgusting world view; let's assume he hates the US & hates Christians & Jews.

If he's broken any law let's arrest him for it. But, unless he's broken a law, we should leave him alone (although with reasonable suspicion, he might be ?monitored? by ?the authorities.?)

One of the great things about our country (as opposed to, say, Saudi Arabia) is that each of us is free to have any cockamamie opinion or worldview we want?and we're allowed to voice those opinions in front of God & everyone without fear of being arrested or killed. For proof of this just read the SoWal political forum.

If the First Amendment only protects ?nice? speech it's not worth much. The First Amendment shows its worth & power when it protects objectionable speech.

Unless & until the Muslims who want to build the mosque break a law, they should have all the rights & privileges of their citizenship. If they are American citizens, they should be treated like their fellow citizens.