Cordoba Mosque at 9/11 Ground Zero

[AnalblasT]

Cordoba Mosque at 9/11 Ground Zero Symbolizes Dreams of Invasion & Territorial Expansion ​

Iraqi-American columnist Khudhayr Taher published an article in the Arab online liberal daily, Elaph.com, on May 18, 2010, in which he warned against the desire to turn the U.S. into a Muslim country.

Taher called upon the American administration to ban the building of mosques, and especially the Cordoba Mosque, planned for construction near Ground Zero in New York, because, he says, these mosques pose a danger to the security of the U.S. as they are centers for spreading extremist and terrorist ideas.

Following is a translation of excerpts from the article:

"In these days, the issue of the Muslim decision to build a mosque near the place where the crime of the cowardly September 11 terrorist attacks took place has come up. We must note that a hostile and provocative name [Cordoba] has been chosen for this mosque. It is well known that the first Cordoba Mosque was built by Muslims in a city in Spain, after they occupied this Christian country, killing its men and capturing its women to bring them to Arab countries as slaves and servants to serve their sexual pleasure. The Arabs and Muslims have never ceased to take pride and bask in the glory of this imperialist history, which they consider to be a symbol of their strength and power, and they are unashamed of the fact that the annals [of their history] are full of shameful crimes.

"Today, it seems as though some Muslims in America are enamored of the dream of bringing back this ugly imperialist Muslim history, which is based on occupying peaceful peoples, on trying to force them to change their religious beliefs by the sword, on killing the men, and on abducting the women from their homes and bringing them to their own countries. Choosing the name 'Cordoba House' for the mosque to be constructed in New York was not coincidental or random and innocent. It bears within it significance and dreams of expansion and invasion [into the territory] of the other, [while] striving to change his religion and to subjugate him…

"New York has many mosques, for Sunnis and for Shiites. Of course there is a significant infiltration of extremist terrorist ideology among some of the Sunnis, and likewise there is a significant infiltration of the Iranian intelligence [apparatus] among some of the Shi'ites. This infiltration, both among the Sunnis and among the Shi'ites, has spread across the U.S. New York State has many mosques, and doesn't need any more of them – not to mention that for work reasons Muslims do not attend mosque every day, but only on Saturdays and Sundays. Therefore, the Muslims have no real need for the construction of this mosque, which constitutes a provocation against the sensibilities of the Americans and a reminder for them of the Muslim imperialism in Spain and of the acts it committed against the Christians – such as murder, pillage, taking captives, and aggression against women.

"As a Muslim and as an American citizen, I hope that the U.S. government will issue a decision to confiscate the funds designated for the construction of this mosque, and to transfer them to a budget for rebuilding the towers of the World Trade Center in New York, [and also to] ban the building of [additional] mosques in the U.S., because there is no real need for them. Also, [we must] take into account the danger that they [i.e. the mosques] pose because they are hothouses for extremist terrorist ideology and for hatred of the other, and because they carry out open missionary activities considered a violation of the freedom and religion of others."

 

[klopij]

In America we are tolerant of religions, not terrorists. We should allow Muslims to build their mosque and express their faith AND ensure that terrorism does not spread. To deny these people the right to worship is akin to the reason the first colonists fled Britain in the first pace.

 

[SoulSearcher]

Cordoba Mosque at 9/11 Ground Zero Symbolizes Dreams of Invasion & Territorial Expansion ​

Iraqi-American columnist Khudhayr Taher published an article in the Arab online liberal daily, Elaph.com, on May 18, 2010, in which he warned against the desire to turn the U.S. into a Muslim country.

Following is a translation of excerpts from the article:

Therefore, the Muslims have no real need for the construction of this mosque, which constitutes a provocation against the sensibilities of the Americans and a reminder for them of the Muslim imperialism in Spain and of the acts it committed against the Christians – such as murder, pillage, taking captives, and aggression against women.

What Muslims need is only to be determined by Muslims. It is quite clear that the Iraqi in him is speaking here, pity the fellow who comes from a country where the government routinely infringed on religious rights of people for decades.

And Tareq sounds like an absolute idiot in his knowledge of Spain's history. Spain was ruled at that time by the Goths who were the ruling class and hardly intermarried with the local Hispano-Roman population that despised them. And that is how 40,000 Arabs and Berbers were able to conquer a land of over 4 million people; much of the locals welcomed the invaders. And most scholars disagree with his characterisation of Cordoba, he forgets to mention that Spain under Muslim rule was a refuge for Jews who were fleeing persecution and pogroms at the hands of Christians across Western Europe. Of course conquest is never uniform, but Tareq is beyond bias in his characterisation and quite ignorant.

"As a Muslim and as an American citizen, I hope that the U.S. government will issue a decision to confiscate the funds designated for the construction of this mosque, and to transfer them to a budget for rebuilding the towers of the World Trade Center in New York

Mr. Tareq, this is America, not Iraq, even if the government breaches its own principles often, the country largely believes in the rule of law. We can't just confiscate money from the citizens to fund the reconstruction of a commercial building destroyed by terrorists from country's ruled by dictators that we have been arming and funding and protecting for decades. It just doesn't work that way. That is obviously how things work where Tareq comes from.

[and also to] ban the building of [additional] mosques in the U.S., because there is no real need for them.

Again, that is the Iraqi in Tareq talking. This is NOT Iraq, religious freedom is guaranteed to citizens, and the government can't take that away. What a joke Tareq is! He seriously has no idea what America and Americans ideals are all about.

 

[JasunStrikesBack]

Wait... there are Muslims in New York City?

Shocking. Next you'll tell me there are gay people there too. And I'll bet they're going to build a GAY BAR in Manhattan just BLOCKS from the SACRED GROUND where the attack on CHRISTIANITY ITSELF took place!!!










I'm sorry but since I have a fucking life, I can't figure out why anyone gives a shit.

 

[Kulindahr]

The objection to a mosque there will strike Muslims as saying that the war on terror is actually a war against Muslims.

The objection to the name is a different matter. Why not "Mosque of the Book", which would refer to the old inclusion of Jews and Christians as "People of the Book"?

 

[spiderhead]

I'm completely against them building a mosque near ground zero. FUCK THAT.

 

[Kulindahr]

or a church?

 

[spiderhead]

Qu'est-ce? No a church of any other religion would be perfectly acceptable. Just not anything related to Islam.

 

[MercuryJones]

Qu'est-ce? No a church of any other religion would be perfectly acceptable. Just not anything related to Islam.

You are at liberty to not like it.

No one is at liberty to prevent it through legal means.

 

[Puzuzzu]

Why are they building a mosque there?!!

 

[MercuryJones]

^^

In 2009 the former Burlington Coat Factory building on 45 Park Place in New York City was purchased by the Cordoba Initiative, with the stated intent to convert it to a mosque and cultural center. I believe worship is being conducted on-site already.

To say the site is at "ground zero" is rather deceptive, as it is two NYC blocks away, in densely packed real estate.

 

[Jack Springer]

^^

In 2009 the former Burlington Coat Factory building on 45 Park Place in New York City was purchased by the Cordoba Initiative, with the stated intent to convert it to a mosque and cultural center. I believe worship is being conducted on-site already.

To say the site is at "ground zero" is rather deceptive, as it is two NYC blocks away, in densely packed real estate.

Try to build a Church in Saudi Arabia and you'll see what an open society they are.

BTW - if you're in Saudi Arabia tell someone you're gay - see what happens next.

 

[MercuryJones]

Try to build a Church in Saudi Arabia and you'll see what an open society they are.

BTW - if you in Saudi Arabia tell someone you're gay - see what happens next.

Have you mistaken me for someone who described Saudi Arabia as an open society?

 

[bankside]

Try to build a Church in Saudi Arabia and you'll see what an open society they are.

BTW - if you're in Saudi Arabia tell someone you're gay - see what happens next.

Yes, and since Saudia Arabia keeps women in black bags and prevents them from driving, Americans should keep men in black bags and prevent them from driving. That'll show those Saudis!!!

What if Muslims wanted to go to this mosque and pray for peace and for the wellbeing of ALL families who lost loved ones just a few blocks away? Are we willing to concede the entire muslim faith to the lunatics?

or a church?

resisting...temptation....oh...so....tempting...to...agree...to....total...ban...AGGHRRRHHHH.

 

[Kulindahr]

In contrast to the item in the original post, check this out:

http://www.cordobainitiative.org/

 

[SoulSearcher]

Try to build a Church in Saudi Arabia and you'll see what an open society they are.

BTW - if you're in Saudi Arabia tell someone you're gay - see what happens next.

I didn't know how America ought to be was contingent upon what Saudi Arabia or any other country is...BTW, if Saudi Arabia is so horrible, why is it that your government had given the thugs who rule it assurances for protection for decades, and arming them every year?

 

[Jack Springer]

I didn't know how America ought to be was contingent upon what Saudi Arabia or any other country is...BTW, if Saudi Arabia is so horrible, why is it that your government had given the thugs who rule it assurances for protection for decades, and arming them every year?

You should know - we're addicted to their oil.

If they didn't haven any oil - we'd drop them like a hot potato.

 

[MercuryJones]

You should know - we're addicted to their oil.

If they didn't haven any oil - we'd drop them like a hot potato.

And what does this have to do with the subject of this thread and freedom of religion in the US?

 

[NotThatCreative]

The only thing that bothers me is the question of funding. According to the WSJ:

There's also a question of how Mr. Rauf's Cordoba Initiative, which in 2008 had assets of $18,255 according to its IRS tax filing, plans to raise $100 million.

Newspapers, etcetera are saying no one knows as yet where he intends to acquire the necessary money. If its, say, the governments of Malaysia or Iran, then this shouldn't go forward. If its funding is clean, then go ahead with it.

 

[MercuryJones]

^^

Good point, but there's plenty of huge $ among Muslims, including those in nations considered US allies. It shouldn't be hard to find the funding.