MUSLIM MOSQUE: At Ground Zero?

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Well, the issue of the Manhattan Mosque has really blown up, hasn’t it? Too bad it has become a political weapon for both parties, believe it or not, instead of a civil discussion. Politicians feel the popular outrage and rush to make sure they take the correct position so they can get re-elected again (such as Harry Reid-D of Nevada).

The twits at FOX News have been having a field day and Jon Stewart of The Daily Show has also been having a field day showing how goddamn hypocritical the folks at FOX are by running past videos where they contradict themselves.

In my last blog on the subject, I empathized with people that felt building a mosque in the general area of ground zero was insensitive but now, the issue has taken on a life of its own.

No, it is not right next to ground zero but a few blocks away. If it’s hallowed ground why are there so many strip clubs around there, peep shows and the like? Yes, the New York body approving the mosque had only one nay vote. Mayor Bloomberg was happy someone was finally doing something with a decrepit building.

I have especially gotten a kick out of the many “serious” pundits that tried to articulate the outrage people feel even though we don’t know who they are and how many feel this outrage; it maybe a FOX trick to garner ratings?

Newt Gingrich said it was like the Nazis putting something up next to the Holocaust Center. Well no, those Nazis do not exist anymore; they are history, they weren’t into religion and the whole nation of Germany attacked us not a few Nazis.

Krauthammer said it was like the Japanese building a community center at Pearl Harbor. Here we are talking again about WWII and the involvement of a whole nation in an attack on us not just a couple of crazy Japs.

Also the Carmelite Nun convent near Auschwitz was brought up as an example. Pope John Paul eventually asked the nuns to move after Jews were annoyed at their presence near their hallowed ground or more specifically of having a giant cross positioned there. These were Polish nuns not German nuns and there were many Christians that were also exterminated at the camp for which the nuns ostensibly prayed for but everyone should recognize that Jews were the primary victims there.

The Pope acted because the standoff was not ending and could escalate during the 50^th anniversary of the liberation of the camp. The fact that an option of a Jewish-Christian Center at the site was agreed to by both parties some time ago made this impasse the work of just a few stubborn nuns.

During 9/11 people of all faiths died in the attack. The terrorists did not discriminate; they did what they did to punish the U.S. as a country, as a nation, as the most powerful national entity on earth. They wanted to show that we could be attacked; that we were vulnerable.

Some pundits are saying that the longer this argument continues the worst for everyone connected. We are a nation of laws (Constitution) and all Americans know we have freedom of religion here. To start backtracking on our most famous amendment (1^st), makes us look hypocritical and makes arguments against us by Muslim extremists (al-Qaeda) more believable.

For those who say that countries like Saudi Arabia do not allow any other religious (Christian) structures (churches) or communities (convents, etc.) inside their borders gives us the right to block Muslim structures and communities…no it does not. We are a constitutional republic founded with freedom for all and we can never go back on our founding principles; it wouldn’t be American.

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