The New Mosque

[Cats Cats Cats]

Thought it was supposed to be an anti mosque rally not anti Muslim.

[we vs us]

It's weird that this is happening almost nine years after 9/11.  This is the kind of thing that you'd think would happen days or weeks after the event.

[Red Arrow]

It's weird that this is happening almost nine years after 9/11.  This is the kind of thing that you'd think would happen days or weeks after the event.

Or continuously but why the almost 9 year break?

[nathanm]

"Mosque Supports Hamas" eh? Stay classy, folks.

It's actually been simmering just below the surface for a while. It just needed someone to stir the pot and turn up the heat a little. There have been local uproars about mosques and Muslim cemeteries going on across the country for years, which is why I was immediately skeptical of the motives of the people who are against Park51.

Here's a real classy one from Tennessee back in 2004. Florida in 2006.

[Cats Cats Cats]

My favorite fox news argument is the "it is going to be a terrorist meeting place" idea.  That would be in our best case scenario!

[Conan71]

It's weird that this is happening almost nine years after 9/11.  This is the kind of thing that you'd think would happen days or weeks after the event.

You don't think the Muslims have long memories?

This is nothing more than a clash of two groups expressing their First Amendment rights.  I'm not aware of anyone who has asked the Feds to intervene and halt plans for this project, nor am I aware of any serious attempt for anyone to try and get NYC to reconsider issuing permits for this.  I think it's an important discussion for both sides and in this case, it might be best for everyone if the Imam takes the path of least resistance and look for another site.  It's certainly he and his supporters full legal right to build the community center wherever they like so long as it's within the scope of local building codes.  It's every bit the right of anyone who sees this as a provocative gesture to voice their opinion. 

Let's say someone decides to open a meat market specializing in nothing but pork next door to the new center or opens a gay strip club (not sure if that was a joking reference before or if that really is/has happened) would anyone consider that a provocative and ill-advised gesture?

This isn't a whole lot different than people who exercize their Second Amendment right bringing a firearm to a political rally and liberals getting up in arms about it.  It's that person's right to openly carry (though inadvisable in my opinion) as much as it is yours to criticize it.  I'm for the free exercize of Constitutional rights, it seems some people are simply a lot more conditional about other people exercizing theirs.

[joiei]

Apparently the Republicans have forgotten about a law they pushed into being 10 years ago.

  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-oped-0822-chapman-column-20100820,0,1147455.column

Ten years ago, Republicans  in Congress passed a major law to protect the right of Muslims to establish mosques even where such a building might be unwelcome. Yes, they did. They just may not have thought of it quite that way at the time.

The law, called the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, was aimed at a common problem often ignored by the courts: local government bodies using zoning authority to prevent religious institutions from moving in or expanding their operations.

It had the support of such groups as the Christian Legal Society and the Family Research Council. Rep. Charles Canady, R-Fla., said it was aimed at "the well-documented and abusive treatment suffered by religious individuals and organizations in the land use context." Sen. Orrin Hatch, R- Utah, pushed it because, he said, "At the core of religious freedom is the ability for assemblies to gather and worship together."

Is this a convenient loss of memory?  Or selective memory? 

So were they for it before they were against it?

[Conan71]

Apparently the Republicans have forgotten about a law they pushed into being 10 years ago.

  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-oped-0822-chapman-column-20100820,0,1147455.column
Is this a convenient loss of memory?  Or selective memory? 

So were they for it before they were against it?

Joiei, again no one has argued the "legality" of this issue.  Also, it's not just Republicans who have a problem with this, poll numbers bear out there are significant numbers of Democrats and independents who are unhappy with the location of this mosque, er community center. 

Here's an interesting poll of New Yorkers taken in late June prior to this becoming a full-out national issue breaks it down by race, religion, and party affiliation.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1302.xml?ReleaseID=1473

[Hoss]

This is a great segment by a pretty sharp Indian-American as it regards to this subject.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/08/22/gps.fareeds.take.sufism.cnn

[Conan71]

This settles it, President Obama is a plant from the Saudi royal family (hey wasn't Bush 43 also?)

[guido911]

Apparently the Republicans have forgotten about a law they pushed into being 10 years ago.

 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-oped-0822-chapman-column-20100820,0,1147455.column
Is this a convenient loss of memory?  Or selective memory?  

So were they for it before they were against it?

Wow, what a fair and objective approach to this issue taken by the author of that article.

As for the rest of your post:

[guido911]

Joiei, again no one has argued the "legality" of this issue.  Also, it's not just Republicans who have a problem with this, poll numbers bear out there are significant numbers of Democrats and independents who are unhappy with the location of this mosque, er community center. 

Don't forget those rabid right wingers Harry Reid and Howard Dean.

[nathanm]

Don't forget those rabid right wingers Harry Reid and Howard Dean.

Reid is pandering and Dean is apparently an idiot.

Perhaps Joe can speak for me: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/vp/38813972#38813972

[Conan71]

Reid is pandering and Dean is apparently an idiot.

Perhaps Joe can speak for me: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/vp/38813972#38813972

Are you quite certain you and Howard Dean don't have something in common?  Hmmmmm?

[nathanm]

Are you quite certain you and Howard Dean don't have something in common?  Hmmmmm?

What would that be, a sense that the health care system in this country is broken? (HCR might fix it, but it's not in effect yet)

I do really enjoy the Dean Scream.

How about Ron Paul..he's a smart guy. More libertarian than I'm comfortable with, but I certainly have sympathies in that direction:

The debate should have provided the conservative defenders of property rights with a perfect example of how the right to own property also protects the 1st Amendment rights of assembly and religion by supporting the building of the mosque.

Instead, we hear lip service given to the property rights position while demanding that the need to be "sensitive" requires an all-out assault on the building of a mosque, several blocks from "ground zero."

http://www.ronpaul.com/2010-08-20/ron-paul-sunshine-patriots-stop-your-demagogy-about-the-nyc-mosque/

Edited to add: OH, I get it now, you must have been talking about my stint as Vermont's Governor!