After receiving numerous emails from friends arguing both sides to this issue I felt compelled to address it. I sent a friend an article from The Daily Beast regarding the proposed Mosque:
Today: August 21, 2010
Asra Q. Nomani
The Money Behind the Mosque
by Asra Q. Nomani
Far from a fundraising juggernaut with ties to Ahmadinejad, the planned
Islamic center near ground zero has less than $9,000 in the bank—raised by a
group of Muslim-American moms. Asra Q. Nomani reports.
In recent days, critics of the proposal to build a mosque and Islamic center
near ground zero have linked the plan to everyone from Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad to Islamist organizations Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. But the
plan's real fundraising effort, thus far, is much more
innocuous: a PayPal account with less than $9,000 in it, mostly from New
Yorkers, raised by a group of Muslim moms in Manhattan whose original aim was to
host a peace march.
After this "friend" had sent me information that the Muslims were trying to take over the US. Her response to my email is what lit me up:
"Not sure why you are sending me this. To convince me its okay or the opposite.
They are only starting to raise the money, that is why the Imam is in the middle
east right now. Getting money from the Saudis and the Iranians. (Yes Iran) If
you think you'll be able to track where it comes from you are mistaken. You will
know what they want you to know. Blogs are not news articles; they are opinion.
There are three more mosque's planned in TN. Not just mosque's but compounds.
Its not just a worship building in TN.
This is dangerous for America and you cannot convince me otherwise if that is
what you are trying to do. I have done my research and listened to the facts.
Its not about religion; unlike how America is slowly separating church from
state; Islam religion and politics are one in the same. This country is headed
for dangerous drastic change; how soon? 5, 10 years??? We will lose our freedom
if this is permitted. Google, murfreesboro TN.
They do not respect the foundation on what this country is built on and will use
our freedoms against us. See how much equality there is when we are the
minority. Look at the state of the country they are coming from, see their
actions, not just their words. See their unwillingness to listen to the people
who had family members die on 9/11; not to mention the mosque will open on
9/11/11; that alone speaks voumes. I have seen footage of the inside of mosques
from other countries; 9K couldn't buy a lightswitch; millions of dollars will go
into this mosque.
The mosque in TN - one of the board members had jihad terrorist information on
his facebook page; once brought to light, it was removed. Do you think he's
stopped recruiting? Honestly, this could be a dire mistake for america. People
are so fixated on being politically correct and non-discriminatory that they are
not seeing the big picture.
Don't be naive; read all you can from independent sources; people who have had
dealings with Islam; teachers, rabbi's, historians, the clergy. They are the
ones that know what they are about. Their MO is to conquer (WTC, NY) and build a
worship building on the desecrated site...kind of like dancing on someones grave
Mohammed style.
Personally, it is unfathomable that any American can find this acceptable ....
9/11 wasn't that long ago. "
It took every ounce of my being not to respond with some witty quip (I received input from friends with cooler heads)...and I chose not to correct her obvious mispellings! It's interesting the conspiracy theory that she has chosen to pass along....(she has been programmed well by the right-wing nut jobs who have their talking points that is used to be sprinkled around like a virus....herpes-like!) I have heard plenty of arguments regarding 9/11 and Ground Zero but this one took the cake.
Freedom of religion and Freedom of Speech are basic rights of every American and yet they are being challenged with this issue. The Mosque is 2 blocks from the WTC site so it's not on "hollowed ground" like everyone seems to want to believe. If these people want to be angry with anyone, try the folks who sold them the property...The folks that purchased the propety have every right to buy and build like anyone else does; as long as they follow the rules and abide them while building.
This is a disgrace! Not every Muslim is a terrorist; just like not every priest is a pedophile. Our country was established by people who came here for religious freedom; have these people forgotten this? Selective hearing? We can't just pick and choose the laws of the land but yet the GOP would like to do just that.
I guess I like to stand by our Constitution and I refuse to engage in an argument that the other side won't even listen to. This would waste of my breath and my time. Enough is enough!
God Bless America!
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I agree with your comment 100%. You won't be able to track where the money comes from? Try Fox News shareholder Prince Al-Waleed
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/0821/fox-shareholder-funded-mosque-imam/
It's still none of our business. The Imam and his foundation have just as much a right to build there as the developers have to build a shopping center above and *in* Ground Zero.
I can see why this is a contentious issue, and it probably is somewhat unwise for anyone to build a mosque near the WTC site, just because it will inevitably make some people angry...but just imagine how this might be taken if a focused, thoughtful PR effort had been launched at the time this story broke? Imagine if the "Muslim Moms" had released a statement saying that they wanted this center to be a prayerful, peaceful place, a way to show that most Muslims are not jihadists nor are they extremists. Would people feel better about it then?
ReplyDeleteThe story was obviously just blown way out of proportion (given that it's only a $9k bank account right now).
But I read somewhere tonight that NOW the extremists are using all the vehment, vociferous American opposition to this planned Islamic center as a way to show that the West really does hate Islam.
Being angry about the IDEA of this mosque is just making everything worse. Why don't people see that?
I DO think the idea of the place is probably ill-advised, but one thing we can't control in the U.S. is the right of the property owner to sell to whomever or to build almost whatever he likes. There's an American freedom for you...
Now, having said all that, I used to work in the WTC, at the time it was first bombed back in '93. I said to myself, "I will never go back there. That place is cursed."
Premonition? You tell me.
When 9/11 happened, I was in Iowa, watching, shocked, as the buildings imploded.
A couple of days later, I saw TV footage of my old (Summit, NJ) neighborhood train station, with three quarters of the cars still there. Why? Because their owners had been killed in the WTC.
My mother, a teacher, had several students who lost their dads that day. Not one. More like six. It was horrible.
I mention this to say that I think I have a better-than-average grasp of what happened and how it affected New Yorkers, particularly.
I would not, however, come out in opposition to this mosque or Islamic center. I think that's just causing more problems when what we need is healing and understaing.
We don't need more extremism, from any side.
A friend of mine was just in Ethiopia and remarked (over and over) how stunned he was to see mosques and churches side by side. "That's how it should be," he said, and I and many other people happen to wholeheartedly agree with him.
Thanks for writing this.
EC
Thanks for both of your thoughts! I do so agree that following the money would be an interesting journey and that there is truly more sinister stuff at work here. I believe that this is a free country and that we should all have religious freedom. To lump all Muslims into "Terrorists" is wrong and that is exactly what is happening. EC-you're right, if there had been a PR campaign this would have gone much differently-the best defense is a good offense!
ReplyDeleteDanielle...a little late in commenting, and really have so much I could say and no time right now...however, I do want you to know that I agree with you completely (don't think that's a newsflash!) and am alternately sickened/horrified/saddened by your friend's diatribe -- which she clearly believes -- and altogether too many people in this country believe. The level of ignorance is appalling!
ReplyDelete