Ground Zero Mosque

I am sure you are aware of the controversy surrounding a mosque and Islamic Center that is proposed to be built some 600 feet from Ground Zero in New York. Ground Zero is the site of collapse of the Twin Towers. The project has been approved by the New York City Council and has been supported by Michael Bloomberg, the Republican Mayor of New York City. Last week President Obama supported the rights of Muslins to construct a mosque near ground zero. I try to be tolerant of differing views, cultures, religions and political and social beliefs but I believe it is fundamentally wrong to allow a mosque and Islamic Center to be constructed in such close vicinity to Ground Zero. The 9/11 attack and murder of more than 3,000 Americans were carried out by Muslims in the name of Mohammed. Since that date death to Americans has been a rally cry of many Muslim extremists. Continued plots to attack Americans are attempted each year.

Why do we feel compelled to allow a project to built at Ground Zero by the religion that fosters the very views that caused the 9/11 attackers and subsequent attackers to attempt to destroy us? We are told it is because of our beliefs of religious freedom.

Are Americans and other non- Muslims offered the same religious freedoms in Muslim Countries? Of course not. I happened upon a website of the Australian government giving Australian citizens advice to Saudi Arabia. Here are a few of the pieces of advice:

Preaching religions other than Islam may result in imprisonment and corporal punishment.

The importation of religious books and materials (other than those reflecting orthodox Islam) is forbidden. Generally, individuals are able to bring one bible for private use.

Women are legally required to wear the abaya, a long black coat that conceals their body shape, in all public places. The abaya is worn over loose-fitting, full-length clothing. While many local women wear a headscarf, foreign women are not generally required to follow suit. It is advisable, though, to carry a dark-coloured scarf in case you are confronted by the religious police (Muttawa) or a private citizen who takes offence.

Muslims countries restrict what Americans and other non-Muslims can do in Muslim counties. They restrict what buildings we can build. They restrict what religious books we can distribute. They restrict what we can eat or drink and to some extent even wear.

I am no fan of Newt Gingrich a former US Congressman and I disagree with most of his political and social positions. However, I pretty much agree with his comments concerning the building of a mosque near Ground Zero. Here is his statement on the issue:

“There should be no mosque near Ground Zero in New York so long as there are no churches or synagogues in Saudi Arabia. The time for double standards that allow Islamists to behave aggressively toward us while they demand our weakness and submission is over.

The proposed "Cordoba House" overlooking the World Trade Center site - where a group of jihadists killed over 3000 Americans and destroyed one of our most famous landmarks - is a test of the timidity, passivity and historic ignorance of American elites. For example, most of them don't understand that "Cordoba House" is a deliberately insulting term. It refers to Cordoba, Spain - the capital of Muslim conquerors who symbolized their victory over the Christian Spaniards by transforming a church there into the world's third-largest mosque complex.

Today, some of the Mosque's backers insist this term is being used to "symbolize interfaith cooperation" when, in fact, every Islamist in the world recognizes Cordoba as a symbol of Islamic conquest. It is a sign of their contempt for Americans and their confidence in our historic ignorance that they would deliberately insult us this way. Those Islamists and their apologists who argue for "religious toleration" are arrogantly dishonest. They ignore the fact that more than 100 mosques already exist in New York City. Meanwhile, there are no churches or synagogues in all of Saudi Arabia. In fact no Christian or Jew can even enter Mecca.

And they lecture us about tolerance. If the people behind the Cordoba House were serious about religious toleration, they would be imploring the Saudis, as fellow Muslims, to immediately open up Mecca to all and immediately announce their intention to allow non-Muslim houses of worship in the Kingdom. They should be asked by the news media if they would be willing to lead such a campaign.

We have not been able to rebuild the World Trade Center in nine years. Now we are being told a 13 story, $100 million megamosque will be built within a year overlooking the site of the most devastating surprise attack in American history.

Finally where is the money coming from? The people behind the Cordoba House refuse to reveal all their funding sources.

America is experiencing an Islamist cultural-political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilization. Sadly, too many of our elites are the willing apologists for those who would destroy them if they could. No mosque. No self deception. No surrender. The time to take a stand is now - at this site on this issue.”

I personally think it is wrong and maybe even outrageous for this project to be allowed to move forward.