The "WTC Mosque" hysteria, in a nutshell

[Cain]

http://www.salon.com/news/ground_zero_mosque/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2010/08/16/ground_zero_mosque_origins

– Dec. 8, 2009: The Times publishes a lengthy front-page look at the Cordoba project. "We want to push back against the extremists," Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the lead organizer, is quoted as saying. Two Jewish leaders and two city officials, including the mayor's office, say they support the idea, as does the mother of a man killed on 9/11. An FBI spokesman says the imam has worked with the bureau. Besides a few third-tier right-wing blogs, including Pamela Geller's Atlas Shrugs site, no one much notices the Times story.

– Dec. 21, 2009: Conservative media personality Laura Ingraham interviews Abdul Rauf's wife, Daisy Khan, while guest-hosting "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox. In hindsight, the segment is remarkable for its cordiality. "I can't find many people who really have a problem with it," Ingraham says of the Cordoba project, adding at the end of the interview, "I like what you're trying to do."

– (This segment also includes onscreen the first use that we've seen of the misnomer "ground zero mosque.") After the segment — and despite the front-page Times story — there were no news articles on the mosque for five and a half months, according to a search of the Nexis newspaper archive.

– May 6, 2010: After a unanimous vote by a New York City community board committee to approve the project, the AP runs a story. It quotes relatives of 9/11 victims (called by the reporter), who offer differing opinions. The New York Post, meanwhile, runs a story under the inaccurate headline, "Panel Approves 'WTC' Mosque." Geller is less subtle, titling her post that day, "Monster Mosque Pushes Ahead in Shadow of World Trade Center Islamic Death and Destruction." She writes on her Atlas Shrugs blog, "This is Islamic domination and expansionism. The location is no accident. Just as Al-Aqsa was built on top of the Temple in Jerusalem." (To get an idea of where Geller is coming from, she once suggested that Malcolm X was Obama's real father. Seriously.)

So basically Pam Geller and Rupert Murdoch purposefully distorted the facts and got a gaggle of idiots on the blogosphere and in the national press respectively to spread their disinfo in a blind panic about the "sacred ground" of 9/11 being despoiled by the villainous Mohammedans.  No surprise there, though confirmation is nice, as always.

And today, Harry Reid joined Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich in calling for the "mosque" (actually a community centre) to be built elsewhere, presumably because he doesn't want to be left out on the irrational Islamophobia the right are buying into wholesale right now (with the notable, though not unexpected exception of Grover Norquist who, despite a fair bit of stupidity on a lot of other issues, is highly respectful of other religions).

[Requia ☣]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Mosque already there, and will now be sharing its land with the community center?

[Cain]

I know there is at least one mosque in the area, closer to Ground Zero than the community centre, so it seems likely.

Also, irony: the reason Cordoba House has such a strong position re: local government in getting this approved is not because of their secret Zionist Islamist conspiracy, but because the Religious Right got a law passed in 2000 that gave religious organizations greater standing in potential disputes with local planning agencies.

[Adios]

It's all bullshit for fundies to scream about while getting free press. Shame on the media.

[AFK]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Mosque already there, and will now be sharing its land with the community center?

No.  This is a brand new building.  It is a cultural/community center that would include a mosque but also have a 9/11 memorial and facilities for all denominations to use. 

There is a mosque that already exists that is about 4 blocks away, which nobody has made a fuss about.  The new one would be about 2 blocks away.  And when you are standing there, you can't actually see Ground Zero.  And the only way you're going to be able to see this Community Center from Ground Zero is if they build a big, tall, ugly building on top of it, that is like 30 or 40 stories, and then if you go to the top of this building you'll be able to see the community center, kinda. 

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

After watching the news and seeing what all was in the surrounding area, it is obvious to me that these people do not want anything there (mosque, community center, etc..) that will interfere with the bars and strip clubs.  How can you have a good strip club with normal family type human beings walking around?  I mean seriously, they will nice up the neighborhood.

[Cramulus]

New Yorker here

Most new yorkers I speak to are baffled that the rest of the country suddenly cares about how NYC downtown is zoned.

Is the red ink on your NEVER FORGET bumper sticker going to fade any faster if there's a mosque two blocks from ground zero?

Are you suddenly going to become less patriotic because muslims follow the same rules for building a place of worship as the rest of us?


It really makes me want to protest some churches being built. How insensitive to build a church! because some christians did some bad things once! I HAVE A RIGHT TO NOT BE OFFENDED AND THAT TRUMPS YOUR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?

[Apikoros II]

Not only another New Yorker, but a 9/11 survivor... I think the whole thing is blown way out of proportion. Let 'em build. Everyone knows the TRUE terrorists live on the Upper East Side and work on Wall Street.

[Aucoq]

New Yorker here

Most new yorkers I speak to are baffled that the rest of the country suddenly cares about how NYC downtown is zoned.

Is the red ink on your NEVER FORGET bumper sticker going to fade any faster if there's a mosque two blocks from ground zero?

Are you suddenly going to become less patriotic because muslims follow the same rules for building a place of worship as the rest of us?


It really makes me want to protest some churches being built. How insensitive to build a church! because some christians did some bad things once! I HAVE A RIGHT TO NOT BE OFFENDED AND THAT TRUMPS YOUR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?

Not only another New Yorker, but a 9/11 survivor... I think the whole thing is blown way out of proportion. Let 'em build. Everyone knows the TRUE terrorists live on the Upper East Side and work on Wall Street.

This is what gets me riled up.  It's a New York City issue that should be decided by New York City.  A certain group of politicians seem to think that New York, and specifically Ground Zero, are nothing more than a rallying cry or banner for their own stupid agenda.  Fuck what New Yorkers think.  They will tell you how you should react to the community center being built.  They will tell everyone how you feel about it.  If New Yorkers say, or want, something that contradicts their message then it's not just about you.  It's about our God-blessed country, goddamnit!  Except that it has nothing to do with our country.  Once you exit the city limits of New York, it's none of your damn business.  It bothers me that they silence New Yorkers because what New Yorkers want in their own city is unimportant compared to what the rest of the country, most of which will never even get near New York, want.  It bothers me that New Yorkers mean absolutely nothing to these people.  Unless, of course, they're killed or almost killed in an attack.  Then they have free reign to rape the thoughts or memories of New Yorkers since, y'know, they can't contradict what the politicians are preaching.

[Apikoros II]

Bloomberg (who I am not the biggest fan of, I should admit) did and said the right things about this situation:

http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/top_stories/122239/bloomberg-repeatedly-defends-mosque-by-wtc-site
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/politics&id=7564369

[Triple Zero]

New Yorker here

Most new yorkers I speak to are baffled that the rest of the country suddenly cares about how NYC downtown is zoned.

Is the red ink on your NEVER FORGET bumper sticker going to fade any faster if there's a mosque two blocks from ground zero?

Are you suddenly going to become less patriotic because muslims follow the same rules for building a place of worship as the rest of us?


It really makes me want to protest some churches being built. How insensitive to build a church! because some christians did some bad things once! I HAVE A RIGHT TO NOT BE OFFENDED AND THAT TRUMPS YOUR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?

Not only another New Yorker, but a 9/11 survivor... I think the whole thing is blown way out of proportion. Let 'em build. Everyone knows the TRUE terrorists live on the Upper East Side and work on Wall Street.

This is what gets me riled up.  It's a New York City issue that should be decided by New York City. 

Absolutely. Even Geert fucking Wilders is coming over there to speak about it, you know? 

[Triple Zero]

New Yorker here

Most new yorkers I speak to are baffled that the rest of the country suddenly cares about how NYC downtown is zoned.

Is the red ink on your NEVER FORGET bumper sticker going to fade any faster if there's a mosque two blocks from ground zero?

Are you suddenly going to become less patriotic because muslims follow the same rules for building a place of worship as the rest of us?


It really makes me want to protest some churches being built. How insensitive to build a church! because some christians did some bad things once! I HAVE A RIGHT TO NOT BE OFFENDED AND THAT TRUMPS YOUR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?

Not only another New Yorker, but a 9/11 survivor... I think the whole thing is blown way out of proportion. Let 'em build. Everyone knows the TRUE terrorists live on the Upper East Side and work on Wall Street.

This is what gets me riled up.  It's a New York City issue that should be decided by New York City. 

Absolutely. Even Geert fucking Wilders is coming over there to speak about it, you know? 

[Ruby]

New Yorker here

Most new yorkers I speak to are baffled that the rest of the country suddenly cares about how NYC downtown is zoned.

Is the red ink on your NEVER FORGET bumper sticker going to fade any faster if there's a mosque two blocks from ground zero?

Are you suddenly going to become less patriotic because muslims follow the same rules for building a place of worship as the rest of us?


It really makes me want to protest some churches being built. How insensitive to build a church! because some christians did some bad things once! I HAVE A RIGHT TO NOT BE OFFENDED AND THAT TRUMPS YOUR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?

^^ This ^^ Reflects my thoughts. I remember quite well back when TWC incident happened how many 'religious' people swore that, well, NYC deserved such a thing and that 'they' had it coming.

[Doktor Howl]

New Yorker here

Most new yorkers I speak to are baffled that the rest of the country suddenly cares about how NYC downtown is zoned.

Is the red ink on your NEVER FORGET bumper sticker going to fade any faster if there's a mosque two blocks from ground zero?

Are you suddenly going to become less patriotic because muslims follow the same rules for building a place of worship as the rest of us?


It really makes me want to protest some churches being built. How insensitive to build a church! because some christians did some bad things once! I HAVE A RIGHT TO NOT BE OFFENDED AND THAT TRUMPS YOUR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?

^^ This ^^ Reflects my thoughts. I remember quite well back when TWC incident happened how many 'religious' people swore that, well, NYC deserved such a thing and that 'they' had it coming.

...Because Gays & feminists were allowed to exist.

I bet you were one of the people thinking or saying that.

[Ruby]

New Yorker here

Most new yorkers I speak to are baffled that the rest of the country suddenly cares about how NYC downtown is zoned.

Is the red ink on your NEVER FORGET bumper sticker going to fade any faster if there's a mosque two blocks from ground zero?

Are you suddenly going to become less patriotic because muslims follow the same rules for building a place of worship as the rest of us?


It really makes me want to protest some churches being built. How insensitive to build a church! because some christians did some bad things once! I HAVE A RIGHT TO NOT BE OFFENDED AND THAT TRUMPS YOUR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?

^^ This ^^ Reflects my thoughts. I remember quite well back when TWC incident happened how many 'religious' people swore that, well, NYC deserved such a thing and that 'they' had it coming.

...Because Gays & feminists were allowed to exist.

I bet you were one of the people thinking or saying that.

No, jackass, I was one of the ones that cried for days because of the devastation.