The "WTC Mosque" hysteria, in a nutshell

[Thurnez Isa]

http://therevealer.org/archives/4733

Some say that the notion of a "mosque" near the hallowed site of Ground Zero is insensitive. That position might seem consistent but for three things: the proposed Muslim community center is out of sight from Ground Zero, other houses of worship have not been barred from the area, and little (negative) attention has been paid to the strip clubs in the neighborhood. When strip clubs are prioritized over a place for people to talk, socialize, and pray, it seems clear that fear is at play. Better a known vice, the fear-mongers imply, than a less understood religion.

Protests against Park51 have metastasized into a national movement against the establishment of mosques. Fighting the construction of mosques has lead to even more outrageous threats – and plans by one extremist church in Florida to burn copies of the Quran on the ninth anniversary of 9/11. Even some local and national politicians have joined in the chorus of fright. Long-term solutions to terrorism are far more complicated than short-term political gain; it is easier to unite constituents against a phantasm than for a purpose. Fear of the unknown has spiraled out of control, targeting Sharia, places of worship, and now even Scripture. The fear is feeding on itself, and starting to consume the essence of religion in America: freedom. The Founding Fathers knew that when one house of worship is endangered, none of them are safe; when a Torah is burned, a Bible may be next; when one kind of religious law is defamed, theologies of all kinds may become subjected to hate. It would seem that in the name of preserving American values – supposedly against terrorism – we have come to actually compromise those same values.

...In fact, the only true beneficiaries of Islamophobia are the terrorist organizations that want to show that America is not actually free, that Muslims will never be welcome here. Terrorism is both a cause and a product of fear; Islamophobes amplify the voices of extremists and create polarities that need never exist.

[AFK]

I did some research the other day and discovered that my two Senators, the ones the GOP likes to call RINOs, have totally caved on this mosque deal.  Snowe is pretty much in lockstep with her "Mavericky" buddy McCain.  "It's insensitive to the vicitms", she says.  Meanwhile, Collins just won't answer the question, which I suppose is marginally better than being against it, but jeebus, take a stand woman!

Never voting for these two clowns again.  

[Doktor Howl]

Dear America,

The 9th anniversary of Pearl Harbor was 1950.  We had already moved on to Korea by then.

And that girl, the one who stood you up at the homecoming dance?  That was 30 years ago.  

GET OVER IT.

[Doktor Howl]

Snowe is pretty much in lockstep with her "Mavericky" buddy McCain.

Aw, shit.   

 "It's insensitive to the vicitms",

Sensitivity trumps rights.

[LMNO]

"It's insensitive to the vicitms".

Especially the Muslim ones.

[Cramulus]

Never voting for these two clowns again. 

seriously. I'm going to use politicians reactions to this debacle as a voting guide in November.

[Doktor Howl]

Never voting for these two clowns again. 

seriously. I'm going to use politicians reactions to this debacle as a voting guide in November.

So am I.

Just not sure which WAY.  Responsible vs Burn it all down.   

[Suu]

Yeah, Islam cant be a religion, because it aims to rule the world.

Which makes it totally unlike, say, Catholicism:

Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff

Then again, if anyone actually took the time to learn about Islam, they'd find out it wasn't that far off from Catholicism or Christianity as a whole. Or how much they (Muslims) admire the teachings of Jesus as a prophet and even devote a fair chunk of the Quran to him.

...But we can't expect people to ever read anything, unless it's published in a Glenn Beck book, can we?

My Southern Baptist uncle once sent my parents black and white copies of pages within the Quran, and highlighted parts where it said to "kill the infidels". I fired back my own copies of the Bible, highlighting similar phrases, the original decree given by Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont, and other documentation.

He refuses to speak to me ever again.

[Adios]

Yeah, Islam cant be a religion, because it aims to rule the world.

Which makes it totally unlike, say, Catholicism:

Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff

Then again, if anyone actually took the time to learn about Islam, they'd find out it wasn't that far off from Catholicism or Christianity as a whole. Or how much they (Muslims) admire the teachings of Jesus as a prophet and even devote a fair chunk of the Quran to him.

...But we can't expect people to ever read anything, unless it's published in a Glenn Beck book, can we?

My Southern Baptist uncle once sent my parents black and white copies of pages within the Quran, and highlighted parts where it said to "kill the infidels". I fired back my own copies of the Bible, highlighting similar phrases, the original decree given by Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont, and other documentation.

He refuses to speak to me ever again.

This is the problem. No one will take the time to actually research and reach their own independent opinions, they just jump on the closest shiny boat and there it is.

Your Uncle needs to read the NEW testament, you know, the one about love, tolerance, understanding, not judging...

[Requia ☣]

The ADL has apparently decided that community centers are Bad as well.  I will have to go let the local Jewish community centers know they shouldn't have done such nasty things.   

Also, I'm hearing this is being built by the Sufis, which just makes the reaction even more insane.

[Cramulus]

sufis?? 

I am more scared of accidentally flushing myself down the toilet than I am of sufis.

[Doktor Howl]

sufis?? 

I am more scared of accidentally flushing myself down the toilet than I am of sufis.

Never read Howard the Duck, have you?  Before your time, I think.  Those Sufis are badasses.

[Suu]

Yeah, Islam cant be a religion, because it aims to rule the world.

Which makes it totally unlike, say, Catholicism:

Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff

Then again, if anyone actually took the time to learn about Islam, they'd find out it wasn't that far off from Catholicism or Christianity as a whole. Or how much they (Muslims) admire the teachings of Jesus as a prophet and even devote a fair chunk of the Quran to him.

...But we can't expect people to ever read anything, unless it's published in a Glenn Beck book, can we?

My Southern Baptist uncle once sent my parents black and white copies of pages within the Quran, and highlighted parts where it said to "kill the infidels". I fired back my own copies of the Bible, highlighting similar phrases, the original decree given by Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont, and other documentation.

He refuses to speak to me ever again.

This is the problem. No one will take the time to actually research and reach their own independent opinions, they just jump on the closest shiny boat and there it is.

Your Uncle needs to read the NEW testament, you know, the one about love, tolerance, understanding, not judging...

Note: Southern Baptist.

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

Even Grover "I don't want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub" Norquist thinks this is a frivolous losing political tactic:

Back in 1998, congressional Republicans were also "distracted by shiny things," Norquist says, when the Lewinsky scandal began. "They nationalized the election around an irrelevancy," he said. Republicans lost five House seats that year, despite widespread predictions that they would expand their majority. Furthermore, Norquist argues that by promoting such tangential issue as the mosque, Republicans have given vulnerable Democrats, like Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a lifeline, allowing him to distance himself from President Obama and the rest of the Democratic Party.

http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/08/18/grover-norquist-says-mosque-controversy-is-bad-for-republicans/?xid=rss-topstories

[Cardinal Pizza Deliverance.]

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-august-16-2010/mosque-erade


Here's an interesting clip about this mess from The Daily Show. I think it's really damn sad Jon Stewart tends to be a more reliable source of news on topics like this than pretty much everyone else.