Anti Mosque Rally shows the true racist colors of these idiots

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This is absolutely crazy. Obviously everyone holds those people and their supporters accountable for the actions. Yet, you're gonna crucify an entire belief system based on the actions of a minority of people? Bull****. I was born in New York and my parents still have abundant friends and family there. We still keep strong ties with that city. It's absolute bull**** when you say that you don't want "houses of worship" built in that same area. People over there are still hurt and do feel anger. It's understandable. They deserve to. I doubt YOU lost anyone that day. My friends and relatives did. However, not everyone is as close minded as you are. They understand moving forth isn't about holding grudges against an entire group of people. There's more to life than that....

Let's talk about Muslims changing their perception for a second here. What do YOU actually know about that? Let's take Houston as an example. At the University of Houston, I have seen multiple Muslim based student organizations doing plenty of work in the community. I've seen them host events such as blood drives, campus clean up initiatives, and seminars to educate on the true values of Islam. I've also seen numerous PSA's released through community organizations by Muslim students/leaders in this city that try and uphold the name of the religion and condemn the horrific things it is being used for.

I have friends who go to Mosques that are involved in multiple community service projects such as "Adopt a Highway" and "Humanity First."

Local Mosques have hosted open houses so that people can come discover what the religion is all about for themselves. A few Mosques even hold religious fairs that invite multiple religious groups to come take part in a community discussion that promotes tolerance and understanding. I went to one not too long ago where there were officials from many different religions, including: Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc... In fact, I believe a few City Officials made appearances as well.

All the aforementioned events have been occurring for years now. How many have YOU been to? Just because you're not knowledgeable of the fact that there is a dedicated effort to change the perception of that faith does not mean it is nonexistent. To me, these do a very good job showing that Muslims are productive, peaceful members of society who care about the community just as much as you and I.

So please, next time you decide to make ignorant statements, try and do some research first.

 

Here is an interesting video that some might enjoy, Raza Aslan on Islamophobia in America and one from cnn:

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I'd like to hear ATW's take on what Aslan says about Islam in Europe.

 

I've been in places where I didn't have a good opportunity to listen to it. I'll comment later.

As a sidenote, I read some interesting statistics on the plane today. There are more muslims in Germany than in the US, and more mosques as well. According to the Pew Report, there are about 4 million muslims in Germany (out of a total population of 80 million), compared to about 2.5 million muslims in the USA (out of a total population of over 250 million).

 

So now I am mad at GOD and I blame all of my problems on the Muslims of America, is that what you are saying? I am so consumed and confused with hate for myself and I believe my right wing thoughts so deeply, that I believe all Jews and all Muslims, and all Mexican Drug Lords, and all Columbian Drug Lords, and every other piece of s**t country which includes all countries Europe, former Soveit Union, and Middle East, are less than us. Dag namit, I have been caught again. Not only do I absolutely despise Che, Fidel Castro, and every other stupid abusive Marixist ahole who's fooled a bunch of these naturally socialist Mobs in South America, I want to see them DEAD and disposed of.........

 

No, I'm sorry for using an analogy because you don't understand it that it was an analogy.

The word "like" in my post means that I'm not saying you are mad at God, just that your anger directed at the wrong places is the same as if a child was mad at god for making the weather bad.

It was probably a poor analogy, but I hoped that you would at least be able to tell that it was an analogy.

Your rants about a what a mosque signifies, and talking as if being Muslim is different from being American when good patriotic citizens are often both Muslim and American shows that you have little understanding about what is making you so upset.

 

I haven't kept up with this discussion, and I'm not going to read all the way through it. I'm just curious, is the subject in the video below being discussed here or in other threads here: (It is from Fox, so I imagine it will be summarily dismissed, but I'm still curious if it is being discussed here)

http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/21778760

 

Its really not about racism...its about morality and respect.

This is a victory mosque no two ways about it. Heck one of the financial backers was found to be a contributor to terrorism back in the late 1990s.

So by your idiot logic then if the Israelis decided they would blow up the mosque on the temple mount and build a new "religious center" to worship Yahweh you would be ok with that?

 

i don't understand what a victory mosque is? are you saying the people behind building this center are celebrating what happened at ground zero? are you saying the terrorists win because a mosque is built there even though it could have been built there without much of this before 2001? explain please what a victory mosque is.

from my understanding, the group has little money in the bank and that will probably be a substantial obstacle in creating this. so can you please tell us who this financial backer will be? unnamed anonymous accusations are not helpful.

i think there are several distinctions. first, the people behind this project are not in anyway related to those who destroyed the WTC. one group is radical extremists who hate america and do so by terror. the other group is nice people who've been here for a long time and work with the gov't to help us abroad. whereas in your analogy, its the israeli gov't, presumably, that is the main actor in both destroying and then re-building.

secondly, its not at ground zero. there is already a planned building that should be there within a few years (maybe, hopefully).

your logic is holding the israeli gov't to the standards of al-qaida.

 

If it were already built this would be a mute point....but its not built so it is a valid point.

You can do your own research but here are just a few examples to wet your palette...

In 638, Caliph Umar conquered Jerusalem. In 691, Caliph Al-Malik ordered the _Dome of the Rock_ built on the most prominent spot in Judaism, the Temple Mount, followed by Caliph Al-Walid building the Al-Aqsa Mosque there in 705.

In 706, after Muslims took Damascus from the Byzantine Empire, Caliph Al-Walid turned the prominent Orthodox Church of St. John the Baptist into the Umayyad Mosque.

In 1193, Muslims conquered Delhi, India, and Qutbuddin Aibak turned the Red Citadel in Dhillika, the most prominent spot of the last Hindu rulers, into the Qutb Minar Mosque.

On May 29, 1453, Sultan Mehmet II conquered Constantinople and turned the great Byzantine church, Hagia Sophia, into the Ayasofya Mosque. The _largest_ church in Christendom for a thousand years, the church’s four acres of gold mosaics was covered with whitewash and Quran verses.

There are countless others up into the late twentieth century but the point is that its still quite wrong, immoral and down right disrespectful to build the mosque there. And thier out right refusal to discuss moving it to another location says it all.

Nobody seems to mind when they are burning the USA flag and screaming death to America, death to the west, or cutting ears off of cartoonists, or pick your other favorite barely reported incident....

 

again, i don't understand. in all those cases, the people who presumably captured the land built places there. regardless of whether that was ok/acceptable or not, how is it similar to this?

al-qaida didn't capture new york city and attempt to build a mosque. its the residents of new york who want to build a center there that would cater to their religious and community needs. how is it the same?

i don't think the people behind this project have burned flags, screamed death to america/west, cut off ears or any other sort of this stuff. in fact the imam who is heading this seems to be going 'there' on behalf of us and doing good PR.

 

How far away is far enough? If 2 blocks is too close, how far away would be acceptable to you?

 

Interesting parallel. I was just in Istanbul a little while ago in that mosque/former church, and the guy actually rode into the church on a horse and they plundered the church, destroyed most of the art in there, desecrated the altar, etc.

 

There is a difference. The proposed cultural center is not going up at Ground Zero. The people who attacked on 9/11 aren't the ones putting up the cultural center.

 

exactly, infact the people who who attacked in 9/11 would be opposed to this mosque and the idea that muslims are integrated and have apart in the american community, that we are muslim and we are in america, and both are big parts of our lives, they have an exclusivist view that can not coexist. So this offends the terrorist more so than anoyone because this was they were fighting against this what they say can not happen under their view.

Remember muslims died as firefighters and workers in 9/11 most importnatly they were americans just like millions of muslims who were born raised and even moved here and consider this to be home and consider the terrorist to be enemies as maericans adn as much enemies as muslims as they deface our beliefs, this mosque says screw you to them, that we are not with you, we are apart of america and we have a place here and this mosque is the idea taht we can goto 9/11 and just like someone can pay respects and goto church near by and pray for their souls, we can pray for their souls and pay respects too. Its everything the radicals are against. Imam rauf , read his speech in the daniel pearl memorial, even the govt sponsors him to talk about islam.

 

The very fact that you would judge this to be a victory mosque without much looking into the facts reveals your inherent bias and directly contradicts your prior statement saying this isn't about racism.

The second fact is that you group all Muslims together and that if a member of one group commits a crime it's done by all. In this case you say "Israelis" which shows you tend to stereotype.

Thirdly, you use a unsubstantiated fact to denigrate the mosque and support your point. No credible source for that.

My friend, if you talk like a racist and walk like one, you probably are one. Think about it. Racism isn't just this overt thing. In fact, most of the world has racist tendencies. It doesn't make you a villian or even a bad person, just means you are lying to yourself.

 

You know, I'm completely for the cultural center being built, but the Iman's interview on CNN just made the situation worse. Now, he's implying that if it is not built on that spot, there will be retaliation from Muslims and that it's a matter of national security. I think he brought harm in this situation- the last thing you want to do is imply to the American people that you're holding them hostage. Geez, STAY OUT OF THE MEDIA!!

 

This is such crap. First the Jews want to be called a race, and now the Muslims want to be called a race. Where does it end? Mormons? Hindus?

 

As usual, both extremes are wrong. While I think the community center/mosque should be allowed, because it's within the law, don't look me in the face and say it's completely innocent. It might be innocent to moderate Muslims, but radical Muslims will see it as a sign of America's weakness, and be emboldened by it. Let's not deny this, or pretend it won't happen.

PS, religious fundamentalist suck!

 

first you agree that it's within the law, but you say the US will be seen as weak because it upheld the law?