Difference between revisions of "Ground Zero Mosque"
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==Reaction of 9/11 Families== | ==Reaction of 9/11 Families== | ||
| − | Several organizations that represent families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks have criticized the plan as "insensitive and uncaring" to those families, and that the construction of a mosque so close to the site of the worst terrorist attack in American history is "deliberately provocative act that will precipitate more bloodshed in the name of Allah." | + | Several organizations that represent families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks have criticized the plan as "insensitive and uncaring" to those families, and that the construction of a mosque so close to the site of the worst terrorist attack in American history is "deliberately provocative act that will precipitate more bloodshed in the name of [[Allah]]." |
==Public Criticism== | ==Public Criticism== | ||
Revision as of 16:46, August 18, 2010
The Ground Zero Mosque (officially Park51 and formerly the Cordoba House) is a proposed Muslim mosque under construction two blocks away from the former World Trade Center, which Muslims destroyed on 9/11, killing almost 3000 people. [1]. The plans are a collaboration between the Cordoba Initiative and the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), a Muslim organization created in the aftermath of 9/11 to promote "integration and tolerance based on Islamic values of compassion."[2]The vast majority of Americans oppose the plan as "insensitive" to the families of the 9/11 victims. [2]
Reaction of 9/11 Families
Several organizations that represent families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks have criticized the plan as "insensitive and uncaring" to those families, and that the construction of a mosque so close to the site of the worst terrorist attack in American history is "deliberately provocative act that will precipitate more bloodshed in the name of Allah."
Public Criticism
Sarah Palin stated that "to build a mosque at Ground Zero is a stab in the heart of the families of the innocent victims of those horrific attacks."[3][4] Former Senator Newt Gingrich compared the mosque's construction to placing a swastika next to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.[3] Bill Keller, a born-again Christian and preacher, has stated that because the mosque is a "a spit in the face of the people of New York," he plans to build a $1 million Christian center near the World Trade Center as well.[2]
Obama's Support
Despite overwhelming public opposition to the mosque's construction, President Obama, at a White House dinner held to mark the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, stated that Muslims have "the right to build a place of worship and a community center" near the site of the attacks. Through his comments, Obama, purposefully or not, aligned himself with Islamic terrorist associations like Hamas, which continually argue that Muslims "have to build everywhere" [1] in an attempt to draw more converts.
Faced with an intense popular backlash, Obama backtracked from his comments the next day and stated that "I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there." [1] The White House, however, steadfastly maintains that he was not backing away from his comments, but rather clarifying them.
Analysis
Many critics of the mosque's planned construction worry that the placement of a mosque so close to the site of an Islamic terrorist attack is tantamount to allowing a declaration of victory by al-Qaeda, Hamas, and other terrorist organizations that supported the 9/11 attacks. This became more and more evident when the city of New York offered the Islamic group the option to build elsewhere in the city, at reduced cost, which the group quickly refused.[5]