this mosque thing is blowin up for Barry

[spence]

Originally Posted by detbuch

Even though this thread is dead, and as a little change of pace from the post election chat, I couldn't resist posting this related quote. It is by Tarek Fatah, one of the "moderate" Muslims to whom Spence wants us to raise our ears. In speaking about the Ground Zero Mosque, he said "We Muslims know the . . . Mosque is meant to be a deliberate provocation, to thumb our noses at the infidel. The proposal has been made in bad faith, . . . as "fitna," meaning "mischief making" that is clearly forbidden in the Koran . . . as Muslims we are dismayed that our co-religionists have such little considerations for their fellows citizens, and wish to rub salt in there wounds and pretend they are applying a balm to sooth the pain."

Sorry, I admit I'm delinquent in responding to all posts.

Few quick comments.

The quote appears to be from a piece from this summer before the funding was disclosed in more detail, or the use of the space was detailed. Perhaps this would have unclouded some mystery?

My personal read on the owner of the property is that he's a real estate guy out to make some money rather than an ideologue.

The wife of the Imam collaborated with the Jewish Community Center in New York in modeling the function of the space.

So, it doesn't seem like the thing stinks. I've yet to see any evidence that really indicates it does...just speculation.

-spence

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by spence

Sorry, I admit I'm delinquent in responding to all posts.

Few quick comments.

The quote appears to be from a piece from this summer before the funding was disclosed in more detail, or the use of the space was detailed. Perhaps this would have unclouded some mystery?

My personal read on the owner of the property is that he's a real estate guy out to make some money rather than an ideologue.

The wife of the Imam collaborated with the Jewish Community Center in New York in modeling the function of the space.

So, it doesn't seem like the thing stinks. I've yet to see any evidence that really indicates it does...just speculation.

-spence

The Tarek Fatah quote is from an August 7 article. Has some further clarification on the mosque funding happened since then? Not sure how that would affect Fatah's opinion. Anyway, it's not just "right wingers" with "political agendas" that objected to the mosque's location. BTW, you inspired me to search for moderate Islam. It's been very interesting so far. Hasn't significantly changed my opinion, but there seems to be a ray of hope. I don't view events and policies that have occured to be mistakes (e.g.--9/11 extremism, Iraq and Afghanistan invasions), rather I see them as potential outcomes necessary to the evolution of Eastern and Western interface. Muslim Fundamentalists understandably resist secularization. They rightly see moderation and secularization, practically, as a shift toward irrelevance and extinction. They view the moderates such as Fatah, Dr. Muqtedar Khan, and others who are attractive to the West as being in error and dangerous to Islam. Though most Muslims are "peaceful," the majority are under the influence of fundamentalist scholars who preach against innovation and secularization. At this point in time, the "Ummah" loves the terrorists more than the secular, democratic, West. Interestingly, Dr Khan, who loves Islam AND loves western freedom and pluralism, says that "Muslims are good or can be good when they are minorities. As soon as Muslims get a state of their own everything goes wrong."