From Arab Detroit, Claims that New York Mosque Sheds Light on Post 9-11 Islamophobia

From Arab Detroit, Claims that New York Mosque Sheds Light on Post 9-11 Islamophobia

July 22, 2010, 4:46 am
Filed under: Islam and mosques, mosque at ground zero, Uncategorized

Cries of Islamophobia from Arab Detroit News and the usual characters  posing as ‘moderates”. And  we all know how well the Muslims in Dearborn (Michigan!) are getting along with their local Christian Community.

What follows is their article with our NMAGZ reactions  in RED.

New York Mosque Initiative Sheds Light on Post 9-11 Islamophobia

A highly contentious plan to build a 13-story mosque in New York City has garnered its fare share of attention in recent days. Politicians, political pundits, and community members are ardently vocalizing their opinion about whether the mosque should be allowed to exist just a few blocks away from ground zero.

Organizers and supporting local Islamic institutions say the mosque, coined the Cordoba House, would aim to achieve a tipping point between Muslim-West relations and would work to promote a peaceful image of Muslim Americans around the county who stand in solidarity against the attacks of 9-11.

However, those opposing the mosque claim that granting its construction so close to the World Trade Center site would be insensitive to 9-11 families who may still have open wounds in the aftermath of the day’s tragedies. (who MAY still have open-wounds??)

(SNIP) in the last week,… anti-mosque rhetoric took a turn for the worst. In a provocative ad … the narrator calls upon viewers to “join the fight to kill the Ground Zero Mosque.” While both NBC and CBS have refused to run the ad, the clip has been well circulated online, (those) who support the video, simply say they represent the voice of people who refuse to cater to the politically correct. (SNIP)

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Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) spokesman, Ibrahim Hooper, … worries about a resurgence of underlying racism and anti-Muslim backlash taking root not only in New York but nationwide. (CAIR worries about racism? (SNIP)) “What we’re seeing is that some people are trying to exploit and promote Islamophobia in our country by opposing these ordinary expansions of mosques…And they’ve actually put out step by step guides on how to oppose a mosque when it comes to your area, so it’s very disturbing,” Hooper told CNN last week.

NMAGZ: From Ibrahim Hooper, in an interview with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in 1993: “I wouldn’t want to create the impression that I wouldn’t like the government of the United States to be Islamic sometime in the future … But I’m not going to do anything violent to promote that. I’m going to do it through education.”

John Esposito, professor of Religion and International Affairs and director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, calls such anti-Muslim speech intolerable. (interesting cast-of characters) In his CNN editorial, he denounces all “islam bashing charges,” in particular the accusation that the mosque— a 100 million dollar project— is being funded exclusively by foreign terrorist interests.  “The call by some New York politicians for a delay in the construction of the Cordoba Center to examine its funding is simply grandstanding that reinforces the notion that somehow all Muslims, mosques and Islamic centers are guilty until proved innocent,” said Esposito.

NMAGZ: From John Esposito  (when discussing his bridge-building Center of tolerance) “The Center, since its creation in 1993, has built bridges of understanding between the Muslim world and the West, addressing stereotypes of Islam and Muslims and issues and questions such as the clash of civilizations, and the compatibility of Islam and modern life – from democratization and pluralism to the status of women, minorities and human rights – and American foreign policy in the Muslim world.”

Imad Hamad, Michigan Regional Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), says it is this extreme, odious discourse that reminds him of how deep seated islamophobia really is. “This kind of misinformed discussion attests to the fact that despite the long years of pain and suffering that we endured post 9-11, (now that statement is offensive, self-serving and insensitive) (SNIP)

NMAGZ: Imad Hamad … another bridge-builder to paradise….

President of the Michigan Palestine Office, Hasan Newash, is also frustrated that such anti-Muslim sentiments exist today, almost ten years after 9-11. ( bet he has no problem with relentless anti-Semitism or the murderous cries  of “From The River To the Sea) He questions why Muslims must fight to build a mosque near ground zero when Christians who sought to build a church near the Oklahoma city bombing site never met resistance. (CHRISTIANS did not blow up that building in the name of Jesus Christ) “The fact that this question is even raised–whether building the mosque is offensive or insensitive–is completely disturbing,” said Newash. (If anyone believes what these people have written here…now THAT is disturbing)

NMAGZ: And the organization of which Hassan Newash is President, is even  MORE disturbing. Check it out .

(In conclusion) Hasan says, “Muslims are not evil by definition. (but…Hasan, what about Islam? huh?)

SNIP

Ameera David
Arab Detroit

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