Comments | level_head: Retired Royal Saudi Navy Officer: No Mosque at Ground Zero

level_head

Retired Royal Saudi Navy Officer: No Mosque at Ground Zero

Oct 18, 2010 04:37

I imagine that he will be called an "Islamophobe" -- though the only real fear of Islam seems to be exhibited by the newspapers afraid to run a cartoon that even mentions Muhammad.

As an aside, the Royal Saudi Arabian Navy was once a client of mine. This retired officer said:
"This is why I think that we Muslims have to carefully consider the ( Read more... )

islam, jihad

Comments 8

shockwave77598 October 18 2010, 13:33:40 UTC

Smartest thing I've heard anyone say on the issue. Sure, freedom of religion is one of the pillars of our country. But that respect of other cultures thing? That cuts both ways. You have to be respectful of other cultures just like you expect respect of your own. There are plenty of places to build the "cultural awareness center" that won't piss off everyone in the US.

level_head October 18 2010, 17:14:19 UTC

This is one of the two points that almost everyone is making about the issue.

The other is that jihadists around the world are watching this contest, and will feel that they've lost if it is not built, and that they will have won a victory if it is.

Even Imam Rauf agrees with this point, and advises us to build the thing to keep our enemies from getting mad.

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melvin_udall October 18 2010, 14:45:48 UTC

This issue has become quite the handy clueless jackass detector.

I imagine that he will be called an "Islamophobe"
Self-hating. Uncle Tom. He's kowtowing to the oppressor due to the brainwashing of the colonialist powers.

richardf8 October 18 2010, 22:03:35 UTC

level_head October 18 2010, 22:57:29 UTC

As a Jew, I find myself a little disconcerted by the idea that the majority culture can induce in a minority group the feeling that doing something that it is well within its legal rights to do should be avoided for the sake of political expediency. A freedom is not a freedom when extralegal cultural coercion undermines its exercise.

I agree completely.

I will also note that those of my co-religionists who oppose this project strike me as short sighted fools. If risk of the majority culture's ire comes to control the free exercise of a minority's rights, then the constitution will have ceased to have any bearing at all.

I think you are alluding to "J Street' and the like. To me, these are not fools -- they are actively in the bad-guy camp, with a long-term view hostile to Israel and the United States. They are, in effect, your enemy. And mine.

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richardf8 October 19 2010, 22:32:25 UTC

I think you are alluding to "J Street' and the like.

No. I am alluding to right wing Jews who oppose the construction of the Islamic Center. I don't care about Imam Rauf one way or another; I do care that the same ordinance under which Imam Rauf is free to build the center on the land there is the ordinance under which Jews find the freedom to establish eruvs for their communities. Do we REALLY want to set a precedent of "well of course you're within your RIGHTS, but do you really think it's a good IDEA?"

J street is a whole 'nother can of worms, schooled in ignorance and universalism. Should they get their way, and see the fruits of their desires, they will cry out "that's not what I meant at all!" I'd rather not see them get their comeuppance, because it would simply require that too much Jewish blood be shed.

level_head October 19 2010, 22:49:07 UTC

Do we REALLY want to set a precedent of "well of course you're within your RIGHTS, but do you really think it's a good IDEA?"This is not a new precedent. It is the sort of consideration given to every building, of every purpose, constructed within a municipal jurisdiction. It is what has faced so many different attempts to do something constructive on the World Trade Center site itself, resulting in most of a decade's delay ( ... )

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