Where We Live: Mosques and Islam in America

Glass Houses

The only argument worth offering at this point is that Timothy MacVeigh bombed the government building in Oklahoma in the name of Christianity. We call him an extreme born again right wing "crazy." We don't label all Christians "crazies" nor do we try to eradicate Christianity because of his act. Let's give this particular scenario a shot at placing it in the proper perspective and realize that not all Muslims are extremists, nor are all Muslims violent.

Great show. Please air these

Great show. Please air these points, which I believe have not yet been discussed:

1) The so-called ground-zero mosque is not a mosque (or place of worship for Muslims), per se; rather, it's a mult-religious/multi-cultural center to foster understanding, tolearnace and acceptance amongst people;

2) The Muslim leader behind this center has been thoroughly investigated and vetted by the FBI;

3) The official government rationale for going to war in Iraq was to free Iraqis - a cause worthy of spending billions of dollars and sacrificing 10s of 1,000s of lives - both American and Iraqis ... but these anti-qround-zero-mosque protesters seem to forget that Iraqis are Muslim .. whom we want to be free and presumably to be able to practice their religion!

4) This religious-based hate-mongering is responsible for anti-Muslim violence, including the fire-bombing of a mosque in Jacksonville, FL.

5) What would Christian Americans do if the extreme fundamentalists - who happened to be Muslim - were, instead, Christian? Ban Christian churches in the area?

Thanks,
Richard from Southbury

It's truly a sad day for

It's truly a sad day for America when our citizens and politicians find it acceptable, even beneficial, to encourage discrimination against a minority religious group. The rhetoric of these people who are critical of the Cordoba Center project is logically fallacious and their reasoning is intellectually lazy. I cannot find any rational way of interpreting their response other than to see it as bigotry against Moslems, pure and simple. The arguments against the Moslems are the same as those used against the Jews in 1930's in Germany.

Judge Vaughn Walker made a good point in his prop 8 ruling in California: we cannot put the bill of rights up to a popular vote.

Thanks for your show,

Tom

An earlier caller referred to

An earlier caller referred to "the community" -- but the issue of the mosque in the neighborhood of the former WTC has been hijacked by politicians that have no connection to the local community. The local district in NYC that includes that area unanimously approved the Cordoba House project. Mayor Bloomberg has supported it. New Yorkers don't seem to be the ones who are up in arms -- it is outsiders seeking to create political firestorms. The opposition is using the worst kind of demagoguery (sp?) in a very destructive way.

- Mary Lou Phillips

I don't beleive there is such

I don't beleive there is such a thing as "islamaphobia" I think it's more like the fear of being murdered by a jihadi, pretty basic. How do your guests account for the thousands of acts of violence in the world perpetrated in the name of islam (the majority of which are muslims against muslims)? By the way the fact that muslims were killed in the sept 11 attacks is irrelevant. People are not afraid of islam, they are angry there hasn't been a challenge to the violence in islam from within the muslim community. concerning the mosque in Manhattan, the right to build? yes. poor judgment? yes. common sense? no.

- Eric ben-kiki

With regard to the "Ground

With regard to the "Ground Zero Mosque" we should call it what it is, bigotry. Just like barring Catholics from holding office, just like Irish need not apply, just like putting Japanese in camps, just like barring Jews from universities and country clubs, just like barring black children from elementary schools. In American politics you will never go wrong appealing to bigotry.

Larry
Bethany

Funny how people mix "Muslim"

Funny how people mix "Muslim" with "Muslim Extremist."

Muslim "Extremists" created 9/11, just like Christian "Extremists" created Waco, Texas's "shoot out" which killed many people in 1993.

Remember David Koresh? He was a Christian "Extremist" that had arms & artillery which could hold out the federal government's army in Alamo-like ways. After that 1993 Waco, TX incident.. you didn't hear people cry.. "Stop all churches! Stop all Christians! Catholics, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Born-Agains, Jehovah's Witnesses! Stop building churches!"

& why didn't we hear that? Because real churches are for Christians... not Christian Extremists. Just the same for Mosques are for Muslims--not Muslim Extremists.

These days(I'm not talking about 1 A.D. to 1400 A.D) Extremists have prayer in backyards, closets, gyms & caves. Normal religious people have prayer at a churches, mosques, synagogues or temples."

-Tony Macatol

I'm a Christian, and I

I'm a Christian, and I believe that dialogue and acceptance between Christians, Muslims and other religions is the best way forward toward a world of peace. This includes welcoming a place of worship near ground zero. A spirit of generosity and openness is the hallmark of a peace-minded people, which we, as Americans (and especially those who are Christians) should strive to be.

- Jon, New Haven

The idea that Imam Rauf and

The idea that Imam Rauf and his wife are extremists is ridiculous. The Imam and his wife have worked for interfaith understanding and cooperation for many years. They serve as advisors and educators at The New Seminary, located in Manhattan. The New Seminary educates and ordains interfaith ministers who strive to minister to persons of all faith traditions. This is a political distraction away from the real issues facing America and attempting to foment more fear which then allows for more control.

- Rev'd Ann Cady, The New Seminary Class of 2000.
Norwich, CT

Unless the first amendment

Unless the first amendment has some sort of footnote that it does not apply within 2 blocks of Ground Zero I can't see why Muslilms would not be able to build their Islamic Center and mosque. We either have freedom of religion or we don't. You can't carve out caveats to basic human rights

-Dan Ferreira

Your opening already sounds

Your opening already sounds slanted with the word 'only' two blocks...... The KKK murdered folks where I grew up under the guise of christianity and I dont think anyone protested churches being built. I find this level of hate and protest about this building-- seemingly sanctioned by some govt officials and other citizen groups horrifying. I look forward to your show

- Barbara in Long Island