Opposition to 'Ground Zero Mosque' Is a Victory for Al Qaeda

Reader Comments
Back to blog

Apparently the American media is now supporting Al Qaeda. What a surprise.
Why take into account the feelings of Americans when you can fan the flames of hatred for the anti American terrorists?
These apologists insist we practice tolerance to a group of people determined to kill anyone who does not conform to their ideals. That makes perfect sense to these ignorant intellectuals who live in ivory towers, never get their hands dirty, and know how everyone else should live.
For the rest of us in the real world, the idea of having a terrorist meeting house, run by an anti American Imam, is a bit less appealing.
Of course there may be a simpler, more coarse reason for the media's stance on this issue: controversy sells papers and gains viewers, which equates to $$. Even though the left proffesses their hatred of capitalism, aren't all media outlets owned by capitalists?

Paul of ME 8:18AM August 20, 2010

Islam, the religon that sprang from fornication and disbelief in God's word . Abraham had brought back Hager back from Egypt, as a servant for Sarah his wife. God had promised Abraham a son, with his wife Sarah, but since she was old, Abraham did not beleive God . So, Abraham, and Hagar fornicated a little son who they named Ishmael. Muhammad, the founder of Islam, is supposedly a direct desendant of Abraham's bastard son, Ishmael .
Later, as God promised, Sarah had a baby of her own and they named him Isaac. The family should have been complete and happy but Ishmael was a wild, thoughtless boy. He was rather jealous of the new baby and was always laughing at him and treating him a little roughly. One day Sarah saw this and was very angry. She went straight to Abraham and demanded that he send both of them away. Abraham listened with a sad heart for he loved his son Ishmael. But he saw that the boy would never be kind to Isaac and that Sarah would always be upset.

MoHam of PA 5:58PM August 19, 2010

I would suggest that Mr. Farrel and his counterparts in the media are the ones who are ignorant and even laziness and negligence apply. The hubris of these people who think that they do not need to study Islam and the beliefs of their enemies do not matter. The only thing important is the principle of tolerance and Western thought with regards to the equally ambiguous and meaningless "war on terror." Terror is only a tactic and completely irrelevant in terms of what motivates terrorists. The jihad will be reinvigorated and America will invite more terrorist attacks on itself if a mosque is built on the site of the 911 attacks. The jihadists are motivated by the military campaign and beliefs of Mohammed. It does not matter how a mosque is erected on the site of a battle between jihadists and non-believers. The fact is the mosque will be built, and the jihadists will be able to claim they defeated America and get new recruits for further attacks against the West and the non-muslim world.
Its time for the Western establishment to begin to understand the enemy, learning their beliefs by reading the Qur'an, and stop pretending that their Western belief system has any merit outside of America and Europe.

Brahmos 7:24PM August 15, 2010

Morgan,
You wrote: "Everything Osama Bin Laden does is justified by the Islamic scriptures (the Quran, the Haddith, and the Sunna)."
The brutal, sometimes baffling and senseless acts of the Crusades were supported by the Christian religion. Much of Sharia law aligns with the Old Testament. Luckily, it's possible for Abrahamic religions to shed some of their more brutal origins, and this same thing has occured in more than a small number of Muslims. Furthermore, I think you'll find driving moderate Muslims underground will only give them a siege mentality and make them even more insular.

Glen of NY 5:36PM August 14, 2010

"It's a reactionary resentment to decades of failed American foreign policy involving support of cruel and ineffective regimes in the Middle East while capitalizing on oil gains and unleashing violent bombing campaigns with little to no effective rebuilding effort. This created an environment in which far-right Wahabi Islam could recruit from an angry populace."
Jim of OK, that politically-correct rationalization may make you feel better, but it's simply a lie. I suggest you read the Islamic holy scriptures to open your eyes. Everything Al Qaeda is is justified by them! Osama Bin Laden genuinely believes he is doing God's will, and Muslims throughout the world love him for it. (Yes, it may be hard for you to believe, but Bin Laden is enormously popular throughout the Muslim world and in any Muslim country, you'll find street stands selling shirts and other items with his image on them.)
Islam has always made war on the non-Muslim world. This didn't just begin in the 20th century. Read your history. From the very beginning it has been their goal to conquer and subjugate. Muslims hate us because we've committed the "crime" of being both non-Muslim and we've refused to accept their authority. The Quran, the Haddith and the Sunna all tell them that it is their right to make war upon the rest of the world until we submit to their authority. They do not want peace with us. Period. Their holy scriptures tell them it's a sin to do so.

Morgan of IL 6:54PM August 13, 2010

"The United States is not at war with Islam. It is at war with a small, deadly and extreme faction of Islamic crackpots."
The longer we repeat this lie to ourselves, the longer and more difficult the struggle is. Everything Osama Bin Laden does is justified by the Islamic scriptures (the Quran, the Haddith, and the Sunna).
Islam itself - in its present form - is the problem. The only real difference between a "radical" Muslim and a "moderate" Muslim is that the latter isn't willing to actually die; he just quietly applauds what the radicals are doing. What we should be doing is challenging Muslims to reform their faith, and stop accepting its many medieval, intolerant aspects. Muslims don't understand forgiveness. They see it as weakness. The one and only think they respect is power.

Morgan of IL 6:43PM August 13, 2010

To William
"This is a hatred born of ignorance and poverty and intolerance on a scale hard for 'civilized' Westerners to grasp. And most dangerously, this hatred is wrapped in the veil of absolute religious 'truth'. We may not be at war with Islam; but we are at war with the ignorance (and intolerance) that has crystalized within and around Islam. If you think a 'Grand Gesture' like the Grand Mosque will somehow diminish this hatred, or reduce the Islamic Fundamentalists intent to bring the West back to the Dark Ages; you are wrong."
You seem quite ignorant yourself. This isn't a hatred that spontaneously arouse and crystalized around Islam. It's a reactionary resentment to decades of failed American foreign policy involving support of cruel and ineffective regimes in the Middle East while capitalizing on oil gains and unleashing violent bombing campaigns with little to no effective rebuilding effort. This created an environment in which far-right Wahabi Islam could recruit from an angry populace.
Muslims are a very diverse people with no central church and or authority. To state that this hatred of the West is near exclusive to Islam as a whole and then use that faulty information to justify denying law-abiding Muslim Americans basic religious freedoms is idiotic at best, and malicious at worse.
If you want to combat fanatical Islam, then allow liberal Muslims to flourish. Don't harass them because you're too stupid to tell friend and foe apart, and then turn around and call yourself "civilized"

Jim of OK 6:04PM August 08, 2010

Mr. Farrell:
You are correct in only the smallest of details; yes, the West is not at war with Islam. However, an ever larger segment of Islam has declared war on the West. Too say we are only fighting a, "...small, deadly and extreme faction of Islamic crackpots." is to show an unbelieveable lack of understanding of the extent of the hatred we are facing. This is a hatred born of ignorance and poverty and intolerance on a scale hard for 'civilized' Westerners to grasp. And most dangerously, this hatred is wrapped in the veil of absolute religious 'truth'. We may not be at war with Islam; but we are at war with the ignorance (and intolerance) that has crystalized within and around Islam. If you think a 'Grand Gesture' like the Grand Mosque will somehow diminish this hatred, or reduce the Islamic Fundamentalists intent to bring the West back to the Dark Ages; you are wrong.

William 3:39PM August 07, 2010

It is my understanding that the " Cordoba" mosque is going to cost someone about a 100 million to build. Do you think that the Islamic community in lower manhattan totally contributed this to the "Building Fund Collection" with cake sales and bazaars..
I think not... I'd like this mosque committee publish the list of contributors for all of us to see - before I determine if this is a snub to our heroes or not.
Several people I know died that beautiful 9-11 day - family men going to work and not coming home...children left alone and parentless... I still feel that this area of the city is sacred area for these people and their families.. 10 years is not enough time not to be sensitive.
The Fireman who served as a symbol of our city and country in those moments after 9-11 can not even get a bill passed to insure medical health ... and an Islamic group is using 100 million to build a mosque in a very sensitive part of our city... I'd love to see the Bishop of NYC raise 100 million to keep Catholic Schools from closing.. So we can keep the playing fields even - the bishop would have to publish his contributors list for all to see.
Follow the MONEY!

Kathy Williams of NY 4:12PM August 06, 2010

By implication your claiming that not agreeing with you is dumb so you must think you are smart. I see no evidence that you are. You seem to be just a typical eastern liberal idiot.

harold of TX 12:12PM August 06, 2010