I was just reading about Cordoba Spain, the city that this Mosque takes it name from.

It seems that saying christians and jews lived along side muslims and peace and harmony is somewhat of a stretch.

The reality was, the christians and jews were ruled by the Muslims and under Islamic law they were considered second class citizens.

They were free to practice their religion yes, but they were not equals; they were required to wear specific clothing, they were forbidden to ride on horses or Camels. They had to pay a special tax to their muslim rulers.

If they did not pay this tax they had to either convert to Islam or were put to death.

Does this sound like peaceful co-existance to anyone?

In his assertion that "no one" wants to add to the pain of the 9/11 survivors, Mr. Jethani shows bizarre naivete; when he adds "although I do not know the organizers of the Cordoba House, I trust they share this sentiment as numerous Muslims were among the innocent victims on 9/11," he dramatically underscores it. His trust is misplaced, and not based on fact. In fact:

The proposed mosque's chief proponent and leading imam is Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder of American Society for Muslim Advancement, or ASMA. His teachings are reported to include the assertion that the Quranic term "jihad" has been misinterpreted by terrorists--who believe it means a violent struggle against all unbelievers. Rauf claims it means an internal struggle. He has been quoted as saying: "The Islamic method of waging war is not to kill innocent civilians." Oops. History plainly contradicts him on both points.

According to news reports, Rauf is a master at dismissing Islam's responsibility for creating terrorists, choosing instead to play the increasingly popular "U.S.-is-to-blame" game. He claims that Americans must understand the terrorist's point of view; that the U.S. must acknowledge the harm they've done to Muslims before the terrorism can end; that the U.S. is to be blamed for the 9/11 attacks; and that terrorists arise from oppressive societies that he feels Washington has helped create.

Former NY mayor Giuliani claimed that Rauf "has a record of support for causes that were sympathetic with terrorism." He has repeatedly refused to classify Hamas as a terrorist organization, replying (very recently) to the question of the Hamas-terrorist connection with: "The issue of terrorism is a very complex question." Again, when questioned, he has obliquely dismissed the connection between certain Islamic charities (which were under investigation) and their ties to terrorism by downplaying allegations of terrorist connections as "a very gray area."

The American people are: "NOT 'so afraid of something like this.' Rather, we recognize it as an affront to the fallen and to the nation."

And we are "not opposed to the building of mosques, just not on the sites of where so many brave Americans were killed by people who hated them because they were American."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/aug/4/no-mosque/

The government should not prevent the Muslims from building their mosque. It's not the goverment's job to protect us from ourselves. If they want to make this asinine move, then let them.

There's no law against having zero class, that's just how it is.

Everyone should have the opportunity to show us what they're made of.

.

Who cares? What's the point of all this debate when we already know the Muslims who want to build the mosque have a Constitutional right to do so under the 1st, 14th amendments.

I don't want a mosque, a church, a temple, a synagogue, or any other kind of religious symbol at the site of the 911 tragedy. There are alternatives to fundamentalist religions of all types. I want peace, enlightenment, LOVE, and healing at ground zero.
At the site of 911 I want a monument with the words and music to this song.

"Heal the World":
In this place you'll feel
There's no hurt or sorrow.
There are ways to get there
If you care enough for the living
Make a little space, make a better place.

Chorus:
Heal the world
Make it a better place
For you and for me and the entire human race
There are people dying
If you care enough for the living
Make a better place for
You and for me.

Michael Jackson sings it better than I can write it.
Please click on the video link below (or copy and paste in into your address bar)
and read, listen, and be at Peace:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WJrtms8EoQ&f eature=related

Thank you, Michael Jackson.

The choice of the name Cordoba house reveals the real significance of the Ground Zero mosque. In 785 CE after the Islamic conquest of the Visigoths a cathedral was rebuilt into the largest Muslim structure in the western world at the time.

The Great Mosque of Cordoba has architectural appearance similar to the Great Mosque of Damascus. The mosque planned for New York has a namesakes whose size and significance is not lost on members of Islam.

I don't know where Skye learned his history but I for one don't want to repeat the history of Spain. This time would you open the door and let those who would erect their monument of conquest without objection? Not in America.

I am a Christian and I am not afraid of a mosque anywhere in the world. However, no matter how good their intentions are, it is simply poor judgment on the part of the initiators of this project to build it here. I can certainly understand the misgivings of the families of 9/11 victims who are genuinely upset with the proposed location. Given that, and the obvious upheaval this whole issue has aroused, it appears that the project, if completed, will have the exact opposite effect than the one allegedly intended. For those reasons, I think they should look elsewhere to build. I think that the Islamic community who advances this location would do far better toward helping average Americans to understand and accept mainstream Muslims by issuing a statement that they are withdrawing their building plans because it is not their intention to cause any more angst to Americans or surviving families and that their goals are purely peaceful. Allow folks who possibly don't know Muslims to see another side of Islam. People need to see that before they can take, what for them is, a leap of faith in favor of a religion that is unfamiliar to them.

Skye Jethani Part I

You wrote, "Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount are some of the most familiar, beautiful, and radical ideas found in the Bible (Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7). He calls his followers to give generously, put aside anger, vengeance, and greed, live without worry, and even love their enemies."

Jesus never said to "put aside Truth" tho, did He?

Jesus said, "I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life...".

The god of islam says, Jesus is a mere prophet and gets mighty upset if anyone calls Jesus, God-Incarnate, which He Is and also if anyone says that God is a Trinity, which God Is.

Jesus picked up a cup of wine at the Last Supper and said, "This Is My Blood..."

The god of islam has outlawed all alcohol which includes wine, have you ever wondered why?

Jesus did not water-down what He said and He does not want us to water-it-down either.

You then wrote, "Many read Jesus' instructions and admire their beauty but scoff at their impracticality. "In this world it makes no sense to love your enemies," is what I hear from Christians and non-Christians alike."

Loving your enemies does not mean to lie to them to placate their "feelings" but to speak Truth to them, if you have any Truth to speak.

You then wrote, "And they are right. In a dangerous, chaotic, and threatening world where self-preservation is the highest goal, these teachings defy logic."

Are you speaking of when Jesus told His followers that they might very well be treated very badly if they spoke about Jesus in a non-watered-down manner?

Skye Jethani Part II

You then wrote, "As long as we primarily view the world is a dangerous place, we will never find the power to obey Jesus' teachings."

Primarily or not, this seems to be a "twistation" of what Jesus said.

You then added, "This is why he begins his Sermon on the Mount with a new vision of the world as a perfectly safe place for those who entrust themselves to Christ."

Jesus did nothing of the sort, He did not lie or sugarcoat to His followers the trials and tribulations that they may very well encounter in this world but He encouraged them by telling them that HE had "overcome" the world, didn't He?

You then wrote, "Perhaps this is why one of the most common commands in the Bible is "do not be afraid." Fear, not doubt, is the great enemy of faith."

Jesus mentioned to His followers how He had been treated and said that this could very well be their "lot" and that there was something "beyond" ,more than worth it, how much of the garbage being spewed out today in Jesus's Name even remotely comes close to what Jesus taught.

You then wrote, "I can offer my Christian sisters and brothers this good word: Be not afraid."

I am here to tell my brothers and sisters, ALL OF HUMANITY not just those that identify as "Christians", that God's Plan is for ALL to be in God's Kingdom, the new heavens and the new earth.

As I have said, the True, Living, Triune, Triumphant God is a searcher of hearts and minds, not of religious affiliations or lack thereof.

See you all in the Kingdom.

Take care, be ready.

Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.

Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. - Karl Popper

feisal Abdul rauf is an staunch advocate of sharia law... so he is using our constitutional right of freedom of religion to subvert our constitutional right of separation of church and state.

What kind of building would the perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center have built on the site of the building they destroyed?
If your answer is ‘a mosque’ then you have the reason why a mosque should not be built.

. . . as for violence in Islam, have you read the Bible — http://www.twf.org/Library/Bible.html ??

Arguments using 9/11 as the basis to oppose the Islamic center have no merit. The official account of 9/11 is false — http://www.twf.org/911.html.

Enver Masud
Founder, The Wisdom Fund

Pastor Jethani,
As a man of God, I am sure you are familiar with Eph 6:12 and that as followers of Christ we are called to trust and to look beyond the natural world and into the spiritual realm. What is behind Islam? Why would a Muslem deliberately kill innocent people in the name of his god? Because Allah is a "spiritual force of evil in the heavenly realm." If you do not think Islam is a threat to all who do not worship Allah, try professing the good news of Jesus Christ in Mecca and see how long you keep your head.

"Yes the buildiing is vacant; but isn't it vacant because it was damaged in the attacks on the World Trade Towers? Saying that it will make good use of a vacant building is not helping the argument."

Daisy Kahn: "I think the building came to us...", "...there is a divine hand in it...", "the buildeing found us... it was struck by a plane...".

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/06/15/VI2010061502265.html

The argument about feelings doesn't make sense. Imagine a group like Westboro Baptist church firebombing a gay nightclub and killed hundreds, claiming to simply be following instructions in Leviticus. And then imagine an Episcopal group wanting to build a church near the spot years later, with gay groups saying that the Episcopalians were showing insensitivity to the victims' loved ones. In that situation, Christians would rightly point out that Westboro's beliefs aren't shared by the majority of Christians that the gay groups would be overreacting. (I have heard Christians say this to the subset of atheists who regard all Christians as being like Fred Phelps or Pat Robertson, or who accuse all Christians of being creationists.)

schnauzer2:
"The association with GZ first came up in the opponents speeches and posts. The originators of the Mosque did not start it."

Not true. But since you state that as fact, do you mind showing where you get that fact. I suggest you as the Imam who paid millions of dollars in cash as down payment whether your statement is true or not.

"Because their are currently something like 600,000 Mulims working and/or living in lower Manhattan and about 4-5 mosques and places to gather."

You do like to pull facts out your ass, don't you. Please tell us the source of your information. Inflating figure is an old habit of Muslims. Pamela started it by stating 600,000 in New York city with 100 Mosques and now you claim 600000 in lower Manhatten and 5 Mosques!!! Pew Research on the other hand estimates about 1.2 Million Muslims in the entire USA. I don't think you even know the word 'credibility'.

"Why can't the those citizens repect the constituion they claim to hold so dear?"

That is why they are protesting and organizing, and not dealing it the way things are dealt in Islam or the many OIC countries. But there is no interest on the part of the Muslims to respect the feelings of their fellow citizens, is there? You make that obvious.

Building a mosque near Ground Zero is only "insensitive" or "provocative" if one falsely assumes 9/11 was the work of all Islam. That would be like assuming that all African-Americans support the Black Panthers, and objecting to an Alpha Phi Alpha building near the site of a Panthers terrorist attack.

The arguments used by Gingrich and many others against this mosque imply that America's identity is Christian, or that American patriotism and Christian faith are the same thing. No, part of America's concept of religious freedom is that we are not a "Religion X nation."

Yes the buildiing is vacant; but isn't it vacant because it was damaged in the attacks on the World Trade Towers? Saying that it will make good use of a vacant building is not helping the argument.

So, it is not EXACTLY on the spot where the World Trade Towers were; it is pretty close, close enough to be seriously damaged.

I say that the Muslim Community should go ahead and build a mosque there or anywhere that they wish, but they should not act all bent out of shape when their insensitivity is met with a cold shoulder.

It is very insincere to suppose that the victims of religoius fanaticism would hold out open arms to more of the same.

Come now the Huckabees and their intolerant inbred cousin teabaggers with a bible opened to leviticus in one hand and a glock in the other telling us Muslims aren't worthy of First Amerdement rights.

By the same logic, I have good reason to say we should prohibit Catholic Churches near middle schools.

Posted by: AKafir-"1) Why do the muslims insist on building the mosque there and associating it with Ground zero?
----------------------------
The association with GZ first came up in the opponents speeches and posts. The originators of the Mosque did not start it.

"Why not in one of the suburbs of New York?"
----------------------------------------
Because their are currently something like 600,000 Mulims working and/or living in lower Manhattan and about 4-5 mosques and places to gather. This building was largem vacant and in the right price range.

"Why cannot the Muslims respect the wishes and sentiments of their fellow citizens of the United States?"
-------------------------------------
Why can't the those citizens repect the constituion they claim to hold so dear? The community approval board, CB1’s Financial District Committee, UNANIMOUSLY supported the project.

yasseryousufi |

If you believe in the religious doctrine of tolerance, then tell us what it means to you, and how you, personally, apply it in your life.

yasseryousufi,

"The educated, tolerant and cosmopolitan people of New York have no problems with the mosque."

What about the people of New York who have problems with the mosque?

Are they all uneducated, intolerant, and provincial?

Is that how we now determine education, tolerance, and cosmopolitanism?

How did we do it before someone decided to build a mosque at that particular location?

The fact that the resistance to this mosque is being led by the smelly racists like Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer says it all. If they had their way there wouldn't be a single muslim left in america let alone a mosque. Small wonder that Newt Gingrich (someone who marries a girl half his age while his real wife is suffering from cancer, and still has the gall to call himself a good christian), Sarah Palin and other like minded islamophobes have put their weight behind ooposition to this mosque. Find me one person of repute who isn't a racist and who opposes this mosque. Just 1! The educated, tolerant and cosmopolitan people of New York have no problems with the mosque. Its mostly the rabid right wingers of red states who have camped in NY and are raising the temperature with their hate speech.

FYI,
Skye Jethani is a man with serious psychological identity confusion issues like our boy Eboo (Ebrahim)Patel (a Hindu name) - an Indian, American, Muslim (not really by most islamic standards because he is a from an officially unrecognized cult of "Ismaili Muslims") of Hindu ancestors.

Skye is one of those lost & confused mixed parentage people desperately seeking certainty in a cult.
He claims to be ordained in the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church (sounds like something started in a garage).

His FATHER is a HINDU who came from INDIA in 1970 and much of Skye’s FAMILY still adheres to their HINDU faith, while his MOTHER is an Anglo-American (nice word for "white") of no known religious affiliation.

Skye hides behind a made up name. His real name is Akash Jethani, a nice normal Hindu name, which translates to sky. "Skye" is just made up to run and hide from his identity confusion. Just like "Eboo" who hides from his real name Ebrahim.

ADVICE TO "SKYE" & "EBOO":
YOUR IDENTITY, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND EMOTIONAL ISSUES ARE REAL AND NEED TO BE ADDRESSED HONESTLY BY YOU & YOUR FAMILY.
BUT BEING AN APOLOGIST FOR ISLAMIC TERRORISM IS NOT GOOD FOR YOUR PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IN THE LONG RUN.

Sad but true.

Eboo is bringing one ignorant dhimmi after another to make the propoganda for him, instead of answering the simple questions that people are asking.

1) Why do the muslims insist on building the mosque there and associating it with Ground zero? Why not in one of the suburbs of New York? Why cannot the Muslims respect the wishes and sentiments of their fellow citizens of the United States?
2) Why not make the funding of the mosque transparent? How much of the $100 million dollars is coming from overseas and from whom?

None of the Muslims supporting the Mega Mosque want to answer these simple questions truthfully and forthrightly. Why?

Fear engenders fear. It never gives birth to love.

Pastor you quote Gingrich as saying:
"America is experiencing an Islamist cultural-political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilization."

Before you scoff at the above statement read what the Muslims themselves tell us about their plan for us. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/columnists/rdreher/stories/DN-dreher_09edi.ART.State.Edition1.4235f88.html

And listen in on what they propagate in their mosques.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undercover_Mosque

Un-Christ-like?

Maybe; but I'm not carrying the cross to my own crucifixion.

Non Muslims are not equal.... Take the time to look at these sites... It will open your eyes.

http://207.244.155.2:8090/video/misc/m_w_o_384.wmv

Please check out the Real Islam. It is not a religion of Peace!

http://www.real-islam.org/

please check out http://www.islamicsolutions.com/islam-the-peaceful-religion/