They Should Have Said…
Liberal politicians said a lot of things about the Muslims’ proposed building of Park 51 nee Cordoba House. Almost universally what they said was wrong and as much of an insult to the American people as the original plans of the Muslims.
There were, however, things that they should have said. Some variation of the following would have been the American response to the situation:
The idea of building a high profile mosque named Cordoba House that close to Ground Zero is wrong, insensitive, insulting, and counterproductive to open dialog between Muslims and Americans. Just because they have the right to build it doesn’t mean that they are right to do so.
It is, however, their right, as guaranteed by America’s constitution, to build such a mosque wherever they so choose and no force of law should be brought to bear against any legal endeavor to do so.
Mr. Gamal and Imam Feisal have the right to expect tolerance from the American people but should not conflate tolerance with blind acceptance. Acceptance must be earned and something as divisive and inflammatory as the Ground Zero Mosque is not a step in that direction.
Such a statement seems perennially beyond the ability of any Liberal politician to issue. Perhaps they are afraid, with some reason, of their diminishing constituency’s response to it. Perhaps they just don’t – perhaps can’t – conceive of such a sentiment much less speak it.
These politicians of the likes of Mayor Bloomberg and President Obama should have said something like the above. They chose instead to overtly or tacitly once again insult and deride the American people as bigoted, racist, Islamaphobic, and intolerant.
Tags: 1st Amendment | America | Bloomberg | Ground Zero | Islam | Islamists | Jihad | Liberals | Muslims | New York | NYC | Obama | Politics | The Constitution
August 18th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
For once, I completely agree with you. I have no problem with them building a mosque. Just anywhere but there.
August 18th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
Fortunately, despite the “efforts” of the politicians and the MSM, the issue is largely resolved – https://blog.jonolan.net/religion/no-cordoba-house/ – though I’m sure various groups will keep harping on it for a while yet.
August 18th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Hi jonolan;
I wrote a post about this called “Hallowed Ground”. A different take on what you wrote.
After reading your post, I removed mine.
This is not an issue resolved with logic alone, but also with respect and compassion for the grieving.
I have nothing against Muslims and personally do not see the problem here, but it obviously causes consternation for many citizens, and if that is true, the leader of the Mosque should move as it would show his graciousness.
For example, Jesus said at one time if your brother asks, give. I am paraphrasing here, but Mohammad was a staunch follower of Jesus as well.
Methinks compromise may be in order.
It is not often I remove one of my posts because I read one I agree with more. 🙂
August 19th, 2010 at 4:49 am
If they say what you just said they admit that even those Muslims who claim to want better relations have an imperialistic attitude towards the USA and the West. So they are just going to pretend that it’s no big deal.
August 19th, 2010 at 5:21 am
I don’t think I would have removed Hallowed Ground, ichabod; it had some quite good a logical points in it about the real nature of the businesses and such around Ground Zero.
But no, this is not an issue that can be resolved with logic alone. It is much like many other issues where we’re instructed to show respect for the “historic context” of an act or phrase and to have respect for the “sensitivities” of other subcultures.
The good news is that it seems that, despite the interference of the media and the politicians, a compromise has been reached.
Here’s an odd and perhaps telling point in this whole debacle – I have very much against Islam and Muslims. I loath and despise the cult and its adherents. Yet, with the compromise solution that has supposedly been offered / decided, I have no further cause for grievance against the building of Park 51.
Given the strength of my feelings against Muhammad’s followers, if I no longer feel cause to rail against their building this Muslim Cultural Center, there’s likely no valid cause for anyone to still have enough issue with it to fight strongly against it.
August 19th, 2010 at 5:27 am
No, Paradigm. If they said what I just said in the post, or some variant of it, they would have just acknowledged that building “Cordoba House” according to their original plans was unnecessarily hurtful to American and insensitive to their grief.
Yet perception has always been the bane of communication, so it’s quite possible that some others would see it as you did and more probably that some others would choose to see it that way.
That, of course, is a universal character flaw of the Houses of Man.
August 19th, 2010 at 10:50 am
You think the place and name is just insensitivity? That sounds a bit naive to me. Think about the situation in Europe. Here they will attack other groups burning synagogues and such. They don’t have the strength in numbers in America so they tread more carefully. As someone else pointed out, they are not immigrating, they are colonizing.
August 19th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Do I think it’s just insensitivity? No, not really; I believe that there’s a darker motive to their building attempt and/or in their financial backers’ funding of it. I can’t prove that though and, even if I could, it still might not be enough for an American to say that they don’t have the right to build it there.
But, as I said, having the right to do something doesn’t automatically make it right to do it.
August 19th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
I completely agree with your sentiments, Jonolan.
August 19th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Thanks for stopping by, Fox.
Despite how the Liberals tried – and continue to try – to paint Americans as bigots, Islamaphobes, intolerant, and uncaring of the Constitution, the vast majority of those who opposed this Muslim building at Ground Zero hold the same opinion as I voiced here.
August 19th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Very well said Jonolan. I’ve absolutely bashed my head into a virtual mush of hamburger trying to get a master of mental masturbation to realize this isn’t about bigotry etc.
August 19th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Well, Alfie, you’re core mistake is believing that a lot of the argument isn’t about bigotry and such; there’s plenty of that involved in this debacle. It’s just mostly being exhibited by the other side.
August 19th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Well said jonolan. I was sitting down to write a blog on this topic due to the massive amount of propaganda out there peddled by the media and politicians. I Googled “islamic conquest rape cordoba” and up came your blog. Thanks for your research and writing on this! I will be linking to these posts.
August 19th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Thank you, Jet. I’m very glad you found Reflections From A Murky Pond of some use. It’s always gratifying when that happens.