Debate on Mosque & Cultural Center near 9/11 grounds

(If topic exists, delete this one) My source was this:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100820/ap_on_re_us/us_nyc_mosque_families
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_mosque_fact_check
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/nyc_mosque_imam

For those unaware of the issue, apparently there are plans to build an Islam mosque & cultural center in close proximity to the 9/11 site, approximately 2 blocks northeast of the Twin Towers site, and 6 blocks from the North Tower. Obviously, this has sparked major debate throughout the USA between the pro-mosque, it's opponents, and the people in the middle ground. This topic is set up to discuss this touchy issue.

To be honest, I'm not too sure what Imam Rauf (the leader of the mosque & cultural center building) is trying to pull. I'm not insuinating that he's inherently deceitful considering that his views don't strike me as extremist, but couldn't building a new mosque & cultural center be put somewhere else? I can only see this as intentional on his part, which is why I somewhat doubt his motives for building the mosque. His supposed purpose was to delineate the difference between what he believes is true Islam from its more radical elements and be a tribute to the 9/11 attack.

I understand that religious freedom is what America is all about, and it is protected by the Constitution. I understand that Islam is not what people believe it to be, i.e. the extremist and fanatical followers that will resort to terrorism to get their point across. I also understand that Islam, like all religions, is supposed to unify and bring peace to its people.

But then I ask, is there seriously a need to build a mosque literally right next to ground zero and bring up old wounds and prejudice, especially as we are nearing the 9/11 date? It is simply a bad spot to erect a mosque AND cultural center right next to ground zero whose perpretrators were of Islamic origins. Ignorance of the public opinion is not an excuse. While there is legally nothing wrong in building the mosque and cultural center, it would simply be better to build the mosque and cultural center in an another location and drop the public attention and ire. Going ahead with this plan will not bring a happy future.

My issue with this plan is simply of the location. I don't believe that this is some sort of conspiracy by Muslims to spread their faith and subdue USA, nor do I believe that this sort of matter should simply be allowed to continue in consideration of the future.

Please feel free to discuss.

i see nothing wrong with it but near the site where people flew a plane into a building, then ought there the retarded people of your people(kind of like redneck is to white people) isn't smart. move it to the other side of the island.

Your post made no sense whatsoever.

sorry have three idea juggling in my head at the time.

I see nothing wrong with it, but to built it near the site where religious zealots flew a plane into a building is wrong. Built it somewhere else.

It's kinda insensitive if you think about it but they have every right to build mosques wherever the hell they want. Its a free country.

this is just fucking stupid...next they'll tell me I can't walk the dinosaur in my backyard cause its insensitive to the dinosaurs that used to walk their , but are no longer able...seriously america stop being so fucking butt hurt over this , its a horrible chapter in our history sure , but I'm pretty sure we got our revenge when we dry fucked their country for oil...so let them have their silly building praising an imaginary god...oh ,and on a side note do these people realize lower manhattan isn't exactly a desolate field ? It's not like they can build their fucking building anywhere.

From most of what I have heard those against always whittle down to guilt by association, or claims that there are too many ties of Islam with terrorism. Following this reasoning we should picket any churches near parks, because it is insensitive to the children raped by the priests.

There's no legal reason to block them from building a mosque there. None at all. Let 'em build it if they can afford to.

Not only is it fully legal, it would also be immoral not to let them build.

If it trolls the victims of 9/11, they should suck it up. You can't be proud of your freedom while taking it away from your own countrymen.

Hearing "I understand that they have the freedom to do so, but..." is like hearing "I'm not racist, some of my best friends are black, but..." or "I'm not homophobic, some of my best friends are gay, but...".

There's only one thing bugging me: Did he purposely choose a site as close as possible to the 9/11 attack?

@Neostriker: that's exactly why I doubt this building is being built with honest intentions.

I read a couple of articles, and I'm guessing that the Imam Rauf decided to build a mosque and cultural center as close as possible to ground zero to "promote relations between the Muslim/Islamic community with everyone else and to prove that Islam is not the violent religion it is." However, that's like having someone build a German cultural center right next to the concentration camps where the Holocaust occurred. No one in Germany was insensitive enough to do that, why should Imam Rauf be any different?

If Imam Rauf really wanted to reconcile the differences and the past wrongs that those in name of the extremist Islam have committed, why did he not discuss the issue with the victims of the 9/11 attack or at least address the issue in some form of PR to those affected by 9/11? Now, this is based off of conjecture and the articles, but apparently he made no attempt to address the public opinion nor the victims of 9/11. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like a sincere attempt to reconcile, which is why I doubt his motives in building a mosque and cultural center. And if you read the articles, there are actually plenty of mosques around the Manhattan area, so another one is needed?

I'm all for religious freedom, but somehow, this doesn't seem to be as black & white as others make it out to be. I don't believe that Imam Rauf is taking all measures to ensure that the building and completion of the mosque and cultural center will be successful now and in the future. If that's the case, it raises questions.

Personally I really hope that they'll go through with it.

I think that the idea to "promote relations between the Muslim/Islamic community with everyone else and to prove that Islam is not the violent religion it is." are at least a step in the right direction. This might seem like an insensitive act, but why should the Islamic community back down or go hide somewhere just because fundamentalist-terrorists flew a plane through the WTC?

It seems that the general public of the US, and the majority of the non-Islamic world needs to just calm the fuck down and get over their prejudices. As it is now you can't go saying "Allah" or "Muslim" without someone pissing their pants because they think that it equals to terrorism.

Shit, it's not like they'll be forcing people to their services and force everyone in the Ground Zero-area to fall to their knees and pray six times a a day.

Alright then. I'll go bulldoze over graves of people who died that were close to you. If they were killed by a drunk driver, maybe a liquor store over it.

This isn't seeing something and getting all butthurt over it.

This is some retard, taking salt and rubbing it as furiously as he can into your wounds because he's too damn stupid to understand that salt makes your wounds hurt.

...their not building the fucking thing ON ground zero ,their building it 2 blocks away IN LOWER FUCKING MANHATTAN , believe it our not prime real estate in that area capable of housing an entire mosque isn't exactly around every corner ,and last I checked religion ,and state are separate..the terrorist actions of some zealot psychos should have NO INFLUENCE on regular people just cause they happen to share the same religion.

It might not be around EVERY corner. But there are plenty more spots than building it right the fuck there.

Where it is in plain view of the site. Same shit.

And then you go talking about separation of church and state. Way to state a useless argument. Has no relevance. But I'm sure you might think it does.

"It should have no influence."

Yeah, why don't you tell a girl who was raped that she should have no influence by men because "they weren't the one.".

It'll totally make her feel better you know. Cause now you made her look like an idiot. Next, tell her that she's a statistic.

The people had mothers, fathers, wives, husbands and more die due to this. It doesn't MATTER if these particular people weren't responsible. It's still a direct reminded of it. RIGHT THERE. A stones throw away.

my veiw? they can go to fucking hell and build there goddamn mosque there. i dont care WHAT they say HOW justified it might be it will be a cold day in hell before that happens.

your argument is so fucking awful ,and pretentious it hurts , but fine. We where attacked as a NATION the attack on the twin towers was not a personal vendetta on the people who worked their or where visiting at the time of the attack...their is NO LAW that stops them from putting up this building ,and unless a VAST majority of the people in that area have a problem with it you can't even say it is a community decision...so under what grounds shouldn't it be built ? cause some STATE appointed official says its in bad taste ? well how grand that a place that gloats of religious freedom , decided it was o.k. to start bending laws cause it fucking suites their agenda...GET THE FUCK OVER YOURSELF , yes people died , but you can't blame an entire religion , for the actions of a few ,and on your argument about the rape of a women, if the women suddenly starts demanding irrational things , that remove my rights as an american citizen then I'd tell her to go fuck herself , she can FEEL whatever the fuck she wants ,and she has my sympathy , but shes not the only person who's ever been hurt , just like those in september 11 arent the only ones who ever lost someone

I like how you go and try and hide behind the law and stuff, when you stated you own opinion of "people shouldn't be butthurt over it."

I'm sorry, but lawl at your stupidity. I wasn't attacking the legality of it. I was attacking you dipshit ass for saying that. Maybe you should think before you speak?

I provided multiple reasons ON WHY it isn't just people getting butthurt. Sure, some people are just doing it to do it.

But there are plenty of people, who have valid reasons to feel this way about it.

"It's not personal. You're not the only one whose been hurt."

When the fuck has the ever mattered? It's still pain dipshit. It might not be personal to you, but it sure the hell is personal to people who have lost something like that. All this "It's not personal" crap means it isn't fucking personal to you.

But no, maybe empathy is beyond you. You're right, we should just all be fucking dicks to everyone because there is no reason to ever be a decent person because the law totally doesn't say we have to be.