The Ground Zero Mosque

This post is in response to a number of comments on a friend of mine's facebook status that reads:

"Should Muslims be allowed to build a Mosque 2 blocks from Ground Zero? According to every law, yes. We came here for religious "freedom," not only for Christianity."

There were many points brought up in response to this argument. Here they are:

1. Muslims are peaceful.

2. Terrorists, not Muslims, attacked us.

3. It's just a "place to worship."

4. Some of the people killed in the attack were Muslim.

5. "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

6. Nothing to do with religion.

7. Right to religious freedom and freedom of speech.

Some of these are good points, but I don't see how any of them truly justify the construction of a mosque within throwing distance of Ground Zero - a sacred site where thousands, like it or not, lost their lives to Islamic terrorists. I've been thinking a lot about this issue. Some of these points had me questioning my belief that the mosque should not be built at Ground Zero. So, I've been doing a lot of research on the subject - specifically the background of the organization and the man who are primarily behind this initiative. I will share what I have found and address each point.

So where shall we begin? Or rather, when?

The year is 711 A.D. It is the beginning of the end for the Visigoth Kingdom. Tariq the Berber arrived in Spain with his army of Moors. To this day, the place where his troops landed is preserved. The Moors called the place Gebel al-Tariq, or The Mountain of Tariq, but today we know it as, "The Rock of Gibraltar." After a brief imprisonment by the Arab governor of North Africa, Musa ibn Nusayr, Tariq was released by the Caliph Walid to continue his conquests on the Iberian Peninsula (291 Durant).

The Moslems made their way up into France, intent on conquering all of Europe in the name of Islam and making it a province of Damascus. In one of the most decisive battles in world history. This battle essentially saved Europe from being conquered by Islam. The Moslems were defeated by Carolus Martellus, a.k.a. Charles the Hammer, the Duke of Austrasia (292 Durant). They were all expelled from France by 759 (163 Langer). However, I have gone a bit further than I intended in our history lesson. Let us return to Spain.

In 756, Abd-al-Rahman I was appointed the emir of Cordova with the task of leading the Umayyad governors against the Abbasids, who had initially ordered for the entire Umayyad family to be executed. Abd-al-Rahman, was the only one to escape the massacre (291-292 Durant). It was in this year of his appointment that he began construction of the first Great Mosque of Cordoba. This mosque was built on the site of a Visigoth church (90 Grant). Although it was recaptured by the Christians in 1238 and turned into a cathedral, it still stands today as a symbol of what was once the height of Islamic power in the Iberian Peninsula.

You are probably wondering why I just gave you this tiny history lesson about a seemingly unrelated mosque. As you can probably guess by the previous sentence, these mosques are not unrelated in the slightest.

We will now examine the characteristics of the mosque that is intended to be built in NYC just two blocks from Ground Zero. The sponsoring organization of the mosque is called, "The Cordoba Initiative" and the name of the mosque itself is intended to be "Cordoba House." Any bells ringing? Does anyone find it odd that the mosque being built at Ground Zero is explicitly named after the Great Mosque of Cordoba, that was once the symbol of Islam's control over Spain? It was the capital of that empire and was no less built on the demolished ruins of an ancient Christian church. Sure, the land was bought and paid for, but that doesn't reduce the meaning behind the symbolism in the slightest!

Lets go a little deeper into this organization and the man behind it.

The Cordoba Initiative:

A questionable organization at the very least. Founded in 2004 by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and funded by the Malaysian government, the Cordoba Initiative (CI) was aimed “to achieve a tipping point in Muslim-West relations within the next decade, bringing back the atmosphere of interfaith tolerance and respect that we have longed for since Muslims, Christians and Jews lived together in harmony and prosperity eight hundred years ago.” (http://stopthe911mosque.com/background-info/cordoba-initiative/) Note that the link provided within this link links to a page that has been removed by the CI.

[Just real quick here, on a side note, let's remember our history lesson. What possible point in history could the CI be referring to here? Cordoba Initiative.. hmmm - Ohhh!!! They must be referring to when the Muslims ruled Spain with “tolerance and respect” between Muslims, Christians, and Jews. But wait… who was in charge there… uh oh… it was the Muslims. They may have “tolerated” the Christians and Jews and “respected” them, but they were still in charge and the Christians and Jews were still subject to Muslim (Sharia) law. I just wanted to point that out.]

Back to the CI. In 2006, it started what is called the Sharia Index Project. The purpose of this is to develop a system of rating countries on their Islamicity. To determine how Islamic a particular state is. This should turn a few heads at the very least. Why would they want to create something like this? We already have methods of determining the religious majorities of the world’s nations. What possible use could the Sharia Index Project have?

The founder of the CI, Imam Rauf, is a key figure in another organization called the Perdana Global Peace Organization (PGPO). This organization is known to be THE biggest donor to the Free Gaza movement, which was the key organizer of the flotilla that tried to break through Israel’s blockade of the Hamas-operated Gaza Strip. Not only that, but the PGPO has supporters like Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn who openly advocate terrorism as a necessary tactic and wish they had done more bombings in the Weather Underground. Moving on with the CI’s ties. The PGPO has partnered with the IHH (the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief [Insani Yardim Vakfi]), which is a Turkish charity with known ties to jihadi terrorists.

Let's trace this back now. At the bottom of our food chain here are the jihadi terrorist organizations. They are funded by the IHH, which is partnered with the PGPO (largest donor to the Free Gaza movement), which has Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf serving on their board, who is the founder of the Cordoba Intiative, which is sponsoring the mosque at Ground Zero. It seems to me that CI and Feisal are pretty close to the top of this food chain.

Speaking of the famous Imam, let’s take a look at him, shall we?

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf.

Feisal Abdul Rauf was born in Kuwait in 1948. His father, Mohammed Rauf, was a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is known radical, violent sect of Islam. Mohammed gained his radicalism at Al-Azhar University, which is essentially the Muslim version of the Vatican. Mohammed was forced to leave the country in 1948. Rauf went to school both in Malaysia and the UK. Fast forward to 1965. Feisal was 17 years old when his family moved to New York to live with his father, who had moved there from Malaysia to build the Islamic Cultural Center in Manhattan (even though it wasn’t actually built until the 1980’s.). The family moved again to Washington D.C. in 1971, where Mohammed built the Islamic Center on Massachusetts Ave. But enough about Feisal’s father. He’s dead and gone and is not the person at issue here.

Feisal Abdul Rauf’s unique educational background provided him with an important skill that would aid him in his journey to becoming such a prominent figure in “Muslim-American relations.” This skill is known as taqiyya, which is “the deceptive speech and action to advance the interests and supremacy of Islam.” His knowledge of western culture allowed him to master taqiyya.

In 1997, Rauf founded the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA). It is now run by his wife, Daisy Khan.

In 2004, Rauf formed a group of 125 young Muslims called, the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow. Members of this group contain a spectrum of liberal Muslims to mask the horrors within. Yasir Qadhi is a member of this organization. He is a favorite speaker at conferences held by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). Another radical member is Dhaba “Debbie” Almontasser, who is known to work with Hamas’ U.S. arm, which is a known and “unindicted co-conspirator in terror financing.”

Rauf’s Cordoba Initiative has received funding over the years from an eclectic group of sources for the building of the Ground Zero mosque. It’s an impressive list of donors. The full list can be found here: http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-ground-zero-mosque-developer-muslim-brotherhood-roots-radical-dreams/?singlepage=true. Much of my information on Rauf is found here as well. The sources for the article are also carefully cited at the bottom of the page provided in the link.

Rauf wrote a book in 2004, but it was a two-for-one deal. Well, sort of. You see it was translated into English and Arabic. No big thing, right? It’s the same book, just different languages, right? You’d like to think so, wouldn’t you? Sorry to disappoint. The English book was released with the title, What’s Right With America Is What’s Right With Islam, while the Arabic version was released with a title that translates to, The Call From the WTC Rubble: Islamic Da’wah From the Heart of America Post-9/11.” I’ll let you compare the implications of these titles, which say completely different things. The one meant for us, the “useful idiots of the West” as Vladmir Lenin would say, and the one meant for everyone back home. Now, I know you can’t judge a book by its cover, and I haven’t read either of these books, but something tells me that two such radically different titles are imply a radically different message within.

One last thing about our good friend Feisal. He really likes Sharia law. I mean he REALLY likes it. In fact, he misses it so much he’d really like to see it implemented in America. The constitution is “Sharia-compliant” after all, with just a couple of exceptions. But he’s flexible. Those can be taken care of later. The Muslim Brotherhood teaches the doctrine of flexibility when attempting to implement Sharia law on a nation. There must be adaptation before there can be full implementation - before the United States Constitution can be replaced with Islamic law. What’s the big deal, you say? What’s so bad about Sharia? Well let me enlighten you.

Sharia is translated as “path.” It is the law by which every Muslim lives (and the law by which all non-Muslims underneath the supreme Muslims must abide). It dictates everything from daily routine to marriage to criminality. It is the reason behind all the honor killings of Muslims who have converted to Christianity, or Muslim women who leave their husbands, etc. When Sharia is completely implemented, even the non-believers must abide by it or face punishment. Check out this website for the top 10 reasons why Sharia is not good for any society. http://www.americanthinker.com/2005/08/top_ten_reasons_why_sharia_is.html

I realize the length of this essay and I will draw it to a close. You are capable human beings and I encourage you to do your own research on these topics. Get ALL the facts before you pass judgment in favor or against something as sensitive as this.

Now, on to the points that have been raised. [Don’t worry, I’m almost done! Hang in there!]

1 1. Muslims are peaceful.

I don’t doubt that there are peaceful Muslims. But that’s really not the issue here. It’s true, there are plenty of Muslim believers who just want to live their lives and serve Allah quietly. The issue here is that those behind this mosque are not those types of Muslims. They are the opposite, in fact.

Even still, one has to look at the implications of jihad and sharia and Islamic theocracy in general. Check out this video if you get a chance. Louder with Crowder on Islam Some may find it funny, some offensive, some enlightening, some frightening. Take it with a grain of salt and decide for yourselves.

2 2. Terrorists attacked us, not Muslims.

Yes indeed. Terrorists did attack us. But these terrorists were Muslims, whether we like to admit it or not. The entire Muslim world did not attack us, just those living out the jihad of the Muslim faith. Muslim terrorists attacked us.

3. It's a "place to worship."

There will be a place of worship within the Ground Zero mosque. This much is true. In fact, the mosque is intended to be somewhat of an Islamic version of a YMCA. This is an honorable endeavor, to serve one’s community, but recent events with such places do not encourage me to support building one in Manhattan. The assurances given to us by Imam Rauf have been given before in similar situations.

Take the mega-mosque in Roxbury, MA, for example. Assurances were given that there would be an interfaith commitment to serving the community, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Unfortunately… that mosque has been found to have terrorist ties to Hamas and other organizations. The Imam there even preached that Muslims should “pick up the gun and the sword” (2 Gaffney).

Same thing happened in the U.K. with the North London Central Mosque. Turns out the Christmas underwear bomber was an attendee of that mosque (2 Gaffney). Now I realize we can’t condemn an entire group on the actions of a single individual, but we must observe the context of these things.

4 4. People killed in the attack were Muslim.

Yes. I’m glad we noticed that. People of all religions, faiths, creeds, races, and backgrounds died in that terrible event. It was tragic, but the fact that Muslims died in 9/11 is irrelevant to the issue at hand. The issue is that mosque is being built at Ground Zero, a sacred site that would not exist if it weren’t for Muslim terrorists. It is a slap in the face, despite the taqiyaa that is being fed to us by Imam Rauf.

5."I do not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Indeed. Once again, a nice sentiment, but it doesn’t justify what is happening here. An organization, with known ties to terrorist organizations who only wish they had been the ones to hi-jack those planes and fly them into the Twin Towers, is trying to build an enormous mosque just a few hundred feet from the site itself! There is no sense in defending the ideology that wants to see this country destroyed. The wisest of all men once said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.” (Matt 12:25). If we defend to the death their right to build such an insult to our country, we will achieve only the death of our nation, not the birth of freedom.

But even that is beside the point. There are zoning laws at issue here. The building where they are trying to build this mosque qualifies as a landmark, despite the fact that it has not yet been declared as such. The American Center for Law and Justice recently submitted a request to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, with a compelling argument for saving that building. You can read the request here: http://www.aclj.org/media/pdf/Executed-LPC-Submission_20100720.pdf

*NOTE: Unfortunately, the LPC has just voted unanimously to deny landmark status to the building. However, the ACLJ is continuing the fight to to grant this building the status it deserves and stop the mosque from being built.

6. Nothing to do with religion.

I have to blatantly disagree here. This has EVERYTHING to do with religion. Islamic terrorists flew those planes into the WTC, because of religion. The name Cordoba Initiative comes from the religious history of Islam. There is no part of this issue that has nothing to do with religion, except perhaps the common sense that tells you not to let a Muslim with known terrorist ties to build a $100 million mosque within throwing distance of Ground Zero!

I would ask HOW this has nothing to do with religion.

7. Right to religious freedom and freedom of speech.

It’s true. We have freedom of religion in this country. It isn’t just for Christianity, but for all faiths. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise there; or abridging freedom of speech.” As much as I dislike the idea of this mosque being built, it is unfair for me to say it shouldn’t be built because it is a mosque at Ground Zero.

I cannot object to this mosque on the basis that it is a mosque. It is hypocritical to do so. However, I can object to it on the basis that the building that will be destroyed for the construction of this symbol of Islamic supremacy, is a historical landmark. If it weren’t for the agenda put in place to get this project pushed through as quickly as possible, it is likely that the building would already by declared as a landmark. I can also object to it on the basis of its questionable funding and its ties to terrorist organizations.

I believe we should be taking a closer look at all the information that has been provided. It’s obvious that something isn’t right here. There is an agenda here that has nothing to do with “interfaith” anything. The evidence is overwhelming. The history, the man, and the organization behind this are damning at the very least. The history points to symbolic Islamic supremacy, the man points to the implementation of sharia law in the future (not directly via this mosque, but it is an important first step as we have seen through history), and the organization points to the radical Islamic and terrorist ties of it all.

All that being said, I absolutely DO NOT support the building of the Cordoba House Mosque at Ground Zero.

*On another note, I would like to emphasize that I AM NOT A BIGOT (as some may be thinking now). You saw for yourselves that I questioned my original belief and I did the research necessary to answer my questions about the issues at hand. I educated myself about it and I formulated, what I believe to be, the correct answer. This post is not intended to attack or degrade. Merely to walk you through my thought process and educate us both.

I encourage DISCUSSION about this issue, rather than close minded, opinionated slogans and sayings without any facts behind them. I discourage attacking each other personally or letting something like this ruin a relationship. Discussion is needed so that an answer can be found.

THANK YOU!!! to everyone who read all of this! It took a long time to read, I know, but trust me... it took way longer to write. lol!

Works Cited

"Cordoba Initiative." Coalition to Honor Ground Zero — Stop the Ground Zero Mosque. Web. 03 Aug. 2010. .

Durant, Will. The Story of Civilization: Part IV THE AGE OF FAITH. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1950. Print.

Gaffney, Frank. "A Shrine to Sharia." Townhall.com. 28 June 2010. Web. 16 July 2010. .

Grant, Michael. Dawn of the Middle Ages. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1981. Print.

Langer, William L. An Encyclopedia of World History. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1948. Print.

Lappen, Alyssa. "The Ground Zero Mosque Developer: Muslim Brotherhood Roots, Radical Dreams." Pajamas Media. 14 May 2010. Web. 3 Aug. 2010. .