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Title: President Obama Backs Mosque Near Ground Zero
Source:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
URL Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie ... AULT&CTIME=2010-08-13-20-34-17
Published: Aug 13, 2010
Author: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Post Date: 2010-08-13 22:07:08 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 5094
Comments: 14
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama on Friday forcefully endorsed allowing a mosque near ground zero, saying the country's founding principles demanded no less. "As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country," Obama said, weighing in for the first time on a controversy that has riven New York City and the nation. "That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances," he said. "This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable." Obama made the comments at an annual dinner in the White House State Dining Room celebrating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The White House had not previously taken a stand on the mosque, which would be part of a $100 million Islamic center two blocks from where nearly 3,000 people perished when hijacked jetliners slammed into the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001. Press secretary Robert Gibbs had insisted it was a local matter. It was already much more than that, sparking debate around the country as top Republicans including Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich announced their opposition. So did the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights group. Obama elevated it to a presidential issue Friday without equivocation. While insisting that the place where the twin towers once stood was indeed "hallowed ground," Obama said that the proper way to honor it was to apply American values. "Our capacity to show not merely tolerance, but respect towards those who are different from us - and that way of life, that quintessentially American creed, stands in stark contrast to the nihilism of those who attacked us on that September morning, and who continue to plot against us today," he said. Obama harkened back to earlier times when the building of synagogues or Catholic churches also met with opposition. "But time and again, the American people have demonstrated that we can work through these issues, and stay true to our core values and emerge stronger for it," he said. "So it must be and will be today." New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent who has been a strong supporter of the mosque, welcomed Obama's words as a "clarion defense of the freedom of religion." But some Republicans were quick to pounce. "President Obama is wrong," said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. "It is insensitive and uncaring for the Muslim community to build a mosque in the shadow of ground zero. While the Muslim community has the right to build the mosque they are abusing that right by needlessly offending so many people who have suffered so much." Entering the highly charged election-year debate, Obama surely knew that his words would not only make headlines but be heard by Muslims worldwide. The president has made it a point to reach out to the global Muslim community, and the over 100 guests at Friday's dinner included ambassadors and officials from numerous Muslim nations, including Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. Seated around candlelit tables, they listened closely as Obama spoke, then stood and applauded when the president finished his remarks. While his pronouncement concerning the mosque might find favor in the Muslim world, Obama's stance runs counter to the opinions of the majority of Americans, according to polls. A CNN/Opinion Research poll released this week found that nearly 70 percent of Americans opposed the mosque plan while just 29 percent approved. A number of Democratic politicians have shied away from the controversy. The group behind the $100 million project, the Cordoba Initiative, describes it as a Muslim-themed community center. Early plans call not only for prayer space but for a swimming pool, culinary school, art studios and other features. Developers envision it as a hub for interfaith interaction, as well as a place for Muslims to bridge some of their faith's own schisms. Opponents, including some Sept. 11 victims' relatives, see the prospect of a mosque so near the destroyed trade center as an insult to the memory of those killed by Islamic terrorists in the 2001 attacks. Some of the Sept. 11 victims' relatives, however, are in favor. The mosque has won approval from local planning boards but faces legal challenges, and New York's Conservative Party is planning a television ad campaign to pressure a New York City utility to use its power to block the project.
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
(Edited)
"President Obama is wrong," said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. Yes, Hindus and Buddhists and Muslims don't belong here, they belong in H-E-double-hockey-sticks. That's the Murrican way! /sarc
"Lets [sic] rent a room." ~ Jethro Tull to Rotara
remarks of the President of the United States: Really? Who EVER saw THAT coming eh? LOL! MORON PLEASE! "All HAIL the messiah "king" obammy!" LOL!
Quoted by PDS insane assholes every where.
Oh yeah freddy! THAT's what dis is ALL about isn't it MORON? /S Honest you brain dead libTURD faggot, how do you remember when to breathe?
Quoted by PDS insane assholes every where.
Fuck you...and Fuck yours, you simp.
"Lets [sic] rent a room." ~ Jethro Tull to Rotara
LOL! It's always SEXUAL with you faggots isn't it freddy? No thanks faggot, "me and mine" are straight. But feel free to give war a wittle kiss for us all faggot. LOL!
Quoted by PDS insane assholes every where.
So - you're against the Mosque being built at ground zero, huh? (you quoted Bush, and since Bush is wrong about everything . . . ) Seriously, I'm going to attempt to take this whole discussion in another direction: One argument I had against the US invading Iraq back in '03 (besides the un- Constitutionality of it) was the state of mind that has existed in the US post- WWII. It's the state of mind of too many of our good citizens who say that the US is the focus of evil in the world. It's the state of mind that causes too many influential citizens to ACTIVELY WORK the US defeat. Just as we saw in Korea and Viet-nam, drawn out conflicts both, people grew tired of the daily bad news and the weekly body counts. And good people died for no reason As to Iraq and Afghanistan, I said at the time we wouldn't do what is necessary to win those wars. Events have proven that analysis correct. All we would end up doing (in Iraq AND now in Afghanistan) is fighting the war half-assed - and sending our young troops into a meat-grinder for no reason. We (and the Allies) won WWII because (a) we did what was necessary TO win it, and (b) the vast majority of people were on board with our winning it. People actually recognized the regimes we were fighting as **gasp** EVIL. Worthy of destruction. No one said the US was perfect. Far from it. But 99 percent of people believed it was a hell of a lot better than the Nazis or Japanese. Do to a variety of reasons (moral relativeism, politically correct history being taught in public schools, etc.) we no longer believe in the superiority of the US. So - unlike our parents and g-parents, who went through the Depression and then WWII, we are unwilling to sacrifice gasoline, sugar, and certainly not our lives for "US imperialism". What does this have to do with the mosque? Well, like in WWII, we are fighting a dedicated, determined "enemy" in Islam. Yet we are unwilling to do what it takes to defeat it. In WWII, we did the correct thing at the time and nuked Japan. Oh, we can sit around today, over 60 years later, with out thumbs up our collective asses and argue the "morality" of it. But it ended the damn war. And it ended it on OUR terms. We ARE going to be defeated by Islam. Because we're weak. Because we're confused. Because we cannot even govern ourselves - look at the presidents we've elected in the last 20 years or so. So yeah, let them build the damn mosque. Why the hell not?
______________________________________________________________________________ What does this have to do with the mosque? Well, like in WWII, we are fighting a dedicated, determined "enemy" in Islam. Yet we are unwilling to do what it takes to defeat it. I agreed with everything you said up until that last sentence, we aren't fighting Islam. Indeed more than 4,000 Americans died in Iraq trying to bring freedom to an Islamic country. We are fighting an extreme branch of Islam, not the billions of peaceful Muslims.
Being for less government means using government to block construction of places of worship, right?
He couldn't say that to Obama as he already has a copy.
There are approximately 1.8 billion muslims worldwide. Not billions of peaceful muslims as you ignorantly claim. Now, what percengtage of the muslims are peaceful and trustworthy?
You're insane.
Being a Democratic shill means you check your humanity at the door.
That's one of the problems with these un-Constitutional wars: the reasons for fighting them seem to be fluid. To use the WWII analogy - in a strict sense, we weren't "fighting" the millions of Germans or Japanese. We were fighting their armies. But - had their armies prevailed, the millions of Germans and Japanese would have been seen as victorious and they would have achieved the spoils of war. That's what usually happens in a "war" - you have winners and losers. We may not be "at war" with the millions of Muslims - but we supposedly are "at war" with the equivalent of their army. And we've all witnessed the damage that just 19 young fanatical "soldiers" can do. My original point was that we as a nation have lost whatever view we once held about our superiority. Denigrate this as jingoistic all you want, but you'd BETTER hold this viewpoint if you expect your nation to prevail on such a vast battlefield. We no longer hold this view - for a variety of reasons (that really don't matter). What matters is we HAVE NO BUSINESS sending our young men and women into harm's way when we cannot even agree on the basic WHY question.
______________________________________________________________________________ You guys have finally found a religion that you'd like to see the government promote.
-----------------------------------------------------------
But some Republicans were quick to pounce.
#2. To: Fred Mertz, Brian S, No Gnu Taxes, Ignore Amos, War, Skip Intro, Ibluafartsky, Liberator (#1)
THE PRESIDENT: It's my honor to welcome to the White House my fellow Americans, Arab Americans, Americans who are Muslim by faith, to discuss about the current issues that took place, the aftermath of the incident, and what our country is going to do to make sure that everybody who is an American is respected.
I have told the nation more than once that ours is a war against evil, against extremists, that the teachings of Islam are the teachings of peace and good, and the al Qaeda organization is not an organization of good, an organization of peace. It's an organization based upon hate and evil.
I also want to assure my fellow Americans that when you pledge allegiance to the flag, with your hand on your heart, you pledge just as hard to the flag as I do; that the outpouring of support for our country has come from all corners of the country, including many members of the Muslim faith. And for that I am grateful.
I appreciate the contributions of time, the contributions of blood to help our fellow Americans who have been injured. And I'm proud of the Muslim leaders across America who have risen up and who have not only insisted that America be strong, but that America keep the values intact that have made us so unique and different -- the values of respect, the values of freedom to worship the way we see fit. And I also appreciate the prayers to the universal God.
And so, thank you all for coming. I don't know if you all remember the Imam led the service at the National Cathedral -- he did a heck of a good job, and we were proud to have him there. And I want to thank you very much for the gift you gave me, Imam, the Koran. It's a very thoughtful gift. I said thank you very much for the gift. He said, it's the best gift I could give you, Mr. President. I appreciate that very much.
Being a Republicans means you get to choose your own reality
#3. To: Brian S (#0)
President Obama Backs Mosque Near Ground Zero
#4. To: Freddy de insane ignorant faggot Mertz (#1)
(Edited)
#5. To: Mad Dog (#4)
#6. To: Freddy de insane ignorant faggot Mertz (#5)
#7. To: go65 (#2)
Zero diddled while America burned
#8. To: Ignore Amos (#7)
So - unlike our parents and g-parents, who went through the Depression and then WWII, we are unwilling to sacrifice gasoline, sugar, and certainly not our lives for "US imperialism".
Being a Republicans means you get to choose your own reality
#9. To: Fred Mertz (#5)
Being a Republicans means you get to choose your own reality
#10. To: go65 (#2)
He said, it's the best gift I could give you, Mr. President.
#11. To: go65 (#8)
We are fighting an extreme branch of Islam, not the billions of peaceful Muslims.
#12. To: go65 (#8)
We are fighting an extreme branch of Islam, not the billions of peaceful Muslims.
#13. To: go65 (#8)
Indeed more than 4,000 Americans died in Iraq trying to bring freedom to an Islamic country.
Now I'm confused. I thought our purpose was "oil". Or was it to find WMD? Oh wait - it was Dick Cheney and Halliburton. They made us do it. We are fighting an extreme branch of Islam, not the billions of peaceful Muslims.
No, we're not "fighting" anything. Else this whole ground-zero mosque wouldn't even be up for discussion.
Zero diddled while America burned
#14. To: go65 (#2)
Toss: ADL,CAIR and the Vatican into the pit they belong in.
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