The building which is poised to house the Cordoba Initiative Mosque and Cultural Center in Manhattan. (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Sometimes no answer can be an answer. When asked if a portion of the $100 million needed to build the mosque and Islamic community center near Ground Zero might come from either Saudi Arabia or Iran, the developers refused to comment.
This only adds to the already heated controversy surrounding this project. Remember 15 of the 19 hijackers responsible for deaths of nearly 3,000 people and the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11 came from Saudi Arabia. And the U.S. considers Iran a sponsor of terrorism.
Nonetheless - New York Governor David Paterson tells CNN he's still working on finding a compromise site for the mosque and Islamic center away from Ground Zero.
The developer, Sharif el-Gamal, has said the proximity of the planned mosque and center is not an issue.
Really?
If the people behind this project are sincere about community relations, you'd think they would do something about improving community relations - and talk to the governor about a compromise.
This is not about freedom of religion - no one is suggesting Muslims can't practice their religion. This is about insensitivity to what happened on September 11 and an affront to this city and country. The murders of 3,000 people were committed by muslim extremists.
That's the reason for the outcry from families of victims, rescue workers, and New Yorkers in general - 2/3 of them are opposed. It's simply unrealistic to think you can build a muslim house of worship two blocks from where this awful thing happened and not get a negative reaction. But then I think the developers probably know that.
Here’s my question to you: What's the real reason that the Muslim community doesn't want to relocate the mosque and Islamic community center planned near Ground Zero?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
S. in Florida writes:
Because it's simply wrong for them to give in to the mindless mass hysteria that's being whipped up around this. What we're seeing is basically the "swift-boating" of a major worldwide religion. They didn't start this and as a life-long Christian, I stand with them in refusing to bow to this idiotic religious persecution. If these bonehead nay-sayers aren't careful, they could easily start another World War. Al Qaeda can retire. Their work is done if this mosque isn't built.
Esther writes:
The reason I believe that they do not want to move the mosque is totally religious. They want to show off what they have done, and where they have conquered. This is a bragging site, not a healing site. If they truly want to help with the healing then show compassion for the victims of 9/11 and move it to a location further away.
Wilhelm writes:
Maybe because they believe in freedom of religion and are not going to allow themselves to be bullied. This phony "controversy" is just an attempt to further demonize an unpopular minority for political gain by the ultra-right wing of American politics. The same thing happened to the Jews in Germany in the 1930s.
Tony writes:
I thought it was very obvious why the Muslim community does not want to build their Mosque and Islamic "community center" in a different location than Ground Zero. Would it have made sense to "relocate" the flag placed on Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima in 1945?
Kirsten writes:
Nazis were Christian and there's a church less than a mile from Auschwitz! It isn't about sensitivity, it's about bigotry. The proximity to Ground Zero is simply a red herring. If we do shut this down, they, the proverbial "they" win by getting us to compromise the very ideals that make this nation great.
Kenny in Virginia writes:
I work next to a company that is Muslim-owned. The employees' attitudes regarding Islam and America range from ultra-pacifist to ultra-heated; however, to a man, they all think that America is discriminating against them over the mosque. Clearly, the opinions are strong each way. You can extract what you want from it but there's no denying that Islam is a very divisive subject these days.