Voicing concerns that the proposal is stirring tensions at a time when Muslims are seeking more peaceful relations with non-Muslims in America, like that of Neda Bolourchi, whose mother was killed in the 9/11 terrorist attack, show that Muslims are not a monolith in support of the mosque.
"I fear that over time, it will cultivate a fundamentalist version of the Muslim faith," Bolourchi wrote in an op-ed published in the Washington Post.
Six out of 10 Americans opposed the construction of the mosque, according to a new poll conducted by Time Magazine. In addition, 7 out of 10 said they agreed that building the mosque just blocks away from where the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred would insult the victims of the attacks.
No one is asking for mosques currently located in lower Manhattan to be shut down. Nor are mosque opponents asking that Muslims be restricted from Ground Zero.
The problem is simply one of location, and until mosque supporters can explain exactly why it is so crucial to have a mosque built so close to the sight where radical Muslim terrorists brought down the World Trade Center, public opinion will be against the proposal.
When it seemed the issue could become useful campaign fodder for Republicans in the upcoming November elections, Obama attempted to back away from his initial support, calling the matter "a local issue."
How about you get off the soap box, Mr. President, and let N.Y. Gov. David Paterson continue his commendable work in trying to nudge the mosque developers to another location in the city?
13-Aug-10 - Well-known conservative talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger said the N-word 11 times to a caller who reached out to her for help regarding her interracial marriage.
13-Aug-10 - Well-known conservative talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger said the N-word 11 times to a caller who reached out to her for help regarding her interracial marriage.
13-Aug-10 - Former Detroit Police Chief Warren Evans resigned. Evans, though, is striking back by revealing text messages between Lt. Monique Patterson and interim police chief Ralph Goodbee.
10-Aug-10 - The niece of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Alveda King says that same-sex marriage will lead to "extinction" and "genocide."
09-Aug-10 - It appears that Glenn Beck enjoys the idea of comparing black people to monkeys. Beck's latest rant featured him comparing President Barack Obama's America to "the damn 'Planet of the Apes.'"
03-Aug-10 - South Africa's Dudu Tshabalala, a once-high flying executive, now says that she is being ostracized for speaking up against racial injustices at L'Oreal.
05-Aug-10 - Dr. Cornel West apparently has a bone to pick with President Barack Obama. Over time, the good Dr. West has become increasingly vocal in his critique of Obama, and even went as far as to say that Obama treated him "like a cub scout."
05-Aug-10 - Actress Maia Campbell, who was just recently videotaped performing a host of alleged drug-induced antics on a California street, has been arrested, according to Young, Black and Fabulous.
04-Aug-10 - Omar Thornton's family added some details to early reports that he was the victim of workplace racism that was ignored by higher-ups at the company.
