"Ground Zero Mosque" (GZM) - 2

OK, let's clear this up. The "Ground Zero Mosque" is neither at ground zero, nor is it a mosque. It is two blocks north and around a corner. Other buildings block the view so it cannot be seen from ground zero, nor can you see GZ from it. Someone put up a video of the 2+ minute walk from GZ to the building site. Within seconds, you've completely lost any sense of a space and you're on what looks like a typical sort of grungy street in lower Manhattan.

Like many other buildings in the area, it is to be a 13 story building, with a prayer room on the upper two floors. No minarets, no muezzin calling the faithful to prayer. A community center, with classrooms, performing arts auditorium, swimming pool, basketball court. Sounds pretty American, doesn't it?

And the imam, who has been a respected religious leader in New York for 30 years and is heading it up, is a U.S. citizen and has been consulted by the FBI for sensitivity training for its agents and for counterterrorism advice. Newt was just dead wrong when he called them "radical Islamists."

To Glen Beck, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, GOP politicians, etc. who are outraged that the GZ "hallowed ground" will be violated, what about these little inconvenient facts:

1. Another 2 blocks away there is a strip club. As Bob Cesca of HP writes: "I'm not sure how lap dances are less offensive than a religious community center."

2. There is already a Muslim prayer hall even closer to GZ that has been a peaceful meeting place for praying even before the WTC was built there, and it continues. No one has ever complained of terrorist activity originating there.

3. In the actual ground zero space -- that is the actual ground where the towers collapsed and where people actually died, which might actually be said to be hallowed by their sacrifice -- there is going to be a 55,000 sq ft mall of retail shops. So I guess all the critics think it's fine to go shopping on the actual ground site where they died -- maybe buy a bikini or a bottle of whiskey, things that are offensive to Muslims -- but it's a sacrilege to have a place two blocks away where prayer and interfaith cooperation are fostered.

Americans and their misplaced values !! How offensive to Muslims this whole thing must be. How cynical and insensitive it must make us look to the world -- who can easily see how this issue is being exploited and manipulated for crass political gain -- or radio listener ratings.

It does not do us proud. It does not make us look mature. It certainly does not make us look noble.

Ralph