Freedom of Religion ... unless that is; you are a Muslim.

[DuncanONeil]

[QUOTE=TantricSoul;883304]http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100808/...que_opposition


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Should NY not allow the Mosque to be built there? Why not?

I do not think this mosque should be built in this location. Shold they be allowed to build a mosque, yes. But I do have problems with the insistence on the location. The Imam or the board, or whatever, insists; that it must be in Lower Manhattan, that this is the only available location, no other properties are availble.
The stated reason for Lower Manhattan may be laudable but in spite of that it is at the same time insensitive. That same insistence can lead to further outbreaks of emotion. If the goal is to smooth over what happened why aggravate those you are trying to teach? I have learned that the majority of Muslims in NY actually live in Brooklyn. Traveling downtown to this mosque is likely to be minimal. It is said that such travel woulds actually take these worshipers past more than one other large mosque, further limiting the attendance. This information calls into question the requirement for a Muslim house of worship in Lower Manhattan. June vacancy rates for Manhattan is reported as 10%. In itself that means only that there are vacant spaces. Further; "a recent survey by the self-advocacy organization Picture the Homeless and the Manhattan Borough President's Office found 1,723 vacant buildings and 505 unused lots right in the heart of the Big, rent-gobbling Apple."

But what about the projects and incidents mentioned in the story above?

All of the incidents outside of the one mosque in NYC are deplorable. But I wonder how many of them are a result of the actions occurring in NYC?

Is that as understandable as the tensions in NY?

No! They are not as understandable as NYC. But as I said they may be a result of the intransigence in NYC.

I am curious and would like to see this issue from some other viewpoints.


Respectfully,
Tantric