The President did the right thing. The Constitution guarantees the rights to build a place of worship on private land - whatever the religion.
On a practical/political level, may be the President could have kept to the sidelines. I would have been disappointed if he had not sided with the mosque building. --Ram On Fri, Aug 13, 2010 at 10:35 PM, Dilip and Dil Deka <[email protected]>wrote: > This and other actions of president Obama will cost him the 2012 reelection > but > he spoke from his heart and from his training as a constitutional lawyer. > Now > that the backers of the mosque have got recognition, the proper thing for > them > would be to give up the fight for the spot near ground zero if they want to > see > Obama reelected in 2012. > The average American is not ready for the kind of vision that Obama has and > I > can predict you will not hear the end of political discussions on this for > the > next few weeks. > My support to Obama on this does not mean I endorse him for 2012 - this is > senator Deka speaking from Texas. :-) > Obama backs mosque near ground zero > * * AP – ** RETRANSMISSION TO CORRECT DATE OF ATTACK ** > President Barack > Obama hosts an iftar dinner, the meal … > > > By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer Erica Werner, Associated Press > Writer – > 50 mins ago > WASHINGTON – 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 sho 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. > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
