America’s Ideals Are Being Challenged By Cordoba House Controversy - updated 9/1/10

Sheila Musaji

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America’s Ideals Are Being Challenged By Cordoba House Controversy

by Sheila Musaji

I have been closely following this story since last December when the ASMA Society and Cordoba Initiative announced plans to build an Islamic Center on a site in NYC, two blocks from ground zero.

There wasn’t much concern about the project until this summer, when the steady and monotonous claims and attacks by a few Islamophobes reached some sort of critical mass and burst into the mainstream media.  This anti-Muslim sentiment has become a torrent of vicious rhetoric aimed at everything Islamic and everyone Muslim.  It is not only this mosque, but mosques across the U.S. that are now being protested and worse

At this point, the groundwork had been laid for making anti-Muslim sentiment “respectable”.  It is now perfectly acceptable for anyone at all to make public statements that would be considered shocking and shameful if used about any other minority group, other than Muslims.

The hate campaign that has been waged against Islam and Muslims by a certain extremist segment of the American population has seen no parallel since the anti-Semitic hate campaign against Jews in Europe in the 1930’s and 1940’s.  This hate campaign is evil, but it has been extremely successful.  American Muslims have become “the other”, not to be trusted, not good Americans.

At this point, there is no win-win scenario possible, only a lose-lose.  Whether the Cordoba House project continues as planned at this location, or whether Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and Daisy Khan agree to some compromise by changing the location - either way, the firestorm of anti-Muslim hatred has already done its damage.  The animosity towards Islam and Muslims that was simmering under the surface of American society has now been openly and even enthusiastically accepted as a reasonable and acceptable part of the American worldview.  The plan for the Cordoba House did not cause this anti-Muslim firestorm, it simply brought the smoldering embers out into the open, and allowed a few individuals to fan the flames.  Although the extent of this anti-Muslim sentiment is alarming, it is perhaps a good thing that it has been brought out into the open where it can be exposed. 

Whether or not any American Muslim is for or against, or simply confused about this project - the fact is that we are affected by the controversy that is swirling around it, and the claims and counter claims being made.  At this point we are required to deal with the reality of the situation as it has developed.

If the Cordoba House project goes ahead as planned, those who have been influenced by the propoganda are likely to see it as an act of “hostility” or “supremacism” or any of the other derogatory terms that have been used. 

If the Cordoba House/ Park 51 project is moved to some other location in order to appease the voices of bigotry, that would only prove to a majority of Muslims, both in the U.S. and around the world — that any Muslim effort towards peace and understanding will be rejected, — that Muslims themselves are not considered to be American citizens who are equal to other citizens, — that the war on terror is not a war on al-Qaeda, but a war on Islam (this by the way is al-Qaeda’s “narrative”), — that the definition of what constitutes a “moderate Muslim” is unachievable even by someone like Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf or any Muslim who is not willing to burn the Qur’an and become a “former Muslim”.

If even Imam Feisal can be hung out to dry after 30 years devotion to interfaith effort and civic participation, then what does that say to other American Muslims?  Here is one quote from this accused “radical” given at a synagogue at a service in remembrance of Daniel Pearl:

We are here to assert the Islamic conviction of the moral equivalency of our Abrahamic faiths. If to be a Jew means to say with all one’s heart, mind and soul Shma` Yisrael, Adonai Elohenu Adonai Ahad; hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One, not only today I am a Jew, I have always been one, Mr. Pearl.

If to be a Christian is to love the Lord our God with all of my heart, mind and soul, and to love for my fellow human being what I love for myself, then not only am I a Christian, but I have always been one Mr. Pearl.

And I am here to inform you, with the full authority of the Quranic texts and the practice of the Prophet Muhammad, that to say La ilaha illallah Muhammadun rasulullah is no different.

It expresses the same theological and ethical principles and values.


If the Muslim community compromises or shows “sensitivity” to the prejudice and bigotry of others that could be seen as “proof” that somehow we have been made to see “the error of our ways” and to have accepted that we are all collectively responsible for the terrible tragedy of 9/11 in which all Americans were attacked by al-Qaeda (including American Muslims).

If the Muslim community compromises or capitulates, then we are showing the same disregard for the principles of freedom of religion (which is a “hallowed” principle) enshrined in our Constitution as these anti-Muslim extremists.  We would also be giving in to the al-Qaeda distortion of Islam which would deny religious freedom to others.  As M. Junaid Levesque-Alam in the brilliant article Bin Laden’s Rising Influence In America

The aversion to a proposed Muslim center near Ground Zero shows that it is Americans, not Muslims, whose thinking the terrorist leader has most successfully recast to his advantage.

The detractors strengthen and draw strength from bin Laden; their hot prejudice bolsters his assertion that America despises Islam and betrays an acceptance of his claim that he embodies the faith.

...The craving to affirm bin Laden’s view that America hates Muslims constitutes a foolish blunder, but what underlies it is worse: acceptance of bin Laden’s assertion that his perversion of Islamic teachings is the widely accepted, genuine article.

For while Osama and his acolytes have had some success (and a lot of help) in convincing Muslims that the United States despises Islam, his group has spectacularly failed to persuade Muslims that they should obliterate their diverse Islamic traditions and replace them with the dogma of the rigid Wahhabist sect.

... The danger behind this madness is clear: as the saying goes, perception is reality. The more the country comes to believe in paranoid lies about Muslims, the more easily it will slip into the kind of brutal religious war bin Laden desires. An anti-mosque fever is already sweeping the country as some take the anti-Cordoba logic to its natural conclusion: “If Muslims are too dangerous to be praying at Ground Zero, why should they be allowed to pray in my neighborhood, either?”

Do we simply cut and run in the face of bigotry?  Do we simply accept second class status?  Do we simply abandon the Constitution of the United States?

Where does it end when we as a society accept that bigotry and prejudice towards some of our citizens is acceptable?  I believe that this is a dangerous thought process and that it will lead us down a very slippery slope that will ultimately include other citizens as equally “acceptable” targets.  Akbar Ahmed notes that the pastor of the Dove World Outreach Church who is planning a “Burn the Qur’an Day” on September 11th has agreed when asked to do so in an internet podcast interview, to burn “a couple of copies of the Talmud” too.  Perhaps, if the Talmud is also burned, the ADL will reconsider its unconscionable position on the Cordoba House.  We already know that anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are closely linked.  Will Qur’an and Talmud burnings be enough, or will these same folks move on to the Book of Mormon, the Bhagavad Gita, or other books they don’t approve of?

Where does it end if we accept that this particular Islamic Center should be moved elsewhere?  Will the circle of “hallowed ground” in which Muslims are not to be tolerated extend blocks or miles outward from this site?  Will the mosque free zone become all of NYC, all of the State of New York, all of the East Coast, or all of the United States?

Where might it end if we accept the suggestion which has been made some of our elected representatives that Islam may not be a religion in the sense of other religions and therefore not protected by the Constitution.  Could this become a rallying cry for denying civil rights and citizenship to American Muslims?  If that is so, who is next? 

Where might it end if we accept that a “majority opinion” or bias in the society trumps the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and even common decency.  If the Civil Rights Movement had accepted this faulty premise, African-Americans would still be sitting at the back of the bus, and women would probably not be voting.

I believe that Benjamin Franklin’s statement applies to how the American Muslim community must face this situation They that give up essential liberty for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety.

At this point in history, I believe that whether we like it or not, we have as a community been placed in a position that requires us to stand and defend our rights as Americans and as human beings.  We need to do this for our sake, and for the sake of future generations of Americans - no matter what their religion.  Compromise in this instance would actually be appeasement, and it would really only provide temporary safety.  Ultimately, if American Muslims, or American Jews, or American Christians, or American atheists, or any Americans are not willing to stand for the ideals and principles of our country, then we are all in trouble.

This may be one of those moments in history when we need to decide if our ideals and principles are worth defending.  How we answer the question of what it means to be an American will certainly affect not only this generation but future generations.  We have to decide if the Constitution has any real meaning.


SEE ALSO: - article collection updated 9/1/2010

Note:  the best way to locate information in this article collection, or the article itself is to use the “Control-F” function to search for a particular word, name, etc. 

9/11 and Rosh Hashanah: Reconciling Abraham’s Families, Celebrating American Diversity, Rabbi Arthur Waskow http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/911_and_rosh_hashanah_reconciling_abrahams_families_celebrating_american_di/0018191 
9/11 Families Group Announces Support for Islamic Cultural Center in Lower Manhattan http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/05/20-10
30 mosques in 30 states for Ramadan 2010 http://30mosques.com/
9/11 Families Speak Out on Ground Zero Muslim Center http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/9-11-families-speak-out-on-ground-zero-muslim-center/19581141  and http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/08/05/patrick_backs_nyc_mosque_plan/?page=2 - Judith Keane who lost her husband http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/letters/hc-le-keane-mosque-0817-20100817,0,7313519.story
A Call to Conscience and a Reminder to the Muslims, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/a_call_to_conscience_and_a_reminder_to_the_muslims/
A CNN anchor expresses the crux of “mosque” opposition, Glenn Greenwald http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/08/16/cnn/index.html
A couple more thoughts on the Cordoba House, Matthew Yglesias http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/2010/08/a-couple-more-thoughts-on-cordoba-house/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+matthewyglesias+%28Matthew+Yglesias%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
‘A Deeply Felt Gesture of Compassion and Healing by Muslims’, Walter Ruby http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/21767/
A Modest Proposal for Charles Krauthammer , Daniel Luban http://www.lobelog.com/a-modest-proposal-for-charles-krauthammer/
A mosque maligned, Robert Wright http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/20/a-mosque-maligned/
A mosque near ground zero, Parvez Ahmed http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/76605
A rising global tide of xenophobia http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-a-rising-global-tide-of-xenophobia-2057128.html
A symbol of progress in Lower Manhattan, Joshua M. Z. Stanton and Zeeshan Suhail http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/06/a_symbol_of_progress_in_lower_manhattan.html
ADL condemns the very ‘anti-Muslim sentiment’ it contributes to, Alex Kane http://mondoweiss.net/2010/08/anti-defamation-league-condemns-the-very-%e2%80%98anti-muslim-sentiment%e2%80%99-it-contributes-to.html#more-24655
ADL redefines its mission statement, Sheila Musaji http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/adl/0018154
After Cordoba Controversy, It’s Time To Look In The Mirror, Michael O. Powell http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2010/08/22/8349/ 
Christiane Amanpour interview with Daisy Khan and Joy Levitt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3ra5qF26Sk&feature=search  and http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/video/debating-ground-islamic-center-11455250&tab=9482930&section=1206874&playlist=11455556
Amen to the Imam, Jack Hunter (U.S. policies statement response)  http://www.amconmag.com/tactv/2010/08/27/amen-to-the-imam/
America already is an Islamic society, John Kiser http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/07/america_already_is_an_islamic_society.html
America has disgraced itself, Peter Beinart http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-08-17/ground-zero-mosque-controversy-america-has-disgraced-itself/?cid=hp%3Amainpromo3
American anti-Muslim prejudice goes mainstream, Haroon Siddiqui http://www.thestar.com/article/852506—siddiqui-american-anti-muslim-prejudice-goes-mainstream
American Family Assoc. Calls for Blanket Ban on New Mosques http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/08/11/conservative-group-calls-for-blanket-ban-on-new-mosques/
American Islam, who is in charge?, Mark Bergen http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/3231/american_islam%3A_who_is_in_charge
Americans Hold Significant Anti-Muslim Prejudice, Marc Ambinder http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/08/americans-hold-significant-anti-muslim-prejudice/61587/
America’s “Good Muslims” Are Being Left Out to Dry , Abbas Barzegar http://www.huffingtonpost.com/abbas-barzegar/americas-good-muslims-are_b_686690.html
America’s Ideals Are Being Challenged By Cordoba House Controversy, Sheila Musaji http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/cordoba_house/0018179
America’s promise meant for everyone, Eboo Patel http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/eboo_patel/2010/08/hate_assailing_grace.html#more
America’s Taliban And the Ground Zero Mosque http://newsjunkiepost.com/2010/08/14/americas-taliban-and-the-ground-zero-mosque/
America’s trouble with Islam http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2010/08/27/americas-trouble-with-islam/
America’s Two Muslim Congressmen Cogitate on the New York Mosque and the State of Islam in the U.S.  http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/08/18/americas-two-muslim-congressmen-cogitate-on-the-new-york-mosque-and-the-state-of-islam-in-the-u-s/#ixzz0xZCfD2MF
Anti-Islam rhetoric today bears a disturbing resemblance to past anti-Jewish rhetoric, Aisha Musa (anti-Semitic) http://www.examiner.com/religion-politics-in-miami/anti-islam-rhetoric-today-bears-a-disturbing-resemblance-to-past-anti-jewish-rhetoric
Anti-Mosque Coalition’s Website Owned By Neo-Conservative Islamophobe Frank Gaffney http://thinkprogress.org/2010/08/24/gaffney-mosque-website/
Anti-Mosque Protester To TPM: Muslims Hate Dogs And America Too http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/07/tpm_talks_to_organizer_of_anti-mosque_protest_they.php
Anti-Mosque Sentiment in America: Lessons from Europe?, Todd Green http://www.huffingtonpost.com/todd-green-phd/anti-mosque-sentiment-in_b_659617.html
Anti-Muslim Is Anti-American , Salam al Marayati http://www.huffingtonpost.com/salam-al-marayati/anti-muslim-is-anti-ameri_b_660520.html
Anti-Muslim ranting puts our security at risk http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/ideas/2010/08/081710.html
Are we at war with Islam, William Saletan http://www.slate.com/id/2264046/
Are we trying to stop terrorism or appease bigots?, Robert Salaam http://theamericanmuslim.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1963:are-we-trying-to-stop-terrorism-or-appease-bigots&catid=250:politics
Karen Armstrong on the mosque controversy http://pulsemedia.org/2010/08/26/karen-armstrong-on-the-cordoba-house-initiative/
Attacking Muslims in vogue again among conservatives http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/21/glenn-beck-upset-that-mus_n_654214.html
Gary Bauer Officially Declares “Mosque Exclusion Zone” to Be 1.7 Miles http://www.religiousrightwatch.com/2010/08/gary-bauer-officially-declares-mosque-exclusion-zone-to-be-17-miles.html
Anne Bayefsky of the Hudson Institute Claims that the Cordoba Initiative is Part of an Iranian Plot, Eli Clifton http://www.lobelog.com/anne-bayefsky-claims-that-the-cordoba-initiative-is-part-of-an-iranian-plot/
BBC Radio - Shahed Amanullah vs Pamela Geller http://www.wikio.com/video/bbc-radio-ground-debate-geller-amanullah-3889144
Beck and Gerecht Call for Spanish Inquisition, American-style, Philip Smucker http://www.huffingtonpost.com/philip-smucker/beck-and-gerecht-call-for_b_679357.html
Glenn Beck, Imam Rauf Both Denounced Radical Islam In 2006 (VIDEO) , Ben Stein http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/23/mosque-defenders-step-up-_n_690945.html  when Beck appeared to call Rauf a “good Muslim” http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008230004
Beck asks, “[A]fter you’ve killed 3,000 people, you’re going to now build your mosque”? http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201008180027
Beck smears Rauf with falsehoods, innuendo and hypocrisy http://mediamatters.org/research/201008110039
Beck falsely claims Imam Rauf’s wife said “all Americans hate Muslims” http://mediamatters.org/research/201008240058
Beware anti-Muslim hysteria, Matthew Rothschild http://www.progressive.org/wx010410.html
Beware the anti-anti-Muslim backlash, http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/blog/?p=9746
Bigotry rears its ugly head, Eric Margolis http://www.lewrockwell.com/margolis/margolis201.html 
Boortz: Park51 “being built to commemorate a great victory over the United States on 9-11” http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201008310008
Build the Mosque; Help Defeat al Qaeda, Matthew Alexander http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-alexander/build-the-mosque-help-def_b_689086.html
Build the ‘Mosque’ or Burn the Qu’ran? It Hurts Some, But It Is Constitutional , Zareena Grewal http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zareena-a-grewal-phd/build-or-burn-it-hurts-so_b_690747.html
Burn, Witch, Burn!: America Rages Against Islam, Keith Johnson http://www.prisonplanet.com/burn-witch-burn-america-rages-against-islam.html 
Censoring Moderates Fuels Radicals http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leah-anthony-libresco/censoring-moderates-fuels_b_689719.html
Center an attempt to prevent the next 9/11, Feisal Abdul Rauf http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/feisal_abdul_rauf/2010/07/center_an_attempt_to_prevent_the_next_911.html
The Center Cannot Hold: Why the Mainstream Media Can’t Stop the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Hysteria http://www.thenation.com/blog/154077/center-cannot-hold-why-mainstream-media-cant-stop-ground-zero-mosque-hysteria
Charlton Heston’s ‘El Cid’: A Hero for Our Time , David Shasha http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-shasha/charlton-hestons-el-cid-a_b_679711.html
Choosing freedom over fear, Joshua Stanton http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/3879
Christian Nationalism’s War with Islam, Rev. Howard Bess http://www.consortiumnews.com/2010/082410b.html
Chronology of a Bizarre Controversy: Hurt Feelings and the Ground Zero Mosque, Gary Leupp http://www.counterpunch.org/leupp08192010.html
Columbia University estimated 600,000 Muslims living in NYC in 2005 http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/04/09/muslims.html
Condemning mosque, Gingrich echoed Mussolini, Ben Smith http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0810/Condemning_mosque_Gingrich_echoed_Mussolini.html?showall
Conservative media invent controversy over Rauf’s 9-11 comments http://mediamatters.org/research/201008130037
Conservatives continue to accuse NYC Islamic center imam of being a “secret radical” http://mediamatters.org/research/201008170048
The Controversy Over the NYC Mosque Shows We Really Don’t Know Each Other Well Enough , Shahnaz Taplin-Chinoy http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shahnaz-taplinchinoy/post_713_b_690113.html
Cordoba House, Robert chase http://www.intersectionsinternational.org/blog/2010/07/06/cordoba-house
Cordoba House: the acid test, Justin Raimondo http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2010/08/17/cordoba-house-the-acid-test/
Cordoba House and American values, Abdulrahman El-Sayed http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/aug/10/cordoba-9-11-mosque-religion-islam
Cordoba House, Ground Zero and the American fear of Islam, Mehnaz M. Afridi http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=5&article_id=115743#ixzz0sidBW2Fa
The Cordoba House, Degrees of Separation and the Common Good, Hasan Zillur Rahim http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_cordoba_house_degrees_of_separation_and_the_common_good/0018149
Cordoba House:  Hope From the Ashes of Tragedy, Sheila Musaji   http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/muslim_cultural_center_and_mosque/0018074 
Cordoba House: Missing the Message, Dr. Robert D. Crane http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/cordoba_house_missing_the_message/0018176 
‘Cordoba House’ controversy has one Pakistani American looking for a back-up plan, Saleema Gul http://mondoweiss.net/2010/08/cordoba-house-controversy-has-one-pakistani-american-looking-for-a-back-up-plan.html
CORDOBA INITIATIVE WEBSITE http://www.cordobainitiative.org/
CORDOBA INITIATIVE BLOG http://cordobainitiative.wordpress.com/
Cordoba Initiative Announces Mission to Sudan During Historic Elections http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/cordoba_initiative_announces_mission_to_sudan_during_historic_election/ 
Cordoba Initiative Unveils New Push in Sudan http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/cordoba_initiative_unveils_new_push_in_sudan/ 
Could opposition to Ground Zero mosque bolster the thing opponents fear? , Dan Murphy http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2010/0820/Could-opposition-to-Ground-Zero-mosque-bolster-the-thing-opponents-fear
COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE, FOOT-SHOOTING BIGOTRY, Steve Benen http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_08/025023.php
Dangerous religion, Gary Laderman http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/politics/3138/dangerous_religion
Nonie Darwish Perfects Double Speak, Sheila Musaji http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/nonie_darwish/0018158 
Dear Mr. President, are we still within the bounds of reasonable discourse?, Sheila Musaji
Defending the mosque, Joe Conason http://www.truth-out.org/joe-conason-defending-mosque62040
The Dems Who Have Spoken For Cordoba House http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/the-dems-who-have-spoken-for-cordoba-house.php 
Discussion of the issues by American University professor Akbar Ahmed, Muqtedar Khan of the University of Delaware, Salon.com reporter Justin Elliott, and counterterrorism expert Brian Fishman (audio) http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/2010/08/26/the-fallout-over-the-controversy-surrounding-the-proposed-muslim-cultural-center-and-mosque-in-new-york/
Do Muslims have equal rights?, John Esposito http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/john_esposito/2010/08/do_muslims_have_equal_rights.html
The Downtown Mosque and America’s Moment of Shame, Charles Cooper http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504365_162-20014345-504365.html
Dove World Outreach Christian Center “Hate to the World”, “Burn a Qur’an”, Sheila Musaji http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/dove_world_outreach_christian_center_christmas_message_hate_to_the_wor/0017795
Eid al-Fitr, 9/11, and my status in America, Sami Kishawi http://mondoweiss.net/2010/08/eid-al-fitr-911-and-my-status-in-america.html
The enemy within, Ellis Weiner http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellis-weiner/the-enemy-within_b_694438.html
Equating Islam with terror won’t win hearts, minds, Bob Seltzer http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/50173782-82/islamic-military-mosque-terror.html.csp
European Islamophobia Finds A Home In The U.S., Reza Aslan http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129381552
FACEBOOK PAGE for Cordoba House http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cordoba-Initiative/134998249864725 
Facts don’t calm debate over New York Islamic center http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/20/1785186/facts-dont-calm-debate-over-new.html#ixzz0xC7RJGGc
Faith at ground zero http://www.forward.com/articles/128333/
Fallout of Hate Is Spreading Across America from “Ground Zero”, Joshua Holland (anti-mosque incidents) http://www.alternet.org/rights/147920/fallout_of_hate_is_spreading_across_america_from_%22ground_zero%22/
FAQ by CORDOBA INITIATIVE http://www.cordobainitiative.org/?q=content/frequently-asked-questions
Fear itself, Noah Millman http://www.theamericanscene.com/2010/07/22/fear-itself
First Amendment Rights Are For Christians Only!, http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/first-amendment-rights-are-christians-only
Five myths about mosques in America, Edward E. Curtis IV http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/26/AR2010082605510.html?hpid=topnews
For critics of Islam,“sharia” becomes shorthand for extremism, Michelle Boorstein http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/25/AR2010082504298.html?sid=ST2010082506505
For Shame! Fear Is Back, with a Vengeance, James Zogby http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/for_shame_fear_is_back_with_a_vengeance/0018189 
Forgiveness, fear, and the mosque at ground zero, Julie Clawson http://blog.sojo.net/2010/06/08/forgiveness-fear-and-the-mosque-at-ground-zero/
Former Muslims United Freedom Pledge Against Punishment for Apostasy a “Red Herring”, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/freedom_pledge_against_apostasy/
FOX Failed To Mention Co-Owner Is One They Accuse Of ‘Terror Funding’ (VIDEO)  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/23/stewart-fox-prince-alwaleed_n_692234.html?ir=Media
Fox News shareholder funded ‘Ground Zero mosque’ imam http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0821/fox-shareholder-funded-mosque-imam/ 
Fox’s Peter Johnson: New York Muslims should “give up their rights” in order to be “good neighbors” http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201008200005
Freedom of Religion Means Freedom for All , Laurie Lebo http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/laurilebo/3080/freedom_of_religion_means_freedom_for_all
Abe Foxman’s “Irrational Or Bigoted” Positions , Daniel Schultz http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/danielschultz/3076/abe_foxman%27s_%22irrational_or_bigoted%22_positions/
Geller falsely claims Imam Rauf made comment blaming “the Jews” for 9-11 http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008110017
Geller, Spencer, & the Cordoba House: Fear and Loathing in New York, Sheila Musaji http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/geller_spencer_the_cordoba_house_fear_and_loathing_in_new_york/0018148
Pamela Geller, ‘Queen Of Muslim Bashers,’ At Center Of N.Y. ‘Mosque’ Debate , Daniel Burke http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/20/pamela-gellerqueen-of-mus_n_689709.html
Gingrich And God: Newt’s Nasty Letter Masks An Even Scarier Agenda http://blog.au.org/2010/07/30/gingrich-and-god-newt%E2%80%99s-nasty-letter-masks-an-even-scarier-agenda/
Newt Gingrich and theocracy, Jonathan Chait http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/76468/newt-gingrich-and-theocracy
Newt Gingrich: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Adam Serwer http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/adam_serwer_archive?month=07&year=2010&base_name=imitation_is_the_sincerest_for
Newt Gingrich: this week in crazy, Alex Pareene http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/07/24/this_week_crazy_newt_gingrich/index.html
Newt Gingrich: opposition to mosque doesn’t add up http://www.masslive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/07/editorial_opposition_to_nyc_mo.html
Great irony in outcry over Ground Zero mosque, Welton Gaddy http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/c_welton_gaddy/2010/07/great_irony_in_outcry_over_ground_zero_mosque.html
Ground zero dialogue website http://www.groundzerodialogue.org/
‘Ground Zero’ Imam: ‘I Am a Jew, I Have Always Been One’, Jeffrey Goldberg http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/08/ground-zero-imam-i-am-a-jew-i-have-always-been-one/61761/
‘Ground Zero Mosque’: A Conservative Undermines His Own Crusade, David Corn (USCIRF and Leonard Leo) http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/08/24/ground-zero-mosque-controversy-a-conservative-undermines-his/
“Ground Zero Mosque” Foes Bankrolled By Feds: US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCRIF) http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/08/commission-international-religious-freedom-ground-zero-mosque
‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Imam Helped FBI With Counterterrorism Efforts, Sam Stein http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/17/ground-zero-imam-helped-f_n_685071.html
Ground zero mosque? Fears vs values, Robert Salaam http://theamericanmuslim.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1951:qground-zero-mosqueq-a-lesson-in-islamophobia&catid=249:islam
Ground Zero Mosque a 17th Century football, Jeff Siddiqui   http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/ground_zero_mosque_a_17th_century_football/0018175
Ground Zero Mosque: Extremist ‘Pilgrimage’ Destination? An Interview With Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf , Joseph Ward III http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-ward-iii/ground-zero-mosque-extrem_b_657122.html 
‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Controversy and the Pitfalls of the Interfaith Dialogue Movement, David Shasha http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-shasha/pitfalls-of-the-interfait_b_687321.html
‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Debate Officially Ridiculous: New Protest Song Hits The Web (VIDEO)  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/20/stop-the-mosque-at-ground-zero_n_689635.html
‘Ground Zero mosque’? The reality is less provocative, Charlie Booker http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/23/charlie-brooker-ground-zero-mosque
Ground Zero Mosque Opponents Have a Lot of Work to Do , Bob Cesca http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/ground-zero-mosque-oppone_b_685164.html
Ground Zero Religious Freedom: Those ‘Unalienable Rights’ include the First Amendment, Michael Carmichael http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=20222 
The Ground Zero-sum Game, Reuven Firestone http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/atheologies/3176/the_ground_zero-sum_game__
Ground Zero’s Slave Graves, Jen Phillips (sacred ground) http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/08/ground-zero-was-built-graves-slaves
Groundless http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/groundless
Growing Anti-Mosque Hysteria in the Heart of America,  Louay M. Safi http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/77464
Hannity falsely claims Imam Rauf wants to “shred our Constitution” http://mediamatters.org/research/201008130002
Hannity distorts Rauf’s words to fearmonger about Sharia law http://mediamatters.org/research/201008260002
Sen. Orrin Hatch stands up for center http://www.politico.com/blogs/maggiehaberman/0810/Hatch_stands_up_for_Park51.html
Rabbi Marvin Hier, Opponent Of Cordoba House Is Building A Museum On Top Of A Muslim Cemetery In Jerusalem http://thinkprogress.org/2010/08/06/marvin-hier-museum/
How Arabs view the anti-mosque movement, Marc Lynch http://lynch.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/08/25/us_anti_islam_movement_angering_mainstream_arabs_not_extremists
How can we view Muslims as Americans?, Asma T. Uddin http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/3856
How Liberal Mosque Defenders Are Playing into the Hands of the Islamophobes, Aisha Ghani http://www.alternet.org/story/147952/how_liberal_mosque_defenders_are_playing_into_the_hands_of_the_islamophobes
How the “ground zero mosque” fear mongering began, Justin Elliott http://www.salon.com/news/ground_zero_mosque/?story=/politics/war_room/2010/08/16/ground_zero_mosque_origins
Hurt Feelings and the Ground Zero Mosque: Chronology of a Bizarre Controversy, Gary Leupp (timeline, sensitivity question) http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/gary-leupp/30898/hurt-feelings-and-the-ground-zero-mosque-chronology-of-a-bizarre-controversy
I am a Muslimarican, Qasim Basir http://www.huffingtonpost.com/qasim-basir/muslimerican_b_685553.html?ref=fb&src=sp#sb=1174902,b=facebook
Imam At Center Of ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Controversy Assisted Bush-Era State Department With Outreach To Muslims , Jason Linkins http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/12/imam-at-center-of-ground_n_680513.html
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf Speaks out against terrorist attacks in London http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/imam_feisal_abdul_rauf_speaks_out_against_terrorist_attacks_in_london/
Imam Feisal Rauf, the Washington Times, and the Global Peace Festival, Richard Bartholomew http://barthsnotes.wordpress.com/2010/08/19/feisal-rauf-the-washington-times-and-the-global-peace-festival/
Imam Feisal and former Archbishop Lord Carey Call for Calm after Offensive Danish Cartoons http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/imam_feisal_and_former_archbishop_lord_carey_call_for_calm_after_offensive/ 
ImamFeisal Rauf: Ground Zero’s lightning rod, Paul Harris http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2010/aug/29/feisal-rauf-ground-zero-mosque
If He Could, Bin Laden Would Bomb the Cordoba Initiative, Jeffrey Goldberg http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/08/if-he-could-bin-laden-would-bomb-the-cordoba-initiative/60833/
In Defense of Feisal Abdul-Rauf, Hussein Rashid http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/husseinrashid/3223/in_defense_of_feisal_abdul-rauf/
In some ways Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is Arabic for Shirley Sherrod, Jay Bookman In some ways, ‘Feisal Abdul Rauf’ is Arabic for ‘Shirley Sherrod’
Interview with Sharif El Gamal - the developer, Aziz Poonawalla http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/3866
Interview with Daisy Khan, Sally Quinn http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/sally_quinn/2010/08/daisy_khan_when_will_muslims_be_accepted.html?hpid=topnews
Interview with Jack Shaheen - more leadership needed http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/68131
Is Anti-Muslim Fervor Just Latest Fear?, Andrea Stone http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/experts-say-anti-muslim-fervor-is-latest-chapter-in-us-saga-of-misunderstanding/19600143
Is Islam a primary driver or cause of terrorism?, John Esposito http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/john_esposito/2010/08/is_islam_a_primary_driver_or_cause_of_terrorism.html
Is Mosque Hysteria Being Ginned Up to Bolster Support for the Disastrous Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq?, Phyllis Bennis http://www.alternet.org/story/147961/is_mosque_hysteria_being_ginned_up_to_bolster_support_for_the_disastrous_wars_in_afghanistan_and_iraq
Is Sharia law reconcilable with modernity?, Sh. Ali Gomaa http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/08/is_sharia_law_reconcilable_with_modernity.html
Islam already lives near ground zero http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gS7TE8pvuDxKMyat8RwtXh0A2KOQD9HM4IP81
The Islamic Center and the “Pearl Harbor” Analogy, Scott Kurashige http://www.juancole.com/2010/08/kurashige-the-islamic-center-and-the-%e2%80%9cpearl-harbor%e2%80%9d-analogy.html
Islamic center’s struggle echoes that of African-Americans, Imam Johari Abdul-Malik http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/08/29/abdul-malik.pulpit.series/index.html?hpt=T2
Islamism is not Islam, Maajid Nawaz http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703959704575453211943767790.html
Islamophobia and the Muslim center at Ground Zero, John L. Esposito http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/07/19/esposito.muslim.center/index.html 
Islamophobia in America: Where do we go from here?, John L. Esposito http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-l-esposito/islamophobia-in-america-w_b_690613.html
Islamophobia in New York, Redux: We should have seen the ‘ground zero’ furor coming, Alex Kane http://mondoweiss.net/2010/08/islamophobia-in-new-york-redux-we-should-have-seen-the-ground-zero-furor-coming.html
Islamophobia no longer questioned - even by our elected representatives, Sheila Musaji (collection of anti-Muslim statements by politicians, regularly updated)  http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/islamophobia_no_longer_even_questioned/0018124
Israel and America’s Mosque Hysteria, M.J. Rosenberg http://www.alternet.org/world/147888/israel_and_america’s_mosque_hysteria
It’s about the community, stupid, Abed Bhuyan http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/3922
It’s not about the mosque! It’s America’s war on “the Other.”, Will Bunch http://mediamatters.org/print/blog/201008180079
It’s Okay to Offend the Bigotry of Bigots http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/66181
Jewish vigil supporting Muslim cultural center in Lower Manhattan, Rabbi Arthur Waskow http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/jewish_vigil_supporting_muslim_cultural_center_in_lower_manhattan/0018161 
Just How Far Is the “Ground Zero Mosque” From Ground Zero? , Matt Sledge http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-sledge/just-how-far-is-the-groun_b_660585.html
Daisy Khan epitomizes Islam’s modernizing voice http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0823/Wife-of-ground-zero-mosque-imam-epitomizes-Islam-s-modernizing-voice
Suhail Khan exposes Pam Geller and other insane Muslim haters on the Rachel Maddow program http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbZfdiLNzXU&feature=player_embedded#
Kilmeade blames anti-Muslim rage in Tennessee on Muslims in New York http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008240020
Kilmeade asks if “Islamic community” is “gloating” by building Islamic community center near Ground Zero http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201005260006
Lack of national Muslim leadership seen in NY furor, Daniel Trotta http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67O59T20100825?type=domesticNews 
The Leadership Failure of Park51, Hussein Rashid http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/husseinrashid/3184/the_leadership_failure_of_park51__ 
Lie About Auschwitz Fuels Park51 Hysteria, Jeffrey Feldman http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-feldman/lie-about-auschwitz-fuels_b_688070.html
Limbaugh calls Islamic cultural center “a victory monument at Ground Zero” http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201008170036
Looking for common ground in lower Manhattan, Parvez Ahmed http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/3884
Making Islamophobia Mainstream: How Muslim-bashers broadcast their bigotry, Steve Rendall and Isabel Macdonald http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3648
Mayor Bloomberg’s remarks at Iftar dinner http://thepage.time.com/bloomberg-remarks-at-iftar-dinner/
Meme of which we shall not speak http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2010/08/ground-zero_mosque_0
Minority groups and their position on Cordoba House, Robert Salaam http://theamericanmuslim.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1959:minority-groups-position-on-cordoba-house&catid=250:politics
The “Mosque controversy” demonstrates how passive and unorganized the Arab and Muslim Americans truly are, Hussein Ibish http://www.ibishblog.com/blog/hibish/2010/08/20/%E2%80%9Cmosque_controversy%E2%80%9D_demonstrates_how_passive_and_unorganized_arab_and_muslim
Mosque debate is not a distraction, Glenn Greenwald http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/08/23/park51/index.html 
Mosque fight helps al-Qaeda, Ali Soufan http://blog.washingtonpost.com/spy-talk/2010/08/mosque_fight_helps_al-qaeda_sa.html
Mosque on solid legal ground, Casey Seiler http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Mosque-on-solid-legal-ground-591663.php
The ‘Mosque’ Saga: Republican Racists, Media Scumbags and Hypocrites, Democratic and Republican, Dave Lindorff http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/node/173
Mosque-erade: what political courage looks like, Glenn Greenwald http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/08/17/courage/index.html
Mosque-Issippi Burning, Amy Goodman http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/08/18-1
Mosque Mania: Anti-Muslim Fears and the Far Right, Stephan Salisbury http://www.truth-out.org/mosque-mania-anti-muslim-fears-and-far-right62175
Mosque Uprising: Islam and the emerging religious threat to our Constitution, William Saletan   http://www.slate.com/id/2263208/
Mosques and Mount Rushmore: The debate over what’s sacred, Simon Moya-Smith http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/mosques_and_mount_rushmore_the_debate_over_whats_sacred/0018202 
Mosques, Muslims, and America in darkness, William Rivers Pitt http://www.truth-out.org/mosques-muslims-and-america-darkness62409
Mosque’s Name (Cordoba) Isn’t Code for Islamic Conquest, Christa Brown http://www.ethicsdaily.com/news.php?viewStory=16583
Moving Away from Ground Zero, Hasan Zillur Rahim http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/moving_away_from_ground_zero/0018190 
MPAC calls on NY Gov Paterson to retract offensive, misleading statement about Muslims (Shia) http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/mpac_calls_on_ny_governor_to_retract_offensive_misleading_statement_about_m/0018194
Muslim-rooted Center in Lower Manhattan: Is it Right? Is it Wise?, Rabbi Arthur Waskow http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/muslim-rooted_center_in_lower_manhattan_is_it_right_is_it_wise/0018177
Muslimah Writers Alliance Director Requests Federal Action Against Islamophobia, Aishah Schwartz http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/muslimah_writers_alliance_director_requests_federal_action_against_islamoph/0018208
Muslims are coming, Ashraf Ezzat http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/08/21/the-muslims-are-coming/
Muslims keep out: Republican campaign against mosque, William Saletan (anti-Muslim quotes) http://www.slate.com/id/2262495/
Muslims pray daily at the Pentagon http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/19/muslims-pray-daily-80-fee_n_686870.html
MY FAITH MY VOICE American Muslim voices PSA website http://myfaithmyvoice.com/index.php
My final word on Park 51, Aziz Poonawalla http://blog.beliefnet.com/cityofbrass/2010/08/my-final-word-on-park51-2.html
Naseeb Vibes interview with Imam eisal Abdul Rauf - Toleration as a Hallmark http://www.naseeb.com/naseebvibes/interview-detail.php?aid=4523&pg=1&PHPSESSID=cd28fc7dedb37796931814bcd45b807b
The New anti-Semitism, Daniel Luban http://www.tabletmag.com/news-and-politics/43069/the-new-anti-semitism-2/2/
The New anti-Semitism, Adam Horowitz http://mondoweiss.net/2010/08/the-new-anti-semitism.html
New Islamophobia in action, Daniel Luban http://www.lobelog.com/the-new-islamophobia-in-action/ 
“New York, Battle Ground or Common Ground: Building of Mosque Center near Ground Zero in Manhattan”? Lessons from Sarajevo and insight for Americans. Please find link to interview with Amb. Muhamed “mo” Sacirbey Parts 1 & 2 http://diplomaticallyincorrecttv.com/films/s/New_York_Battle_Ground_or_Common_Ground_Mosque_Near_Ground_Zero_Part_1/21305  http://diplomaticallyincorrecttv.com/films/s/New_York_Battle_Ground_or_Common_Ground_Part_2_Mosque_Near_Ground_Zero_/21306
New York Neighbors for American Values coalition formed http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/25/nation/la-na-ny-mosque-20100826  and New York Neighbors for American Values
NYC Mosque This Month’s New ‘Scare White People’ Story, Rachel Maddow http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/rachel-maddow-nyc-mosque-this-months-new-scare-white-people-story.php
No compromise on religious freedom, Richard Cohen http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/23/AR2010082303744.html
‘No Mosques at Ground Zero’ - Is this the next battle cry for the soul of America?, Abdul Cader Asmal http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/no_mosques_at_ground_zero_-_is_this_the_next_battle_cry_for_the_soul_o/0018160
No Space for American Islam? , Mark Bergen http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/politics/3079/no_space_for_american_islam
Not all 9/11 families oppose the mosque http://www.citylimits.org/conversations/111/mosque-debate-religious-intolerance
Nothing to see here: Right-wing media dismiss notion of nationwide “Islamophobia” http://mediamatters.org/research/201008260020
Pres. Obama’s remarks for White House Iftar Dinner http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/pres._obamas_remarks_for_white_house_iftar_dinner/0018165
Mr. Obama… Are You Out There?, Jessica Corry http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-corry/mr-obamaare-you-out-there_b_697132.html
Obama under pressure in test of principle that could define his presidency, Rupert Cornwell http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/obama-under-pressure-in-test-of-principle-that-could-define-his-presidency-2058051.html
Obamaphobia and Islamophobia Revisited, Sheila Musaji http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/obama1/0017747
The “Obamosque” Smears and the Money Fueling Them, Sarah Posner http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/sarahposner/3170/the_%E2%80%9Cobamosque%E2%80%9D_smears_and_the_money_fueling_them
Of Mosques and Cartoons, Richard Bulliet (sensitivity)  http://www.agenceglobal.com/Article.asp?Id=2402
Keith Olbermann Mocks Obama Muslim Conspiracy Theorists With Apocalyptic Video http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/24/keith-olbermann-mocks-oba_n_692183.html
Keith Olbermann: Wave of religious intolerance sweeps the U.S. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyozgmCARbc
Ted Olson, Former Bush Solicitor General And Husband Of 9/11 Victim, Backs Obama On ‘Ground Zero Mosque’  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/18/liz-cheneys-keep-america-_n_686697.html
On the Wing and a Victimhood, Eugene Robinson http://www.truth-out.org/eugene-robinson-on-wing-and-a-victimhood62592
Opposition to Muslims and mosques grows in U.S. racist caldron, Ray Hanania http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/opposition_to_muslims_and_mosques_grows_in_u.s._racist_caldron/0018166 
The original mosque at ground zero, Aziz Poonawalla http://blog.beliefnet.com/cityofbrass/2010/08/the-original-mosque-at-ground.html
O’Reilly launches whinefest when NYC mosque bashers get called out for their bigotry. Then Rove compares Muslims to neo-Nazis, David Neiwert http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/oh-wah-bill-oreilly-launches-whinefe
O’Reilly pushes fake controversy over Imam Rauf’s 9-11 comments, says “he is no friend to America” http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201008180068
Our mosque madness, Maureen Dowd http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/opinion/18dowd.html?_r=2
Pandering over a mosque, Eugene Robinson http://www.truth-out.org/eugene-robinson-pandering-over-a-mosque62365
Paranoid politics: the denial of Islamophobia, Jillian York http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jillian-york/paranoid-politics-the-den_b_659497.html
Park 51 and the roots of Islamophobia, Sarah Posner http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/sarahposner/3148/park51_and_the_roots_of_islamophobia
Park51 Should Not Be Complicated for Jews, Nancy Fuchs Kreimer http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-fuchs-kreimer/park51-should-not-be-comp_b_690452.html?ref=fb&src=sp
Parsing the Record of Feisal Abdul Rauf, Anne Barnard (issues raised by critics and responses) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/nyregion/22imamfacts.html?_r=1
Pawlenty, Ellison wade into growing mosque debate http://www.startribune.com/politics/100164504.html
Pentagon and Capitol Building: two largest mosques in the world, Robert Salaam http://theamericanmuslim.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1968:the-pentagon-and-capital-building-two-of-the-largest-mosques-in-america&catid=250:politics
POLLS - New PEW poll probes what Americans think, or know, about Islam http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2010/08/islam-muslims-park51-ground-zero-mosque-pew-forum/1  -  new Quinnipiac University poll http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/Poll-Finds-Most-New-Yorkers-Still-Want-Mosque-Project-Moved-101866418.html  - Newsweek poll Majority Of GOP Believes Obama Sympathizes With Islamic Fundamentalism, Wants Worldwide Islamic Law http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/30/obama-islamic-fundamentalist-gop-polled-majority-says_n_699883.html
Polling aside, it’s not a mosque, it’s a right http://downtownexpress.com/de_376/editorial.html 
Pray for the Opponents of the Community Center in NYC , Robert Salaam http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/pray_for_the_opponents_of_the_community_center_in_nyc/0018201
Pride and Prejudice at Park51, Muqtedar Khan http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/pride_and_prejudice_at_park51/0018187Pro-Israel extremists have campaigned against an Islamic cultural center before (Roxbury Mosque), Jeff Klein http://mondoweiss.net/2010/08/pro-israel-extremists-have-campaigned-against-an-islamic-cultural-center-before.html
Protests, Rhetoric Feed Jihadists’ Fire , Jonathan Weisman http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703589804575445841837725272.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Pull the Plug on US Commission on International Religious Freedom USCIRF?, Steve Clemons http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/23/pull_the_plug_on_us_commission_on_international_re/
Q & A on the proposed center http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2010/08/qa_on_the_proposed_islamic_cen.html
Question Amidst Anti-Mosque Flare-Up: What’s The Deal With That Church?, Ryan Reilly http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/question_amidst_mosque_flair-up_what_about_the_gro.php
Racists live in a world of interchangeable people , Neil Steinberg http://www.suntimes.com/news/steinberg/2556458,CST-NWS-stein02.article
“Radical”? In 2004, Imam Rauf said Muslims identify with GOP’s “personal values and its family values” http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008230013
Religious freedom, hypocrisy clash at Ground Zero, Diana Narciso http://www.examiner.com/x-47473-Rationalism-Examiner~y2010m7d21-Hypocrites-at-Ground-Zero
Religious Freedom, Free Speech Face Off Nationwide, David Schaper   http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129330121 
Report from ground zero protest, Zach Morris http://mondoweiss.net/2010/08/report-from-ground-zero.html#more-24324
Responding to the Toxic Anti-Islamic Fervor Growing in This Nation, Kevin Gosztola http://www.opednews.com/articles/Responding-to-the-Toxic-An-by-Kevin-Gosztola-100826-778.html
Response to the Foiled New York Terror Plot, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/response_to_the_foiled_new_york_terror_plot/
Rethinking Sudan: Problems Remain but There are Opportunities for the US-Sudan Relationship, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/rethinking_sudan_problems_remain_but_there_are_opportunities_for_the_us-sud/ 
Reviving us vs. them politics http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/21/reviving-us-versus-them-politics.html
Right-wing media smear Park51 as potential haven for terrorists http://mediamatters.org/research/201008200033
Right-wing media falsely declares Imam’s Middle East trip a “taxpayer-funded fundraising jaunt” http://mediamatters.org/research/201008110018
The Rise of Intolerance Against Muslim Americans, Salam al Marayati http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_rise_of_intolerance_against_muslim_americans/0018180
Runnymede Trust: eight components that define Islamophobia http://www.islamophobia-watch.com/islamophobia-a-definition/
Say yes to a mosque at ground zero, Kelly Caldwell http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-caldwell/say-yes-to-a-mosque-at-gr_b_653652.html
Sensitive Conservatism: Is a mosque near Ground Zero “insensitive”?, William Saletan http://www.slate.com/id/2264754/
Separation of Church and Hate: The Kate Mosque Solution, Greg Palast http://www.gregpalast.com/separation-of-church-and-hatethe-kate-mosque-solution/
Shame on ADL for opposing Mosque 2 blocks from Ground Zero, Rabbi Michael Lerner http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/shame_on_adl_for_opposing_mosque_2_blocks_from_ground_zero/0018159
Shame on America, Jews and the ADL, Rabbi Bruce Warshal http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/shame_on_america_jews_and_the_adl/0018207
Sharing the core of our beliefs, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/sharing_the_core_of_our_beliefs/
SoCal interfaith leaders support Islamic center near ground zero http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_15841352
Statements of Support for Muslim Civil Rights: Interfaith and Government Communities http://www.isna.net/articles/News/Statements-of-Support-for-Muslim-Civil-Rights-Interfaith-and-Government-Communities.aspx
Jon Stewart is a “mensch”, Sheila Musaji (with links to Daily Show videos on Cordoba House controversy, updated regularly) http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/jon_stewart1/0018185
Stop the war on prayer interfaith effort http://waronprayer.org/
Sufis: the Muslims in the middle, William Dalrymple http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/opinion/17dalrymple.html?_r=1
Tea Party Reveals Real Reason Behind Mosque Opposition Frenzy, Ahmed Rehab (chronology of anti-mosque argument development, revealing email) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ahmed-rehab/tea-party-official-corres_b_693579.html
Temecula Mosque Protest: Of Dogs and Roses, Sheila Musaji http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/temecula_mosque_protest_of_dogs_and_roses/0018156 
The Terrorists Have Won, Missy Comlie Beattie http://www.counterpunch.org/beattie08272010.html
This isn’t the America I love, Mehdi Hasan http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/aug/07/ground-zero-mosque-row-michael-bloomberg
Three Talking Points on… the Cordoba Islamic Cultural Center, Sally Kohn http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sally-kohn/three-talking-points-on-t_b_691899.html
Turning Our Back on Religious Freedom Hurts All Americans, Sahar Aziz http://ispu.org/articles/articledetailpb-180.html
Unions Are WRONG To Refuse To Build The Mosque http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/08/24/unions-are-wrong-to-refuse-to-build-the-mosque/
The Untold Story Behind the “Mosque at Ground Zero”, Ahmed Rehab http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ahmed-rehab/the-untold-story-behind-t_b_688669.html
U.S. Muslims underestimate 9/11 effect, Akbar Ahmed http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/05/u-s-muslims-underestimate-911-effect-muslim-thinker-warns/
Using a mosque to prey on U.S. fears, Paul Wells http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/08/20/using-a-mosque-to-prey/
Video from the hate-fest in Manhattan http://ladylibertyslamp.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/now-the-video-more-from-the-hatefest-in-manhattan/
Video animation from Taiwan about this controversy http://thedailywh.at/post/1014925324/animated-infographic-of-the-day-amercias
War over the war on terror, Adam Serwer http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_war_over_the_war_on_terror
George Washington’s letter to Jewish synagogue in RI http://civilliberty.about.com/od/religiousliberty/a/touroletter_2.htm
Wash. Times’ Kuhner baselessly smears NYC imam as an “unrepentant militant Muslim” http://mediamatters.org/research/201008060023
Wash. Times baselessly smears Rauf as having “supported” Hamas’ “cause” http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008170007
What Books Shall We Burn Now?, Rabbi Arthur Waskow http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/what_books_shall_we_burn_now/0018204
What Fox has wrought: Anti-Park51 protests full of right-wing hate http://mediamatters.org/research/201008230041
What is the Contribution of Religions Toward Peace?, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/spirituality_what_is_the_contribution_of_religions_toward_peace/
What Lebanon can teach the U.S. about religious tolerance, David Samel (Beirut synagogue)  http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/what_lebanon_can_teach_the_u.s._about_religious_tolerance/0018206  - and Ghassan Bridi http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/3929
what mosque at Ground Zero? why all Americans have a stake in Cordoba House, Aziz Poonawalla http://blog.beliefnet.com/cityofbrass/2010/07/why-all-muslim-americans-have.html#ixzz0uSFlAhVk
What “stealth jihad” doesn’t mean, Lisa Miller http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/28/stealth-jihad-conveys-paranoia.html
What would America’s founders do about New York mosque?  http://jacksonville.com/opinion/letters-readers/2010-08-18/story/what-would-founders-do-about-new-york-mosque
What would Martin Luther King Say? Mosques and the New Jim Crow in America, Juan Cole http://www.juancole.com/2010/08/what-would-martin-luther-king-say-mosques-and-the-new-jim-crow-in-america.html
What would a compromise in NY Muslim centre dispute look like?  http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2010/08/25/what-would-a-compromise-in-ny-muslim-centre-dispute-look-like/
When Republicans and Jihadis Agree…, Nicholas Kristof http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/21/when-republicans-and-jihadis-agree/ 
When the right holds America to low standards, Steve Benen http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_07/024840.php
Where is American Muslim Leadership in Cordoba House/Park 51 Controversy?, Sheila Musaji http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/cordoba_house1/0018200
White House: Anti-Muslim Rhetoric Spurred By Mosque Debate Not Yet ‘Dangerous’, Sam Stein http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/10/white-house-anti-muslim-rhetoric-not-dangerous_n_677728.html
Who is Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf? http://mediamatters.org/research/201008240027
Who represents American Muslims? No one, Farhana Qazi (leadership) http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/08/who_represents_american_muslims_no_one.html
Why The Lobby Needs To Pull Plug On Anti-Muslim Hatefest, M.J. Rosenberg http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/23/the_lobby_helped_start_the_anti-muslim_hatefest_th/ 
Will Laura Ingraham Speak Out Against Fox News’ “Muslim Extremist” Shareholder? http://www.newshounds.us/2010/08/24/will_laura_ingraham_speak_out_against_fox_news_muslim_extremist_shareholder.php
Wingnuts Stir the Crazy with Fake Outrage Over “Ground Zero” Greek Orthodox Church http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/08/20/wingnuts-stir-the-crazy-with-fake-outrage-over-ground-zero-church/
WND’s Joseph Farah describes construction of cultural center as act of terrorism http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008240024
Would Stop the Judaization of America (SJOA) Be Appropriate?  http://www.loonwatch.com/2010/08/stop-the-judaization-of-america-sjoa/
Wrong Then, Wrong Now: What Yesterday’s Anti-Catholicism Has in Common with Today’s Islamophobia, Paul Moses http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/wrong-then-wrong-now
Yes this is a litmus test, Thomas Knapp http://www.citizeneconomists.com/blogs/2010/07/27/yes-this-is-a-litmus-test/
Yes, I Know That Churches Cannot Be Built in Saudi Arabia, Dilara Hafiz http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dilara-hafiz/yes-i-know-that-churches_b_669159.html
Fareed Zakaria’s letter to the ADL http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/06/fareed-zakaria-s-letter-to-the-adl.html
Zero tolerance at Ground Zero, Mohamed Elibiary and Amad Shaikh http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/3792

 

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