July 14, 2010
American Morning – Kiran Chetry discusses the proposed 9-11 mosque with Pam Geller (Stop Islamization of America) and Ibrahim Ramey (Muslim American Society)
Ramey starts out by denying the truth of 9-11:
It was not an Islamic attack, it was a criminal attack.
(Discussed in the next post.)
And it is very interesting with whom and with what statement the video clip ends.
Ramey says:
There are Muslims right now in Congress, there are Muslims in the National Security system, there are Muslims in the Military who would vehemently disagree with the idea that we don’t have the right to be a represented part of the American multi-faith mosaic.
Which was not the point of the discussion – but clearly what Ramey and CNN wanted you to take away.
Persons of every faith and no faith have the right to be represented in America. And they are. The issue is with a Muslim monument being built on the sacred burial ground where close to 3000 people of all faiths and no faith were incinerated because of the perverted desires of one faith: Islam.
And that is the issue pro-mosque folks don’t want singled out, which is why this man tries to make 9-11 a “criminal” act instead of what it was: an unprovoked act of war by Muslims in the name of Islam against (presumed) non-Muslims.
[That is why any and all of those involved in 9-11 should be tried in a military - not civil - court.]
Then it’s the tired old arguments: you’re racist…you’re ignorant of Islam…it’s “collective intolerance”.
Muslims are not of one race. Collective intolerance is collectively insulting. And until Ramey and the coward behind the mosque unequivocally state in public that jihad is not promoted by the Koran, that the killing of non-Muslims is not the sacred duty of Muslims, that the Muslims murderers who flew into the Twin Towers perverted Islam and are not to be considered martyrs, that Sharia law should be outlawed, and that women and girls are equal to men in the eyes of Islam – those claims of “ignorance” will remain unfounded. As will the preposterous notion of “moderate” Islam fighting “radical Islam”.
Also not included on the video:
1-Chetry asks Ramey if he thinks Geller loves Muslims but Chetry never asks Ramey what he thinks of Jews or Christians.
2-The reference to the Muslim American Society as the public face of the Muslim Brotherhood.
3-Geller asking that if it really is outreach, why not have a church and a synagogue and a Buddhist temple in the building, which there are no plans for. Just like there wasn’t anything in their initial plans to honor those killed in 9-11 even as they tried to pass it off as such.
It’s time to wake up folks.
At the very least, show a little curiosity as to why they chose the name “Cordoba“. I’m sure once you do, they’ll change it. And when they do, it will be more proof of their deception.
FULL TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS
KIRAN CHETRY: A proposal to build a mosque and Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero generating a lot of heat at a hearing in New York City. Opponents want to give landmark status to the 150-year-old building which would essentially prevent the mosque and center from being built.
We’re going to hear from both sides of the emotional debate today. Joining us, Pamela Geller, executive director of Stop Islamization of America, and a blogger with AtlasDrugs.com. Also Ibraham Ramey with the Muslim-American Society.
[It's AtlasShrugged - not AtlasDrugs]
Thanks to both of you for being with us, this morning.
So, Pamela, you’ve become an outspoken critic of this project in general. The people who are behind it say that what they want it to do is improve relations, to have it be a place of tolerance and multi- cultural center, in fact. Do you not believe what they’re saying about what the motive is behind building this?
PAMELA GELLER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STOP ISLAMIZATION OF AMERICA: Well, they have been dishonest. First they said it was a mosque. Then they said it was a prayer center, which is a mosque. They’ve been very shady about the funding. We don’t know where the funding is coming from. The Imam has advocated for tolerance, and yet in his book he advocates for the Sharia Islamic law, which is radically intolerant. They say it’s for outreach. Why there? I mean –
CHETRY: Are you against a mosque being built in general in New York City, or in this location?
GELLER: No, absolutely not. We are absolutely not against that. We believe that that building is a war memorial, a large piece of the plane fell on to the roof, cashed through that building, and damaged it. It is a part of American history. The largest Islamic attack on America in the history of America. That should and war memorial.
And that building is 152 years old, designed by an architect who was a pioneer in his day. His buildings have been landmarked. And it should be given landmark status. That’s Daniel Badger. It’s a cemetery. We feel that it’s a cemetery and that it’s sacred ground and the dead should be honored.
And if was really outreach, then why is the majority of Americans against it? Why is the majority of New Yorkers against it? Where is the outreach? Why is there not sensitivity to how the Muslims of conscience and Americans feel about this?
CHETRY: Well let me ask Ibraham about this. What is your take on the proximity, which is what has generated a lot of the controversy about this center?
IBRAHAM RAMEY, DIRECTOR, CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION OF THE MUSLIM AMERICAN SOCIETY FREEDOM: I think there is a great deal of pain still residually as a result of the criminal attacks on 9/11. But it was not an Islamic attack, it was a criminal attack.
There are two things I would like to mention. First is that Muslims, like other people, in America have First Amendment rights, as in terms of freedom of religion. But the second, more important thing, is that reject the notion of collective guilt. We are not collectively guilty for actions that are taken by some people in the name of Islam.
Further, I think it’s very clear that the Cordoba Institute and number of Muslims in the United States are really seeking to take a different way of establishing new relationships with America, and a new set of relationships with the people of the United States. This is an ideal way to do that.
CHETRY: But let me ask you — 600 feet from the biggest terror attack in U.S. history, on U.S. soil, is the best way to do it? I mean, I think that a lot of the concern is the proximity to Ground Zero, not necessarily the building of a center.
RAMEY: Well there are numerous memorials to people who were killed in that attack. So let’s not try to complait (ph) that idea of that that notion into the idea of Muslims having the right to have a mosque.
I mean, we’re not trying to say that people should be compelled to believe in Islam. What we believe is that Muslims have a legitimate role to play in the social fabric of this country. We are part of the interfaith mosaic of the United States. But more than that, I think this particular group of people in the Cordoba Institute can do a huge amount of good, not only for Muslims in New York, but also for interfaith relations throughout the country.
CHETRY: And Pamela, I want to ask you about that. There are 600,000 to 800,000 Muslims just in Manhattan alone. And you did talk about the polling. The polling is interesting because when you take New York City, as a whole, according to the Quinnipiac Poll, you can say, yes, the majority are against it. But then when you break down Manhattan itself, only 36 percent of people that were in that poll are actually against it. So is there really as big of an outcry about where this is going to be built as some opponents are making it out to be?
GELLER: Absolutely. This was an attack on America. It was not a criminal attack. It was inspired by Jihad. There have been close to 16,000 Islamic attacks since 9/11 across the world. What is being done to address the ideology that inspires Jihad? They are inspired by the last book, repentance, which commands Jihad. That’s where the outreach should be.
CHETRY: You’re taking issue with radical Islam, why does the Cordoba House fall into that, in your opinion?
GELLER: We are asking Muslims to be sensitive to our pain, to our grief. The 9/11 families. I reorganized a rally – Stop Islmaization of America organized a rally. Close to 10,000 people showed up. I mean, there is –
CHETRY: What does that mean, by the way, I’m just curious. Some would say that’s a loaded phrase.
GELLER: What, Stop Islamization of America? We believe Islam should be westernized, that America should not be Islamisized. We don’t believe in Mosque-ing the workplace. We don’t believe in introducing Muslim prayer into public schools.
CHETRY: When you hear this, what goes through your head?
RAMEY: Not just the term Islamophobia, but also frankly a kind of collective intolerance that is really not conducive to the spirit of what we are trying to do as Muslims in America. I also have to say that respectfully, Muslims were also victimized by that attack. Muslims died in that attack, they died at the Pentagon. There are Muslims right now in Congress, there are Muslims in the National Security system, there are Muslims in the Military who would vehemently disagree with the idea that we don’t have the right to be a represented part of the American multi-faith mosaic. And we are here. And we’ve been here since before the U.S. was established as even a republic. We’re part of the United States.
GELLER: It’s highly insulting to call what we do Islamophobic. Frankly, you could make the counterargument for freedom-phobic. The Muslim American Society is the public face of the Muslim brotherhood. I do not want -
RAMEY: That is absolutely untrue. You should know that.
GELLER: It was established by the Muslim brotherhood as a public face in the late ’80s.
RAMEY: It was not. It absolutely was not.
GELLER: I urge people to — we don’t have to debate that now. I’d prefer to stay on the mosque — but I urge people to look into it. But pointing out dishonesty and subversion is not bigotry and hatred. And I have no problems. I love Muslims. I have no problem with Muslims. But to build a 13-story mega mosque on the cemetery, on the site of the largest attack in American history, I think is incredibly insensitive.
CHETRY: Do you believe Pamela when she says she loves Muslims?
RAMEY: God knows what’s in our heart. I know that her words have been inflammatory, they’ve been insulting. They have cast aspersions on an organization that is an American organization, that’s legitimately part of 55 communities in 30 states in the United States that does great work around youth development and charity and raising the level of political participation in America.
CHETRY: So is there common ground of building this, perhaps — would you agree to this being build somewhere in New York that you could specifically say, that just wouldn’t be at this location?
GELLER: Well, listen. At this location. Why not if you’re going to have a mosque, why not have –
CHETRY: But I’m saying this exact project with a swimming pool and tennis court and the whole nine yards.
GELLER: And a synagogue and a church and a Hindu temple.
CHETRY: No, not that. What Cordoba House is saying they want to build, would you be OK with that 10 blocks away?
GELLER: Listen, I have no problem with mosques. One, a mosque looking down on the cemetery of Ground Zero is problematic. If it is outreach, why not have a church also in the building, and a synagogue, and a Buddhist temple? I mean, if it’s really, truly multicultural. I mean the 92nd Street Y doesn’t have a synagogue. The YWCA doesn’t have a church.
CHETRY: So, what we’re going to find out is whether or not this landmark ruling comes down and whether or not that makes a difference in the plans. But I want to thank both of you for coming today and for having a civil discussion about this. I know that there are a lot of emotions on every side.
