What Obama Should Have Said About Mosque

[alp227]

by Ed Brayton
Dispatches from the Culture Wars blog, ScienceBlogs.com

The proposed opening of an Islamic center a few blocks from where the World Trade Center once stood has sparked a good deal of controversy in some circles. The families of those who died in the terrorist attack on 9/11 are divided on the question, with some of them opposing the project and some supporting it. In either case, their emotional reactions are understandable and all too human.

But this is a nation of laws that respect well-defined freedoms and the freedom of religion and the right to own property are at the top of the list of liberties that the constitution seeks to protect. And we do not condition those rights on the feelings of other people, nor do we take them away because others may be bothered by how one exercises those rights.

And no matter how understandable the emotions it provokes on either side may be, the organization that owns the building are in full compliance with the legal zoning regulations and there is no possible legal basis for denying them the right to open the Islamic center that they wish to open. Any attempt to deny them that right would, quite correctly, be overturned by the federal courts.

That does not make the owners of the building immune from criticism. For those who are offended by the project, the same First Amendment that protects their right to open the center also protects your right to speak out against it. And the courts and my administration will guard your right to protest the project as strongly as we will guard their right to complete it.

But if you seek to deny the right to open the Islamic center, either through futile legal filings or through direct action of some kind, you will not only be damaging the rule of law, you will be damaging this nation's ability to fight a comprehensive war on terrorism inspired by the radical views of some Muslims around the world.

That war is absolutely dependent upon the cooperation and bravery of moderate, pro-American Muslims both at home and abroad. At great risk to their own lives, thousands and thousands of such people work every day with the FBI, the CIA, the NSA and with our nation's armed forces both here and in Iraq, Afghistan, Pakistan, Yemen and other nations where Al Qaeda operates.

Full: http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2010/08/what_obama_should_have_said_ab.php

[SugarShack]

1. I believe this mosque issue was brought about to distract from the issues of jobs, economy, drilling

etc.

[azurnoir]

2. exactly it is a rightwing rallying point

sort of like Jews in 1930's Germany

[Bitwit1234]

3. I think Nancy Pelosi had the right idea an investigation into

who started it and who is funding it. I have already sent an email to my representative Jim Oberstar from Minnesota. How about all of you doing the same. I asked him to join Nancy in requesting an investigation, reminding him that he and the rest of the representatives are going for re-election in November and that the republicans are using this as a wedge and if they start and investigation they will take the wind out of their sails. Go for it folks shame them into joining Nancy to ask for an investigation.

[Demeter]

4. He Should Have Said Absolutely Nothing

This was a state of NY or NYC matter. Nobody asked him.