So why there?

I haven't heard much about this on TV, but I was able to find some articles about it dating back to at least December 2009. Apparently back in July of last year, a Muslim owner and/or run real estate company paid 4.85 million dollars in cash for an out Burlington Northern Coat factory building 2-3(depending on what article you read) blocks from ground zero. The real estate company is run by Imam Rauf.

The following quotes are from a WorldNetDaily article dated 12/17/09:

"Rauf has announced his plans to turn the building into a complete Islamic cultural center, with a mosque, a museum, "merchandising options," and room for seminars to reconcile religions, "to counteract the backlash against Muslims in general, " Speigel reports. The project may cost as much as $150 million.

"The move is supported by the city. The mayor's director of the Office of Immigrant Affairs, Fatima Shama, told the Times, "We as New York Muslims have as much of a commitment to rebuilding New York as anybody."

"Imam Rauf, born in Egypt, has written three books: "What's Right with Islam: A New Vision for Muslims and the West," "Islam: A Sacred Law" and "Islam: A Search for Meaning."


"Rauf was invited to speak in Sydney, Australia, by Premier Bob Carr in 2004. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, he said the U.S. and the West must acknowledge the harm they've done to Muslims before terrorism can end.

He said the West must understand the terrorists' point of view – and he blamed Christians for starting mass attacks on civilians. "


So why, with all of the space in New York City, did Rauf choose a site so close to ground zero? With all the political correctness and religious/cultural sensitivity that so many groups are demanding and receiving, what about some compassion and sensitivity for the families and survivors of 9/11? Wouldn't a mosque, a visible reminder of the people believed (at least by some people) responsible for the attacks, feel like a slap in the face to those who lost loved ones that day? Would Jewish people want a tribute to the Nazis built on the site of a concentration camp?

9/11 effected me deeply, and continues to do so. So I can't imagine how people that were actually there that day must have felt, and continue to feel. But for me, the building of a Muslim mosque there of all places just FEELS wrong to me. So where do we draw the line between religious freedom and sensitivity to survivors? For me, this seems like a good place for a line to be drawn.