Obama makes clear support for ground zero mosque

[Total Enigma]

WASHINGTON — After skirting the controversy for weeks, President Barack Obama is weighing in forcefully on the mosque near ground zero, saying a nation built on religious freedom must allow it.

"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 told an intently listening crowd gathered at the White House Friday evening to observe the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

"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."

The White House had not previously taken a stand on the mosque, which would be part of a $100 million Islamic community 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.

Harkening back to earlier times when the building of synagogues or Catholic churches also met with opposition, Obama said: "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. 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 victims' advocates and Republicans were quick to pounce.

"Barack Obama has abandoned America at the place where America's heart was broken nine years ago, and where her true values were on display for all to see," said Debra Burlingame, a spokeswoman for some Sept. 11 victims' families and the sister of one of the pilots killed in the attacks.

Building the mosque at ground zero, she said, "is a deliberately provocative act that will precipitate more bloodshed in the name of Allah."

Added Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.: "President Obama is wrong. It is insensitive and uncaring for the Muslim community to build a mosque in the shadow of ground zero."

Entering the highly charged election-year debate, Obama surely knew that his words would not only make headlines in the U.S. 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 in the State Dining Room included ambassadors and officials from numerous nations where Islam is observed, including Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

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.

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.

[syron]

I disagree and I can absolutely understand the disagreement of the victims' relatives. Ofc there is religious freedom and hell, christians aren't the ones to speak, but it's just wrong..

[Nutzlos]

I disagree and I can absolutely understand the disagreement of the victims' relatives. Ofc there is religious freedom and hell, christians aren't the ones to speak, but it's just wrong..

Indeed, nothing more to say...

[Total Enigma]

i think this is all just well planed by US gov.
after 9/11 americans hated muslims and US gov attacked afganistan in the name of peace and to destroy terrorism but ther real plan was diffrent, im not sure what it was so i can only think of taking there resource coz media are not showing all the things so we dont know.
now they said that they have plans to build mosque.
coz the terrorist heat the9/11, iraq and all of it calmed down a bit so they need to keep the hate for muslims stiull going.
i can bet that soon u will hear news about some muslims planted a bomb in NY or robbery by them.
after that ppl will hate them eaven more and news will be telling that thouse ppl where from Irans terrorist camps,perfect explenation to invade another country in the name of PEACE

[Gods Hand]

watch zeitgeist and zeitgeist addendum u will know the truth...obama like berlusconi,sarkozy,merkel and all the others are just little shit corrupted that follow instruction from the high places

[Aberration]

we're ruled anyway by some few banker families (FED is in private hand) and pharmaceutical companies, the chemical industy, monsanto etc. just search in google for codex alimentarius. soon everything what makes you really healthy will be forbidden since a sick people is easier to control. the story about the mosque is just another part in this puzzle.

[syron]

Personally, I believe most of those "conspiracy theories" are plain bs

I've watched those movies and have been pretty impressed, especially by Zeitgeist, but you never know which of these so called "facts" are true. Or have you checked all the dates / facts named in the movies yourselves

[Gods Hand]

Personally, I believe most of those "conspiracy theories" are plain bs

I've watched those movies and have been pretty impressed, especially by Zeitgeist, but you never know which of these so called "facts" are true. Or have you checked all the dates / facts named in the movies yourselves

all seems more true then the shit that medai tell us on tv

[syron]

all seems more true then the shit that medai tell us on tv

True, but I'm talking about reliable sources.. there's a lot on the internet, you just gotta know how to search

[Nutzlos]

True, but I'm talking about reliable sources.. there's a lot on the internet, you just gotta know how to search

WikiLeaks.org ? The page is still online = not illegal, so it should be allowed to post it here, isn't it?
If anyone don't want that, simply delete it

[TranQuillizer]

I'm a Muslim,too and i can clearly say that no terrorist can be the real Muslim in fact.Our religion strictly forbids the war,unless it comes to defend your country.The attack in September 11,should not be associated with Islam and the Muslim.We as the Muslims support and want the peace in the world,not matter which religion the other people has.

I want you to know that no Terrorist can defend and represent Islam and Islam never orders us to fight.I hope this mosque can represent this.

[Aberration]

9/11 wasn't made by terrorists, tranquilizer. nearly everyone knows this already america just needs to find reasons why to attack other countries and to restrict the people's freedom. like the Nazis did by burning their Reichstag themself.

---------- Post added 30.08.2010 at 17:21 ----------

Personally, I believe most of those "conspiracy theories" are plain bs

I've watched those movies and have been pretty impressed, especially by Zeitgeist, but you never know which of these so called "facts" are true. Or have you checked all the dates / facts named in the movies yourselves

what they say about jesus christ is wrong. I made some research. it contains much new age bullshit but that the fed is actually private is a fact. that they wanna force everyone with the codex alimentarius to use contaminated gen food, also. and that the climate change is a lie, too. and after every so called "terrorist act" there were laws made that give certain parts of the government dictatorial might. at the moment they can remove any citizen for a random time without him having any right of a process if they "think" that he is a terrorist. and the word terrorist is not at all clearly defined. I'm afraid that's not a theory . it's the reality and it happened already.

[syron]

And that the climate change is a lie, too.

That's bs Believe me... I'm writing a seminar paper (over 15 pages) about the correlation of climate change and democracy and it's way more of a concrete problem than all that whining about terrorism for example.

[Petter]

Even if the most respected scientists in this and other universes claimed it to be real, it wouldn't change my own view about it being a hoax.

So no offense Phil, but just because you're writing about it doesn't make it more real to me. 15 or 15 000 000 papers makes no difference.

But let's not go into detail about that. Tons can be read on other places about this. From both sides. I respect and understand that people believe in it. And you should do the same.

[Aberration]

well said Petter. the same scientists that speak of a climate warming now said 1974 that we will get an ice age soon

https://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-45226263.html

https://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...944914,00.html

btw I have the proof for the NWO conspiracy! just write Q 33 NYC with capslock on in wingdings and you'll see what I mean