Don’t Build The Dang Mosque

The first rule of tolerance is if it’s not a two-way street it’s not tolerance. The second rule is pointless provocation is not a sign of tolerance.

While there may very well be positive aspects to Islam, that that religion was integral to the motivations of the 9/11 hijackers is not something that can be denied and for Feisal Abdul Rauf to want to build, not a small humble structure, but a towering edifice near the site of most of those murders shows gross insensitivity at best, and despicable finger-in-the-eye, start-a-fight triumphalism at worst.

And if  space really were the issue, Rauf could probably save a few tens of millions dollars by moving 10 blocks north rather than south, and probably end up with more room.

Tolerance is good. To promote it, rather than object to protesters exercising their rights to do so, we should seek to open churches — Trinitarian or Unitarian — in churchless Saudi Arabia.

And it the name of tolerance, we should also listen to what the protesters have to say, and not judge them.

2 thoughts on “Don’t Build The Dang Mosque”


  1. Dr. Gilmore’s essay did humble me. Every word is true, and I will absorb it. Its especially true that the mosque issue has nothing to do with GOD. I think it has everything to do with sensitivity and tolerance. When will we see more than just one or a couple of Muslim individuals speak up and advocate for a new location, simply out of respect for the high and justified emotions that run hand in hand with the World Trade Center location?

  2. It will take a long time to decide to build somewhere else even if the leadership in that mosque would like.  It takes literally years to get people in a congregation to decide if they want to move and when and then organize them enough to find a spot, hire all of the engineers, get all of the licenses and so on.  On top of this you have to have a capitol campaign to raise money to fulfill the vision statement put together by the congregation for what they would like to see the new building be.  And then you have the fees for the architect.  They are going to be out of a lot of money if they don’t move there and will have to start all over again and some people in the congregation may strongly oppose the move.  They can decide to build somewhere else, but it is going to take a lot of time and work to heal the congregations feelings of betrayal from a city in which most of them were raised and love.  It will work out somehow, but the scars from this incident will always remain.

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