Yes, the Mosque Madness is still going on in New York City. Luckily, it looks like the mosque will be built. Here's my original post on the subject. Things have gotten hotter with Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, and even Rudy Guiliani weighing in against the mosque. For me, this just shows how deeply anti-Muslim sentiment runs in this country. But if you asked, it wouldn't surprise me if old Newt and Rudy claimed they weren't anti-Muslim. They're just anti-organized-Muslim. Muslims may be okay in the abstract, but "we don't want their kind around here." Does that sound familiar to anyone?
Slate has a really good breakdown of the situation here (I highly recommend this article). And an explanation of some of the legal hurdles too. And a panel in NYC just ruled that the building to be demolished for the mosque isn't historical, so it can go ahead.
Why is this such a big deal? I could understand it if the mosque was actually being built on top of Ground Zero, but it's not. It's several blocks away. Let me try a reverse scenario. A fundamentalist Christian blows up an abortion clinic, killing doctors, nurses, and patients. A Christian group wants to build a church down the block, but I decide to oppose it because the bomber was a Christian. I would be laughed out of town for trying that.
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