Islam is Already a Part of Ground Zero

AP Photo/Louis Lanzano

The AP is jumping all over a new story that declares, Islam is already a part of the neighborhood that is at Ground Zero.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, is now being heralded as a man who is a moderate and, one who has worked with Christians and Jews alike. 

He's devoted much of his career to working closely with Christians, Jews and secular leaders to advance interfaith understanding. He's scolded his own religion for being in some ways in the "Dark Ages." Yet he's also accused the U.S. of spilling more innocent blood than al-Qaida, the terrorist network that turned the World Trade Center, part of the Pentagon and four hijacked airplanes to apocalyptic rubble.

Click title of this post for full story.

The article is claiming that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf has no connection with any radicals. However, he also said this:

In a July 2005 speech at the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Center in Adelaide, Australia, Rauf said, according to the center's transcript:

"We tend to forget, in the West, that the United States has more Muslim blood on its hands than al-Qaida has on its hands of innocent non-Muslims."

While calling terrorism unjustified, he said the U.S. has supported authoritarian regimes with heinous human rights records and, faced with that, "how else do people get attention?"

In the same address, he spoke of prospects for peace between Palestinians and the Israelis - who he said "have moved beyond Zionism" - and of a love-your-neighbor ethic uniting all religions.

I'm not really sure what the point of this article is. The author appears to be dead set on wanting to convince people that the arguments against the mosque are incorrect. The endgame should be building the mosque. Why is the media all of a sudden so defensive of religion? Not just any religion but, one that has murdered millions in it's name.

The people don't want it built. The people are the ones that pay taxes and pay for politicians to SERVE them, not turn around and slap them in the face. There are other places to build a mosque and the fact that Rauf appears to be unwilling to move the project, only proves what an extremist he truly is.

What do you think the reason is for the media to turn religious all of a sudden?