If you are protesting or organizing a protest against Lazio's grandstanding, you might find him at the old Burlington Factory. WNYC reported something about that. Either he protested 7/13 or he's coming down today 7/14.

We need to do a protest against Lazio. Bernie Madoff contributed monies to Lazio, Lazio was the Queen of Deregulation and was the one who gutted the SEC.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/06/state-dems-try-to-put-bernie-m.html

Lazio is working hard to prove he hates Muslims more than Cuomo. He's probably learned that without sucking deep AIPAC ass, there's no chance of winning any public office.

People of most faiths and non-faiths died in the World Trade Center on 9/11/01. People from 92 countries died there. At least 64 Muslims died there, too, including devout ones and those in uniformed service.

Some of the hijackers had stripper girlfriends and used coke.

Terrorism is a very blunt instrument, and so is war; they both feed each other.

As for the Cordoba Mosque, the mosque is interfaith and fosters cultural respect.

I have two issues with the Cordoba Institute Mosque. Cordoba is held up as a model of diversity and tolerance, named after the great Spanish city in the time of the Muslims, when Jews and Christians were active in that rich culture and society after they paid their tributes.

Unlike, Snickerdoodle I don't think that plots will be hatched at this mosque. I am more worried that other extremists (of different faiths) will attack this mosque.

NYC has many hard-working friendly Muslims. I see them praying on street corners near the World Trade Center site, because they are West African merchants and guys who work in restaurants. Sometimes people try to pick fights with them, or customers call them all Haji, which is a military slur for Iraqis they fight. It reminds me of how Black men in the south were all called the same name.

It would be nice for those guys to pray inside with some dignity.

Islam and Muslims are diverse. There are 1.4 Billion of them in dozens of countries spanning continents. In a population that size there are bound to be some religious and destructive nuts.

I was inspired by Snickerdoodle's first post:

"

'It is somewhat galling for 9/11 families to be lectured to about religious tolerance when we experienced the height of intolerance with the attacks that day.'

Finally, a voice of reason who isn't afraid to state the inconvenient truth.

Islam = Westernphobia."

snickerdoodle at 1:57PM on 07/09/10

As distasteful as this Mosque by WTC seems I refuse to suspend my American beliefs to deny anyone religious freedom. I feel the day I deny my fellow Americans the right to practice whatever religion they believe in then that is the day I seized being an American and became one of them.

I am an American and believe in America's ideals and principals and that means that sometimes I have to tolerate things I don't like. But I will because the ideology this country was built on is greater than me or my opinion.

Life, liberty and justice for all, even those we dislike.

Then can I practice a religion where I have to sacrifice a child once a year? No no, don't worry, it won't be any arbitrary child; only children bred in my religion can be sacrificed. Oh and anyone who tries to take convert us will have a pokopokopiupiu issued against him which will allow any of our members to kill him. Is that ok? Thank you.

Didn't think I needed to state the obvious but apparently I do. Unless that religion involves hurting or killing others.

If there's any evidence that these muslims will be sacrificing children please let us know.

Unless that religion involves hurting or killing others.

1. Where does the Constitution make this exception? Secondly, only children within my religion will be sacrificed and they willingly volunteer. So can I tell the govt to butt out of my religion?

2. BTW the Quran says you can kill anyone who converts out of islam.

Federal, state and city laws say it's illegal to kill whether its a willing sacrifice or not. So if members of any religious group plan on breaking the law then they should be arrested and prosecuted for it, until then as Americans we have to accept the freedoms of every citizen, even if we dislike these citizens. It's all or nothing, we cannot begin to chose which group gets freedom and which group doesn't because then we are no better than the Taliban or Al-Queda.

And the bible says many things as well but if they're illegal it won't or shouldn't be tolerated. The bible says "an eye for an eye" but that's considered vigilantism and will get you arrested. Do you feel that we should ban all catholic churches as well for promoting violence?

But let's be clear, I am not defending Islam or any other religion, I'm defending America and it's ideals and principals. America's principals and ideas are bigger than you, me or them. We can not let current events or dislikes of certain people, deviate or change America, because the day we do then they really won.

For the record I really wish this group found a more suitable, less controversial place to build their house of worship and if the politicians or community board finds some technicality to block it I will not shed a tear but I can not deny that it is their right as American citizens to build their mosque wherever they please.

oh snicker, one man ranting on a street corner is evidence of what...?

Instead why dont you look at this story about the anniversary of the US shooting of a civilian Iranian airliner. Why do they hate us?!

http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/what-americans-never-see-but-the-rest-of-the-world-does-see/

Its from the new channel RT, Russian Television in English. Its fantastic!

Very nice Nabka. Now how many airplanes have been blown up by muslims? There was even one where an airline pilot purposely plunged the plane into the ocean.

apparently in your mind a terrorist act by an Egyptian, Saudi or whatever is the same as an Iranian. but whatever

the real difference is that when terrorist does something, they're killed and we all agree they were bad.

when the US shoots down an civilian airline, when we arm Sadamm to go to with Iran, when we overthrew their democractically elected president and on and on...we dont apologize, instead we go off about how Iran is a threat to the world lots of other meaningless bs, thats goes unquestioned in the US.

we've been conditioned to not t-h-i-n-k for ourselves, to believe the myths our govt makes up for us. na mean?

Omg, what's next? Halal chicken at KFC?

Muslims Burn Asylum Center Due To Lack Of Halal Meat

it doesnt surprise me that America is filled with xenophobic reactionaries

look at the news we're given, we're encouraged to be a nation of adolescents.

We get daily updates on what lady gaga is doing yet we're wholly uninformed of whats going on in the world.

How would people have anything other than a 'death to arabs' pov. And isnt that the point really? Keep the masses dumb, divide and conquer, and all the while a handful of people make billions on the wtc, on the wars, the enviorment, your non-existent healthcare...

oh well, so it goes. Here's a good new documentary to swell your melon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SbjAanvUqs

That crazy lady has a point; it is only logical to reply to intolerance with further intolerance. I can't see any way for that to backfire. Once she becomes as fully suicidally & murderously intolerant as her enemies, only good can come.

Paul Nunziato sounds like he's got some crazy ideas about how tragedy & death shouldn't be used by soulless demagogues looking for a soundbite. He sounds almost like he respects the heroes of 9-11. Crazy.

In other news, it is opposite day. Or wait; is NOT opposite day. Crap. How does that work?

I didn't see anything "crazy" in what the lady said. She merely pointed out the obvious, that the attacks on 9/11 were an act of intolerance and hate.

No doubt you think Revolution Muslim group who threatened the South Park creators with death over a cartoon is reasonable and just.

One thousand xenophobic reactionaries can't be wrong!:

So the Gothamist hipsters are against people's right to assemble and peacefully protest? They're not allowed to have their voices heard? Wow, Gothamist more anti-American/pro-terrorist than I previously thought.

Scary days, indeed.

So the Gothamist hipsters are against people's right to assemble and peacefully protest? They're not allowed to have their voices heard?

ROTFL!

You know, JDS, sometimes I actually enjoy your snideness.

Anyway, snickerdoodle and the other paranoiacs seem to forget that this project is as-of-right, meaning it is permitted under our zoning laws. Nothing the fanatics can do will stop it. That damn liberal, commie-loving, hipster-influenced Zoning Resolution must go!

But let me ask the all-wise and knowing, snickerdoodle, a simple question.

These muslims are Sufis, muslim Quakers as it were. They have had a mosque and community center in the neighborhood for decades within a few blocks of the WTC. TriBeCans accept them into their neighborhood.

To satisfy an outsider like yourself, precisely how many blocks must this building be built away from the WTC?

If ten is not enough, is 20 sufficient? 25? 50? Nowhere on isle of Manhattan? Nowhere in NYC?

Just precisely what distance satisfies you?

I am not holding my breath waiting for your response.