Obama Clarifies Lower Manhattan Mosque Stance

Photograph of President Obama in Panama City, Florida yesterday by Andrew Wardlow/AP (pool)

Down the rabbit hole we go: After speaking forcefully about the right of developers to build a mosque two blocks from the World Trade Center site on Friday, President Obama qualified his remarks. Speaking in Panama City, Florida, while visiting Gulf Coast region, he said, "My intention was simply to let people know what I thought, which was that in this country, we treat everybody equally and in accordance with the law, regardless of race, regardless of religion. I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding. That's what our country is about."

In other words, his words are not an endorsement! The Washington Post offers some quotes from critics: Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said, "The decision to build this mosque so close to Ground Zero is deeply troubling, as is the president's decision to endorse it. is not an issue of law, whether religious freedom or local zoning. This is a basic issue of respect for a tragic moment in our history," while Sarah Palin Tweeted, "We all know that they have the right to do it, but should they? This is not above your pay grade."

Palin also compared the proposed Park 51 project to "building the facility to building a Serbian church on the Srebrenica killing fields" (her Tweet here) and has more questions for Obama on her Facebook page, like, "Mr. President, why aren't you encouraging the mosque developers to accept Governor Paterson's generous offer of assistance in finding a new location for the mosque on state land if they move it away from Ground Zero?" (Maybe because it could be unconstitutional?) The Park 51 project is proposed to be built in a building that housed a Burlington Coat Factory at 45-47 Park Place.

Should Park51 move forward with its plans to build a mosque and community center two blocks from the World Trade Center site?customer surveys

The NY Times also looks at the politics of Obama's words—a Republican consultant says, "For people who already fear the worst from Obama, this only confirms their fears. This is not a unifying decision on his part; he chose a side. I understand why he did this, but politically I think it’s a blunder." The Daily News columnist Michael Daly, though, writes, "I cannot help feeling that if we block this mosque we will not only be doing what Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh want, we will also be doing exactly what Osama Bin Laden wants." And Politico's Maggie Haberman has a statement from a different 9/11 victims' families group (of which there are many): "We applaud President Obama for his leadership on this issue. Simply put: we lost our family members on 9/11/2001, but will not lose our nation, too. America, the concept and the people and the land thrive when we chose to trust in our principles rather than cave to our basest fears."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on August 15, 2010 11:05 AM

Comments [rss]

Potty Boy

But what did you expect? That's why I voted for McCain. I didn't know anything else about either person. But I knew that McCain had the fortitude to withstand Vietnam, and if he didn't break then, he won't ever break.

nik13

If you want to see fur fly, tell New Yorkers Walmart would be build down there, instead of a mosque. That will make Gothamists posters seethe with rage. LOL

I hope Gutfeld will go with his plan to build gay bar, catering to Muslim men (Al-Gayda? You Mecca Me Horny? Outfidels? Suspicious Packages?). Meanwhile, I would put a Hebrew National hot dog stand right across the street. All in spirit of fostering better cultural awareness & tolerance.

neutral observer

LOL, even better: a Catholic Seminary!

glennQNYC

Why would the community want this? The mosque is destined to become a target.

Also, I can't wait to see the same union construction labor that helped recover remains at the WTC, asked to buid the mosque. It's gonna be a good show!

jt10000

"Why would the community want this?"

Because many people using the mosque are of the community, or work in the community, or visit the community for other reasons and want a place to pray. And because Park51 will have other nice facilities.

You do know that there are Muslims in NYC, right? That they are not all outsiders.

And to John L:

"if it in fact does offend the families of the victims"

This is BS. If it offends them, it's due to the families being ignorant at best, and bigots at worse. There are 1 billion muslims in the world and great diversity in the Islamic religion. Regular Muslims shouldn't have to tip toe around. The people at Park51, hundreds of millions of other Muslims, had nothing to do with 9/11 other than being made targets of the result anti-Muslim feelings.

jpeditor

You think that mosque is being supported by local muslims?

Here's the $ behind Rauf's group (that is behind his Cordoba Group) that is driving this "mosque".

UNFPA (UN sponsor)

MDG3 Fund (UN related)

Hunt Alternatives Fund

Carnegie Corporation of N.Y.

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund -

Qatar government fund

Wonder why Bloomberg says "don't investigate their funding"....

glennQNYC

All someone would have to do is propose an innovative “green space” plan, or maybe a bike parking and service facility in that location, and the mosque idea would be history.

glennQNYC

Let me clarify… Why would the community want the headache? This mosque will absolutely bring division, constant protests, and will require extra (tax payer funded) protection against those who wish to do harm to the facility.

I wholeheartedly believe the mosque (at that location) will never actually be built… But I am baffled why any property owner would want ANYTHING as controversial (and in this case, insensitive) as this mosque near their investment.

Jen S

Agreed: 9/11 families are absolutely owed respect, humility, and money, but we can't allow whatever fear some of them might have dictate what's allowed in our city. It's not a shield to hide behind when you're acting like a bigot. Unless you're Rudy.

John L

Obama was 100% correct in his first statement. This is clearly defined in The Constitution of the United States, its not left for interpretation.

However I'm not sure why he even got involved right now and I'm sure he got a lot of calls from fellow Democrats running for election now and was forced to give his "opinion" on it.

I think that anyone that opposes this is umAmerican and doesn't believe in America's principles.

Personally, I wish they would've found a different location if it in fact does offend the families of the victims but legally it is their right to build it and the more people oppose it, the stupider they'll look when they do build it.

These Republican politicians who are using this as an issue are disgraceful and taking people for a ride because they know very well that the only way to stop it is to change The Constitution and they will not be able to do that. So what's the point in getting everyone riled up for nothing.

pinball29

The NYC Christian and Jewish communities should join w/ the Muslims behind this center, kick in some funds, and open a 'Ground Zero Center for Religious Tolerance and Understanding'. Then we could hope that the foaming mouth-breathers who watch Beck, Limbaugh and Fox News would STFU and stop telling New Yorkers what should be built in thier city.

jt10000

Nice idea.

On Obama - it was clear to anyone who read his first statement carefully that he wasn't supporting Park51/mosque, just it's right to build there. I found that kind of weak but not surprising. It's lame how he runs in fear of criticism from the right. And it's silly because the right-wing demagogues are going to rag all over him whatever he says, so his trying to thread a subtle needle is pointless.

jt10000

Turns out the 9/11 victims families are not a monolithic as the media makes them out to be, and of their major organizations they are neutral or supportive on this:

http://www.mahablog.com/2010/08/14/debra-burlingame-doesnt-represent-the-911-families/

jt10000

Also, it's not a all clear that 9/11 victims families, in general, are against this.

http://www.mahablog.com/2010/08/14/debra-burlingame-doesnt-represent-the-911-families/

Sulayman

Somehow, I doubt Sarah Palin can even SPELL Srebrenica, let alone come up with that one-liner on her own

robingee

Seriously! She can't tell you what magazines she reads but she comes up with that example off the top of her head? Not likely.

Spirit of 76

Probably not. But she can see it from her house!

robingee

Of course he wants a mosque there, he's a Muslim who's in bed with terrorists like Bill Ayers! Also he was born on Mars! (That's what Sarah Palin told me in a fever dream)

S.D.

No, No, He was born on the planet Mongo..

jpeditor

Only the uninformed or useful-infidels want this jihadi-victory memorial to be built adjacent to the graves of 3000 people who were burned alive by muslims on 9/11.

If you you think you know about islam and still want this building here, watch Three Things about Islam/

robingee

Dude, now we can't tell if you're kidding or not.

jpeditor

No he was born on ZomboCom!

Lloyd

I think Pres Obama should stick to his original position on this issue. He had it right in his first public statement. This is one issue that clearly has no other position. It is stated in the Constitution. Even if people wanted to stop this Mosque from being built they would not have legal standing.

It is very disappointing that the mainstream media did not report the factual details of the plan when the story first broke. Instead they inflamed the ill-informed by reporting that the Mosque was being built "on" the WTC site INSTEAD of being built 2 blocks away. Just how far should it have been built anyway? Besides, many Muslims died in the 9/11 destruction, too.

This is one position Pres Obama should not waver.

Leave it to the likes of Palin & Gingrich/GOP to stir the ignorant & uninformed. They will always push their gutter views and misrepresent the facts.

If Christians really feel the need, build a Church at the site.....

Polite New Yorker

Obama is being a typical politician. I can honestly say that a Republican president would have nothing different to say.

As a patriotic American atheist, I see a silver lining in this mosque in that people will see Islam as the bastion of ignorance that it is.

napalm

Build it!....... and many more. Regardless of what the racists say

neutral observer

Its not about racism you dope, no matter how hard you try to spin it that way.

soxinthecity

I can't believe what a gutless coward Obama is. Please, do the country a favor and don't bother running for reelection. The "professional left" isn't gonna show up at the polls to vote for you, and most of your opponents think you are a commie, nazi, muslim from Kenya. Thanks for paving the way for the right wing takeover in 2012, you fucking pussy.

Jen S

Know what these 'terrorists' plan to do at their 'mosque'? I was shocked to read this the other day.

"Park51, as it is to be called, will have a large Islamic “prayer room,” which presumably qualifies as a mosque. But the rest of the building will be devoted to classrooms, an auditorium, galleries, a restaurant, a memorial to the victims of September 11, 2001, and a swimming pool and gym."

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2010/08/16/100816taco_talk_hertzberg#ixzz0wgrG3Zer

robingee

A swimming pool?!? NOOOOOOOOOO!

FotoDogue

Obama should've just stayed out of it. Isn't that what separation of church and state is really about?

Mordicai

Hey, I'm pretty shocked that Obama would waffle & make concessions to extremist right viewpoints. Where is the brave Obama who pushed through financial regulation & reform, who repealed the prejudiced DODT & Defense of Marriage biz? Oh wait, that guy doesn't exist? Oh.

Huh, for a second I thought he was toughening up. Nope!

PKMKII

Actually there's a consistency to his message. He addressed the legal and first amendment aspects of the mosque, which exist independent of his personal feelings about it, in the first statement. He then declined to give his personal feelings about the mosque.

To put it another way, the arguments he gave put no force of personality in play. Giving his personal feelings, however, would put force of personality into play, and someone could rightfully claim he was tampering with the process.