This is obviously off topic, but...can anyone tell me how this place is going to be built? Show me the union iron worker, the union plumber, the union electrician and crane operator who will do the work necessary to get that done. These are the same gents involved in the cleanup/reconstruction of GZ over the past years. I've talked to many of them, and guess what? This whole conversation/debate is moot. It ain't never gonna happen, kids. The inspections will never pass, the work will never be completed, hell, you won't even see the initial demolition. Jus' sayin'.

The Imam seems like a nice, peaceful guy much like the majority of Muslims throughout the world. Sure there's a handful of radicals out of close to 2 billion Muslims worldwide but the majority are very nice people. You guys should get to know a few, I think you'd be surprised.

Ask him if he would adopt you.

The idea that all that people need to do is get to know one another is a canard. Most of the worst violence in the world happens between people who have been living next to or among each other for decades and centuries. In my personal experience, I know several Muslims, and my opinion of Islam was much better before knowing them then after.

And while Feisal Rauf may be a "nice guy" (a nice guy who happens to be a slumlord, but not really here nor there), if he's peaceful, it's in direct contravention of what his holy book says. In the spirit of getting to know one another, I suggest you read the Koran and then see what you think. I'll even give you the link, no need to look for it or buy a copy:

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/k/koran/

oh for christ's sake, don't mention the concept of people getting to know each other is a Duck on here or Felix'll show up and get PETA involved in this whole mosque brouhaha.

and that's the last thing this oh so rational conversation needs.

If this guy dies he goes to islamic heaven with flowing wine and big chested virgins, kind of a cosmic brothel described in koran. i dont know about his wife(sorry nothing that sort mentioned in the koran for women, but lets hope she gets atleast some kind of brad pitt may be)

The New Rule:

Anyone claiming the 51 Park project is going to be on hollowed ground must explain this inside the Dakota Roadhouse bar next door.

He sounds like a martyr.

This is typical of muslims. They lie right to your face and insult your intelligence.

Paladino said he is going to stop that mosque from being built. Here's hoping for an upset.

Wow, so this peaceful muslim leader is talking about the "next 9/11" as if it were a certainty! And of course he wants to be first to die, it's every radical muslim's dream to be a martyr and die for the cause of wiping out infidels and installing Islamic rule across the world.

So much for building trust and understanding between cultures, eh?

How much longer will liberals and Gothamist keep drinking the Kool-Aid before it finally dawns on them that they've been punked?

hope youre happy libtards, your glorious hero and leader just admitted he wants to engage in another suicide terrorist attack in new york city on the memorial of 9/11. Arent you feeling so 'proud' you supported him now?

You liberals should be in jail

On 9/11 wasn`t Mohamed Atta one of the first to die?

60 minutes had that Geller on? way to legitimize bigotry.

If someone said 'jewish people are trying to take over the world'...all of our alarm bells would go off, and we'd rightfully call them bigoted conspiracy nuts. Yet the exact same idea is promoted by people like Geller and she's on 60 minutes as if she's some reasonable person.

I'm going to guess you didn't see the interview. Geller did not come off as a reasonable person, and the interviewer obviously did not consider her to be one. She was labeled a conspiracy theorist.

I used to be in the "don't give them legitimacy" camp, but in this age, all that does is allow them to define the terms of the debate on their blog and/or friendly media networks.

thanks Politburo. no I didnt RTFA. I guess I should have. my bad.

IMO while geller is peddling crude sterotypes she's winning at defining the terms of the debate, because the debate itself is the message.

Her arguments contain so many incriminating assumptions that you can seem to admit to them simply by answering the questions instead of challenging them/her.

Remember before the mosque campagain, she had her bus ads, 'got a fatawa on your head'...?

which she pretended to be about helping muslims, but really it was just a loaded question meant to implicate muslims with violence.

The old "when did you stop beating your wife?" question. Thats the MO of the geller camp...to debate these types of questions about islam which carry with them an unspoken and emotive message..islam is voilent, islam is the enemy. islam is trying to take over the west.

I dont think she cares whether a community center/mosque is built downtown or anywhere for that matter. IMO she doesnt even care about muslims herself. her purpose imo is to convince Americans that islam is the enemy, she wants americans to be afraid of islam...

and in that respect, sadly it seems likes shes been successful.

Speaking of implicating Muslims with violence, what do you think that Feisal Rauf is doing when he implicitly threatens violence if his "cultural center" isn't built?

What the fuck are you talking about you damn liar? Where the fuck did you spin that bullshit up?

Watch your mouth!

Why, our dear own Gothamist:

http://gothamist.com/2010/09/09/ground_zero_imam_moving_mosque_woul.php

"If we don't do this right, anger will explode in the Muslim world. It could become something very dangerous indeed."

Jamie,

When did you stop being a pedofile?