It “seems”? Are there any new churches being built in America? Definitely. New synagogues? Almost certainly. New mosques? AAAAArooooga! AAArroooga! Danger, Will Robinson, danger!
It won’t be built there. Not a chance. First off, they don’t have the money, the fund raising part was put off until the grounds could be acquired. In their naiveté, they seemed to believe that a community center dedicated to understanding and peace would not be an issue.
They’re not going to get the money, because everybody who might otherwise have been generous and forthcoming will now be scared witless to be associated with it. About the only people who would offer money would be precisely those Islamic fanatics eager to foster hatred of America, because they are tickled pink at the propaganda victory they have been handed.
The well has been totally poisoned, no water can be drawn. If they actually built it, it would be a huge target for terrorist attack, either from anti-Muslim fanatics, or anti-Sufi fanatics within Islam. (IF Bin Laden had but one bullet, and could shoot either a Jew or a Sufi, its even money which he’d pick).
What good is a community center if the community is afraid to go there?
It won’t happen. A crying shame, in my estimation, but there you have it. Dead as a doornail.
It is, but perhaps something positive will be salvaged. Just as the election of Obama forced us to confront still present racism, maybe this issue will force us to confront religious intolerance that was below the surface anyway.
They could also scale back their plans and simply renovate the existing building for now and still have the outreach they planned, just maybe not a pool.
That was when there were two Starbucks facing each other across West Gray here in Houston. Then a Barnes & Noble was built into the historically important shopping center, using a hideously ugly design. (Texas Tuscan does not mix well with Art Deco.) It’s right next to one of the Starbucks. Of course, they installed a third Starbucks–inside the Barnes & Noble.
No. Scaled down won’t help, there is nothing so utterly innocent that they could put there that wouldn’t attract attention. A cultural center is a propaganda tool, a gymnasium is a terrorist training center. Their original intent, and I take them at their word, was entirely innocent and admirable, little more than an Islamic YMCA. Innocence is no defense against ignorance and bigotry.
They will sell the site, and it will return to its previous condition as a monument to the memory of American manufacturing.
That is sad. I’m not convinced they’ll sell it and give up. I’m hoping they and some investor{s} have the balls to take a stand against religious intolerance.
With all the outrage and threats of those who embrace hate , consistently in our history, once the right thing is fought for and forced through, eventually it’s recognized as the right decision.
I believe they’ve already said they’d be open to relocating if investors made it economically feasible.
Doesn’t work for me, either; but if I had to guess, I’d say cosmosdan is referring to the picture on page 2 that shows Barack Hussein Obama with the (presumed) imam.