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Michael Moore Touts Ground Zero Mosque, Suggests McDonald’s Worse Than Terrorists

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Some think of September 11 as a date for solemn remembrance. Others see it as another occasion for idiocy. Take Michael Moore’s 9/11 message : I am opposed to the building of the “mosque” two blocks from Ground Zero. I want it built on Ground Zero. He says it’s because Islam was “stolen” from the real Muslims at the Twin Towers, and it should be given back on the same spot. But he’s not finished: There is a McDonald’s two blocks from Ground Zero. Trust me, McDonald’s has killed far more people than the terrorists. And the terrorists remind Moore of the Catholics on the Supreme Court: Let’s face it, all religions have their whackos. Catholics have O’Reilly, Gingrich, Hannity and Clarence Thomas (in fact all five conservatives who dominate the Supreme Court are Catholic). Protestants have Pat Robertson and too many to list here. The Mormons have Glenn Beck. Jews have Crazy Eddie. But we don’t judge whole religions on just the actions of their whackos. Unless they’re Methodists. Moore actually finished by suggesting the wisest thing to do on 9/11 is donate to the Ground Zero Mosque. He’s offering to match the first $10,000: Friends, we all have a responsibility NOW to make sure that Muslim community center gets built. Once again, 70% of the country (the same number that initially supported the Iraq War) is on the wrong side and want the “mosque” moved. Enormous pressure has been put on the Imam to stop his project. We have to turn this thing around. Are we going to let the bullies and thugs win another one? Aren’t you fed up by now? When would be a good time to take our country back from the haters? I say right now. Let’s each of us make a statement by donating to the building of this community center! It’s a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization and you can donate a dollar or ten dollars (or more) right now through a secure pay pal account by clicking here . I will personally match the first $10,000 raised (forward your PayPal receipt to webguy@michaelmoore.com ). If each one of you reading this blog/email donated just a couple of dollars, that would give the center over $6 million, more than what Donald Trump has offered to buy the Imam out. C’mon everyone, let’s pitch in and help those who are being debased for simply wanting to do something good. We could all make a huge statement of love on this solemn day. Sometimes, Moore sounds way too close to the satirical Moore character in An American Carol.

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NYT’s Blow Offers Fabulous Opinion on 9/11, Mosques and Koran Burning

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

New York Times columnist Charles Blow wrote a short piece on the ninth anniversary of 9/11 that should be must-reading for all Americans on both sides of the aisle. In fact, I’m sure liberal Times devotees will be just as shocked by ” A Lesson From 9/11 ” as conservatives that take the three minutes necessary to get through it. After sharing his experience as a New Yorker who was in Manhattan that awful day, Blow marvelously tied it all together with what Americans have fought and died for since our forefathers were colonists: My attitude that day was the same as most Americans: the terrorists must not be allowed to win. America would not be cowed. We would rise, our greatness would shine, and our ideas of freedom would remain a beacon to the world. That is why the debate these past few weeks over Islam in America – from the proposed Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan to talk of the burning of Korans – has been so hard to watch. Too much of the debate seems to be centered around the sensitivities of terrorists a world away who have hijacked the passions of a faith, who would see us destroyed and who want to attract more damaged souls to their cause. I understand, in theory, the idea of not stirring the hornet’s nest while our troops are still in harm’s way. But I chafe at the idea that great American debates, in all their ugliness and splendor, should be tempered for terrorists and their attempts to recruit. Blow then shared results of a new ABC News/Washington Post poll finding the number of people feeling America is currently safer from terrorism than before 9/11 is at a new low. He continued: But we simply cannot allow this new wave of fear to make us into something that we’re not. We are a country of freedoms, a country where religious freedom and freedom of speech hold equal standing, a country in which the construction of a building and the destruction of a book are rights extended to all, even if opposed by most. Free expressions are not always pleasant, but they must ever be protected, with no regard to the proclivities of the enemy. This is America, and the moment we forget that, they start to win. Indeed. Our media today, and much of the cowering Left, operate under the premise that we have to alter our behavior to win the approval of our enemies or else expect violent repercussions. Although Blow didn’t use the word, it’s akin to wartime appeasement. As most Europeans found out during World War II, it doesn’t work. The more modern term that pertains to appeasing radical Islam is dhimmitude, a process by which Western nations enact changes to their culture and their very way of life so as not to create unrest in their growing Muslim populations. This is already happening in Holland, France, Germany, and Great Britain to name a few. With this in mind, what we as a nation have to decide is whether we’re going to follow Europe’s lead and start remaking ourselves out of fear that our enemies will somehow retaliate or enjoy new recruits if we don’t. As Blow surprisingly noted, if we do this, we lose. After England’s Neville Chamberlain made a fool out of himself at Munich, stronger leaders named Churchill and Roosevelt opted to not make the same mistake he did. 72 years later, the United States is once again faced with the option of either following today’s Neville Chamberlains or taking a stronger, less-cowardly, more American approach with our enemies. Of course, some of the recent furor concerning a little-known Pastor in Gainesville, Florida, was stoked by comments made by David Petraeus. Although most Americans have great respect for the General, it is possible he over-reacted to Terry Jones’s Koran burning threat, and may have unnecessarily inflamed the situation with his warning. That, too, is up for debate, or at least should be unless we fear that also will stoke our enemies’ ire. But if a diehard liberal like Blow can see that we shouldn’t be afraid of debates on sensitive subjects, maybe the rest of the cowering media can pull out their pacifiers, take off their diapers, and stop acting like freedom of speech is only a good thing if nobody is offended by it. As Europe learned in 1939, if you give your enemies an inch, they’ll take a mile. If we give up this right to make radical Islamists happy, what’ll be next?

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NYT’s Blow Offers Fabulous Opinion on 9/11, Mosques and Koran Burning

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ABC’s Richard Clarke Suggests Obama Inauguration Speech Helped Make America Safer

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

On Saturday’s Good Morning America on ABC, during a discussion of the Ground Zero mosque and the possibility of Koran burning in Florida by Pastor Terry Jones, after anchor Dan Harris brought up the naive liberal expectation that President Obama would be able to improve relations with the Muslim world because of his family connections to Muslims and his inaugural speech reaching out to Muslims, ABC News consultant Richard Clarke suggested that Obama’s inaugural address had “helped a lot” to make America safer before being derailed by recent controversies.  Clarke’s suggestion came after he had argued that recent events have made America “a lot less safe,” with conversation continuing: DAN HARRIS: But, you know, there was all this talk when President Obama was inaugurated that here’s a man whose middle name was “Hussein,” he spent part of his childhood in a Muslim country, he’s made a LOT of effort to reach out to the Muslim world, and, in fact, gave an impassioned set of statements on this very issue yesterday. Has none of that helped? RICHARD CLARKE: Well, it did help. When he said in his inaugural address, “America is not at war with Islam,” that helped a lot. But the recent controversies have undone all of that. Clarke – a former counterterrorism advisor for both the Clinton and Bush administrations who has a history of sharp criticism of the Bush administration’s response to 9/11 – later in the segment vaguely impugned the Bush administration’s reaction to the 9/11 attacks: “We have to anticipate that there will be another attack. And we have to think about what our reaction’s going to be when that occurs. Last time, a lot of our reaction was counterproductive.” Below is a complete transcript of the relevant segment from the Saturday, September 11, Good Morning America on ABC: DAN HARRIS: Let’s talk about all of this now with Richard Clarke, who was the counterterrorism czar in both the Clinton and Bush administrations. And he was in that position on 9/11. He’s now an ABC News consultant. He joins us from Virginia. Richard, good morning to you. RICHARD CLARKE ABC NEWS CONSULTANT: Good morning, Dan. HARRIS: So, even though this Koran burning has been called off, do you think the damage has been done? Has it made us less safe, do you think? CLARKE: It’s made us a lot less safe. Whenever we do things that support bin Laden’s theory that America is at war with Islam, that strengthens his recruitment process. So he’s probably recruited thousands of more adherents over the last few weeks while we argued about a mosque in New York and Koran burning. HARRIS: But, you know, there was all this talk when President Obama was inaugurated that here’s a man whose middle name was “Hussein,” he spent part of his childhood in a Muslim country, he’s made a LOT of effort to reach out to the Muslim world, and, in fact, gave an impassioned set of statements on this very issue yesterday. Has none of that helped? CLARKE: Well, it did help. When he said in his inaugural address, “America is not at war with Islam,” that helped a lot. But the recent controversies have undone all of that. And the average Muslim in Indonesia or India or Pakistan could be forgiven for thinking that the United States really is at war with Islam. And that’s the fuel that bin Laden needs to get support, financial support, suicide bombers, to get people who will join the al-Qaeda cause. HARRIS: Martha Raddatz brought this up in her piece. Why have we not found Osama bin Laden nine years after the fact? CLARKE: Well, you know, the world has billions of people on it, and finding one person has always proved difficult when they don’t want to be found. But, as General Petraeus said in your piece, he is out there. He is influential. He is still issuing orders. And he’s still issuing orders to attack the United States. HARRIS: You were in the White House, as we said, nine years ago, on 9/11. As you look out at the world right now and you survey our anti-terror defenses in this country, what keeps you up at night? What is our biggest vulnerability? CLARKE: Well, it’s still possible for a handful of people – I mean, even if al-Qaeda is reduced to 150 or 200 people – it’s still possible for 10 or 12 to come to the United States. They could even be people with American passports who went overseas and got trained and came back – to get into the United States and cause an attack. It’s always going to be possible, no matter what we do. So we have to anticipate that there will be another attack. And we have to think about what our reaction’s going to be when that occurs. Last time, a lot of our reaction was counterproductive. And this time, I hope if it happens, we are more realistic. Now, we all want it not to happen, but stopping every terrorist attack is almost impossible. HARRIS: Have our defenses improved measurably, do you think? CLARKE: Yeah, they have in some areas. Certainly, aviation security is much better. But the sort of attack that occurred on the London subway a few years ago on 7/7, that sort of attack could take place on any one of the American subway systems today. There’s some targets that are just really, really tough to protect, no matter what you do. HARRIS: Richard Clarke, thank you very much. We appreciate your input on this anniversary. CLARKE: Thank you, Dan.

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Slate Affiliate Equates Newt Gingrich With Koran Burner Jones

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Imagine for a moment you were the editor of a magazine owned by the Washington Post and Newsweek. Would you a day before the ninth anniversary of 9/11 publish an article with the following headline: The Talibanization of America Viewed from Pakistan, the rise of U.S. Islamophobia looks depressingly familiar.  Seems rather inflammatory hours before such a solemn day in America, don’t you think? Yet, such was published Friday by Foreign Policy magazine, an affiliate of the Slate Group.  Sadly, the contents  – which in paragraph three equated former House Speaker Newt Gingrich with prospective Koran burner Terry Jones – will likely be even more offensive to the vast majority of Americans  especially  on September 11: In Pakistan, “Talibanization” is a label used to describe regressive and parochial conservatism, not just the political ascendancy of Mullah Omar and his extremist disciples. When we use the label “mullah,” it is not the same thing as honoring someone by calling him “Father” or “Reverend.” Instead, we’re most likely referring to a person’s narrow-mindedness, bigotry, and possible racism. So when we try to explain to fellow Pakistanis how the United States is much grander than the pettiness of Quran-burning circuses or mosque-defying extremists, we don’t use the same labels that Americans would. Describing the ideological kith and kin of opponents of the Park51 project — including the fringe element of folks like Terry Jones and his flock at the Dove World Outreach Center — with terms like the moral majority, far-right evangelicals, or even neocons is useless. Instead, when we try to explain what is happening in America, we simply say that a great country is going through a kind of Talibanization — led by mullahs like Newt Gingrich, Pamela Geller, and the occasional Terry Jones. Isn’t that special? So, as far as this author is concerned, the highly-esteemed former Speaker of the House is the same as a nutty Pastor in Florida that up until a few weeks ago almost nobody in America ever heard of. But that was just the beginning of the nonsense on display at this Slate affiliate: What if we didn’t present the Quran-burners and mosque-attackers as part of a fringe movement of ideologically driven extremists? Then of course, the only other possibility is for us to accept that International Quran Burning Day and the controversy over the Park51 community center both in different ways signify mainstream America’s growing discomfort with Islam. Simply put, if the Islamophobia of an American fringe is in fact not on the fringes, but in the mainstream, then the United States has an Islamophobia problem. But therein lies the problem, for this whole idea of Islamophobia is a fiction created by America’s press that’s been negligently presented as a mainstream fear rather than a fringe sentiment in a dishonest attempt to change the public’s view of the Ground Zero mosque. If the media had done a better job of describing what this issue was really about when the Islamic center was first proposed rather than taking sides and presenting a distortion that impugned the overwhelmingly large percentage against the project, this wouldn’t have resulted in as significant a controversy here or abroad. That our press, as they have been doing at almost every turn lately, championed the minority view against the very citizens they serve is at the heart of this so-called Islamophobia. As it pertains to Jones, had these same media outlets completely ignored his attention-getting stunt, this too wouldn’t have represented a problem either here or throughout the Arab world. Unfortunately, that’s not the way this FP op-ed contributor saw things: In the places where the 9/11 attacks were planned, financed, and conceived, meanwhile, the warm and fuzzy Islam of America’s suburbs is a nonexistent fantasy. On the Muslim Main Street, in Saudi Arabia, in Afghanistan, and in flood-ravaged Pakistan, Muslims can’t see past the Talibanized narrative of the U.S. mid-term election. Just as the mainstream news media in America cannot be held responsible for transforming Terry Jones from a walking punch line into an international celebrity, mainstream media in a country like Pakistan can hardly be blamed for reporting Jones’s shenanigans to 180 million — mostly Muslim — Pakistanis. On Sept. 10, as Afghans celebrated Eid, many decided to protest against the Islamophobic events planned in Florida. During the protests, NATO troops, surrounded by angry protesters, opened fire, killing at least one person in Badakshan province. It is easy to become partisan in assigning blame for this death. Many will blame Terry Jones. Others will blame the media. Many others will blame the mullahs who stoked Afghan anger. No doubt, some pundit at Fox News will blame the protester himself, and most people in Afghanistan will blame NATO. It barely matters anymore who pulled the trigger in Badakhshan. The point is that progressive thought is being lost in the places where it would matter the most. In the nine years since 9/11, there has not been a single domestic Muslim reawakening in any of the Organization of the Islamic Conference’s almost 60 Muslim-majority countries. In countries like Pakistan, mosque leaders still make the same anti-American references. They still exhibit the same resistance to change. They still get treated with kid gloves by governments that are run by culturally dislocated Muslims. Is this America’s fault? The United States today is a nation deeply divided along political lines. It’s currently impossible to generate a consensus view on how to stimulate our economy, how to bring down healthcare costs, or how to solve the looming crises involving the unfunded liabilities associated with Social Security and Medicare. In fact, we can’t even create a consensus as to whether or not Social Security and Medicare are looming crises. But we should be held responsible for what foreigners think when we can’t even get our own people to agree on simple matters facing our own country? This seems especially absurd when one considers the number of things many Americans are deeply confused about. As Newsweek humorously noted  a few weeks ago:  21 percent of Americans believe in witches 20 percent believe the sun revolves around the earth 41 percent don’t know Judaism is older than Christianity Less than 25 percent can name two members of the Supreme Court 63 percent of young Americans can’t find Iraq on a map; 90 percent can’t find Afghanistan 60 percent can’t identify the three branches of our government With all of our money, media, and education, we can’t properly inform our own people. Yet we should be responsible for controlling the thought processes of foreigners thousands of miles away with governments employing their own methods of propaganda to reach their own goals? Preposterous!  With this in mind, maybe this FP op-ed contributor should look at himself for answers, for he is more a part of the problem than the solution. After all, nowhere in his article did he mention the facts concerning the canard that is American Islamophobia. Maybe if he informed his readers that FBI statistics show hate crimes against Muslims in this country are a rarity compared to those against blacks, Jews, and gays, they’d realize that this really isn’t the problem the media are making it out to be. And maybe if he ignored Terry Jones, rather than mentioning him six times in this piece, the exploits of this fringe Pastor wouldn’t be a propaganda tool in the Arab world. At the very least he and his ilk should go to great lengths telling their readers that a tremendously small percentage of Americans support Koran burning as a protest against Islam. What this FP op-ed contributor and virtually all our liberal media don’t seem to understand is that America’s enemies abroad are looking to conflate anything that happens here or involves us internationally to foment anti-American hatred in their countries. This has been going on for decades and didn’t start after 9/11.  As such, if this FP op-ed contributor and all liberal press members would more accurately report events here rather than sensationalize everything in order to paint the most negative picture of the average American citizen, our enemies would have less fuel to add to their propagandist fires. I would say this was pretty darned obvious if not for that Newsweek presentation previously mentioned. 

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CBS: U.S. Muslims ‘Feel Like Strangers in Their Own Country’

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Filling in for anchor Katie Couric on Thursday’s CBS Evening News, Early Show co-host Harry Smith introduced a report on opposition to building mosques in some areas of the country: “…they feel like strangers in their own country, Muslims shocked by the growing opposition to new mosques ….building a mosque has suddenly become a hot-button issue in many communities.” Smith expounded on the cause of the protests: “The furor over plans to burn the Koran and the building of the proposed Islamic center near Ground Zero has had ripple effects all across America.” Correspondent Seth Doane followed by focusing on opposition to a proposed mosque in Tennessee: “About 250 Muslim families live here in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. For decades, they’ve lived in peace and have prayed at a small local mosque. But then trouble started brewing over this site, where they want to expand and build a bigger Islamic center.” Doane described the feelings of one Muslim resident: “[Saleh Sbenaty] says even after September 11th, he didn’t see hatred like this.” Doane added: “Nationwide, more than half a dozen proposed Islamic centers have run into roadblocks, from Temecula, California, to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to the high-profile one near Ground Zero.” He did not explain what those “roadblocks” were. Doane turned to the Sbenaty’s daughter: “Is this really about a building or is it about something bigger?” Dima Sbenaty replied: “It’s about the growing hatred, you know, against Muslims.” Doane warned: “Dima says for the first time she’s scared.” Near the end of the report, Doane cited more evidence of anti-Muslim sentiment in the form of grade school name-calling: “10-year-old Zaid Abuzahra probably had more on his mind than just school. Last week at recess, some bullies learned that he was Muslim.” Abuzahra explained: “This group comes, and starts calling me terrorist, ‘I hear you’re a Muslim. This is America.'” The report included only two brief sound bites of mosque opponents, with Doane portraying them as a radical fringe: “In June, residents packed meetings in protest….And what some call a vocal minority, got louder….A few weeks ago, construction equipment at the site was set on fire, and with that, the arsonists set nerves on edge, too.” Meanwhile, on Thursday’s NBC Nightly News, correspondent Ron Mott also reported on the building of a new mosque in Tennessee, but took a slightly different approach: Last night’s call to prayer outside Memphis was answered by the Muslim faithful as usual: shoes removed, rugs laid, all bowed east toward Mecca, singing Allah’s praises. But what makes this year’s Ramadan different is where they’re worshiping, a Christian church called Heartsong, a sort of ‘welcome to the neighborhood’ gift while a new mosque is built nearby….Neighbors ever since the Memphis Islamic Center bought 31 acres in the heart of the Bible Belt. Unlike other parts of the country, there have been no signs of protests. Doane left out any mention of that story of religious cooperation elsewhere in the state. Here is a full transcript of Doane’s September 9 report: 6:40PM ET TEASE: HARRY SMITH: Up next, they say they feel like strangers in their own country, Muslims shocked by the growing opposition to new mosques. 6:42PM ET SEGMENT:      SMITH: The furor over plans to burn the Koran and the building of the proposed Islamic center near Ground Zero has had ripple effects all across America. There are 2.5 million Muslims in this country, and about 1900 mosques, but building a mosque has suddenly become a hot-button issue in many communities. As Seth Doane reports, that’s just what happened in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. SETH DOANE: Like most 13-year-olds, he’s proud of his school, his soccer trophies, and his country. SALIM SBENATY [MURFREESBORO, TN. RESIDENT]: I’m as American as you get. I’m as patriotic as you get. I mean, I’m America all the way. DOANE: He’s also proud of his religion. Salim Sbenaty is Muslim, and nowadays, this Tennessee town that’s been his family’s home for nearly 20 years, doesn’t feel the same. SBENATY: I’m always afraid for my mom, because there are always a few stupid people out there. You never know what they’re going to do, and my mom wearing that scarf is a symbol saying, ‘hey, I’m Muslim.’ DOANE: About 250 Muslim families live here in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. For decades, they’ve lived in peace and have prayed at a small local mosque. But then trouble started brewing over this site, where they want to expand and build a bigger Islamic center. In June, residents packed meetings in protest. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If construction does begin, I would also encourage contractors to boycott it. DOANE: And what some call a vocal minority, got louder. LARRY ANDERSON [MUFREESBORO, TN. RESIDENT]: They want to make this instead of one nation under God, America, they want to make this one nation under Islam. DOANE: A few weeks ago, construction equipment at the site was set on fire, and with that, the arsonists set nerves on edge, too. Salim’s dad says even after September 11th, he didn’t see hatred like this. SALEH SBENATY: It’s very hard for me to forget what I’ve heard directed toward me from people who don’t know me. DOANE: Nationwide, more than half a dozen proposed Islamic centers have run into roadblocks, from Temecula, California, to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to the high-profile one near Ground Zero. Is this really about a building or is it about something bigger? DIMA SBENATY [SISTER OF SALIM SBENATY]: It’s about the growing hatred, you know, against Muslims. DOANE: Salim’s 20-year-old sister Dima says for the first time she’s scared. SBENATY: It’s very disappointing. It really is, because this country was founded upon freedom of religion. DOANE: Across town this morning, 10-year-old Zaid Abuzahra probably had more on his mind than just school. Last week at recess, some bullies learned that he was Muslim. ZAID ABUZAHRA: This group comes, and starts calling me terrorist, ‘I hear you’re a Muslim. This is America.’ DOANE: How did it make you feel? ABUZAHRA: Awkward, sad, like, surprising. DOANE: A surprise to many here who watch the news and wonder. SBENATY: First Amendment, ever since I was little and had to memorize it, freedom of religion, it says it. DOANE: In that First Amendment, another right – freedom of speech, for some just harder to hear. Seth Doane, CBS News, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

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Wash Post’s Anne Kornblut: Why, Despite Obama’s Healing Efforts, Is There So Much Anti-Muslim ‘Resentment?’

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Washington Post staff writer Anne Kornblut used her question at a White House press conference on Friday to worry that, despite Barack Obama making it a “priority,” anti-Muslim “suspicion” still existed in America. She queried the President, ” Nine years after the September 11th attacks, why do you think it is that we are now seeing such an increase in suspicion and outright resentment of Islam, especially given that it has been one of your priorities to improve relations with the Muslim world? ” [MP3 audio here .] Obama’s response seemed to echo his infamous 2008 comment about Americans being “bitter” and “clinging” to their guns. He proclaimed, “You know, I think that at a time when the country is anxious generally and going through a tough time, then, you know, fears can surface, suspicions, divisions can surface in a society. And, so, I think that plays a role in it.” On April 11, 2008 , the then-Senator condescended, “It’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.” Of course, Kornblut had no follow-up and didn’t challenge Obama on his latest assertion. A transcript of the September 10 question and answer can be found below: 11:32 ANNE KORNBLUT: Thank you, Mr. President. Nine years after the September 11 th attacks, why do you think it is that we are now seeing such an increase in suspicion and outright resentment of Islam, especially given that it has been one of your priorities to improve relations with the Muslim world? BARACK OBAMA: You know, I think that at a time when the country is anxious generally and going through a tough time, then, you know, fears can surface, suspicions, divisions can surface in a society. And, so, I think that plays a role in it. One of the things that I most admired about President Bush was after 9/11, him being crystal clear about the fact that we were not at war with Islam. We were at war with terrorists and murderers who had perverted Islam, had stolen its banner to carry out its outrageous acts. I was so proud of the country rallying around that idea, that notion that we are not going to be divided by religion. We’re not going to be divided by ethnicity. We are all Americans and we stand together against those who would try to do us harm. And that’s what we’ve done over the last nine years. We should take great pride in that. And I think it is absolutely important now for the overwhelming majority of the American people to hang on to that thing that is best in us, a belief in religious tolerance, clarity about who are enemies are. Our enemies are al Qaeda and their allies who are trying to kill us, but have killed more Muslims than just about anybody on Earth. You know, we have to make sure that we don’t start turning on each other and I will do everything that I can as long as I’m President of the United States to remind the American people that we are one nation under God and we may call that god different names. But we remain one nation and, you know, as somebody who, you know, relies heavily on my Christian faith in my job, I understand, you know, that the passions that religious faith can, can raise. But I’m also respectful that people of different faiths can practice their religion, even if they don’t subscribe to the exact same notions that I do. And that they are still good people and they are my neighbors and they are my friends and they are fighting alongside us in our battles. And, you know, I want to make sure that this country retains that sense of purpose. And I think tomorrow is a wonderful day for us to remind ourselves of that.

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Who did 9/11 – Osama bin Laden, Bush Or Mossad? Israel’s role in 9/11

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Over three hours of mainstream documentation of Israel's involvement in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Mark Dankof and Nashid Abdul Khaaliq join the program as we discuss the “anomolies” surrounding the act of war against America that took the lives of 3,000 people on September 11 and more importantly Israel's role in bringing this all about which led to the war on terror. This issue is not going to go away any time soon so deal with it. Israel played a central role in the attacks of 9/11, and all of the evidence suggests that Israelis, not Muslim cave dwellers. carried out the attacks, and then used the media and US government to pin the blame on the entire Arab Muslim population of the world. This is being covered up by the mainstream media's inventing contoversies like the Ground Zero the Cordoba Initiative, and the Koran burning pastor who is a complete nobody, yet is given top billing on the nightly news. . added by: maasanova

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CBS’s Smith: Did Opposition to Ground Zero Mosque Lead to Koran Burning?

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

In an interview with Democratic Congressman Keith Ellison on Thursday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith implied a link between Ground Zero mosque opposition and a pastor’s plan to burn the Koran: “…a line that can be drawn from the…anti-Muslim sentiment that seems to be growing in this country and seems to be festering in the Islamic cultural center….Do you see a line that connects here?”   Ellison, the only Muslim member of Congress, defended the planned mosque: “…in my view, the cultural center in lower Manhattan, the purpose of it wasn’t to offend or insult anyone. The purpose was to try to build bridges of understanding…there’s no doubt that the people who pull this project together were not intending to insult anyone.” The Congressman then agreed with Smith’s characterization of the opposition: “…there does seem to be a certain wave of anti-Islamic sentiment.” In the 8AM ET hour, a news brief on the same topic featured a sound bite from an Islamic radical calling for a day of burning the American flag in retaliation. Correspondent Charlie D’Agata proclaimed: “The plan to burn the Koran has already sparked outrage among Muslims the world over….In Britain, a former leader of an Islamist hard line group told CBS News this morning, he plans to call on Muslims worldwide to make 9/11 a ‘burn the Stars and Stripes day.'” A clip was played of radical Islamic leader Anjem Choudary: “The burning of the Koran has united the Muslims around the world and has made them very angry. And I think that the Americans are really digging their own grave.” D’Agata acted as if such radicalism was solely in response to the planned Koran burning and not commonplace among Muslim extremists. In an interview with controversial Florida pastor Terry Jones on Wednesday , Smith questioned whether or not radical Islam was even a threat to America.          Here is a full transcript of Smith’s September 9 segment on the controversy: 7:00AM TEASE: HARRY SMITH: Koran outrage. Concern grows for U.S. citizens around the world as a Florida pastor continues his plan to burn the holy Muslim book this weekend. We’ll have reaction from the only Muslim member of Congress. 7:06AM SEGMENT: HARRY SMITH: Now to the latest on the Florida pastor who says he will burn the Koran this Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. His demonstration is now causing safety concerns for people in his hometown as well as Americans in other countries. CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella is in Gainesville, Florida, and has the latest. Kelly, good morning. KELLY COBIELLA: Good morning, Harry. And this morning the President – President Obama – is stepping into this controversy, saying this protest would be a ‘recruitment bonanza’ for Al Qaeda. It is just one more in a chorus of voices warning about a possible violent backlash to this, but so far, the Florida pastor at the center of it all is standing firm. TERRY JONES: We are not convinced that backing down is the right thing. [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Koran Controversy; Pastor Remains Steadfast As Opposition Mounts] COBIELLA: The protest of one man with less than 50 followers is having a ripple effect around the world. The State Department ordered U.S. embassies to assess their security and brace for possible protests. And the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan warned again that Jones could be putting U.S. lives in danger. DAVID PETRAEUS: We’re concerned that the images from the burning of a Koran would be used in the same way that extremists used images from Abu Ghraib. COBIELLA: Jones claims he has silent support from people who sent copies of the Koran to burn and others too afraid to speak publicly. Yet even members of his former church in Germany are distancing themselves from him. On her Facebook page, Sarah Palin urged Jones to back off, calling the protest ‘insensitive and an unnecessary provocation, much like the building of a mosque at Ground Zero.’ The man behind that project said on CNN Wednesday night he never meant to offend the victims of 9/11. FEISAL ABDUL RAUF [IMAM]: If I knew that this would happen, this would cause this kind of pain, I wouldn’t have done it. COBIELLA: In Florida, Jones’ neighbors packed a church to pray with imams, priests, and rabbis as a show of tolerance. UNIDENTIFIED MAN [IMAM]: I come in peace. COBIELLA: Religious leaders are trying to convince Jones to change his plans. MAN: I think the pastor as a Christian will follow in the footsteps of Christ and would do the right thing. COBIELLA: Anger at this protest is clearly growing. At least 100 counterprotesters are expected here on Saturday, probably many more than that. And some fairly intensive security measures are being put in place, including Gainesville police officers, the S.W.A.T. team, and the FBI. Harry. SMITH: Kelly Cobiella in Gainesville this morning, thank you. Joining us now from Minneapolis is Representative Keith Ellison, the first Muslim ever elected to Congress. And from Dallas, Dr. Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. Good morning to you both. RICHARD LAND: Good morning. KEITH ELLISON: Good morning. Thank you. SMITH: Dr. Land, let me start with you. Numbers of ministers, evangelicals, pentecostals, you even have Billy Graham’s son, Franklin Graham, who is no fan of Islam, trying to reach out to this pastor. Does this pastor have a theological leg to stand on? RICHARD LAND: No, no. If you just ask the question, ‘what would Jesus do?’ Jesus would never do this. This is – this is odious. This is absolutely beyond the pale. It doesn’t follow the Golden Rule. It doesn’t follow the teachings of Jesus in any way, shape, or form. And he’s being urged by Christians from all spectrums and other religious leaders not to do this, out of respect for our Muslim citizens and also out of respect for the serious danger that it’s going to place American soldiers and American civilians in overseas. I mean, this is a – this is a needless, hurtful, and really, absolutely beyond-the-pale provocation. SMITH: Congressman, let me ask you this because you have the President speaking out on this issue now, saying that this burning of Korans is going to work as a recruitment tool for Al Qaeda. ‘A recruitment bonanza.’ Who does this hurt most? KEITH ELLISON: Well, I think it certainly has the potential to hurt Americans in uniform of our country. But I think it also damages our Constitution. It damages the fabric of our nation that is based on the idea of religious liberty, an ideal enshrined in our First Amendment. But the thing I’d like to say is that I urge people in congregations, Muslim and other, to urge restraint, to urge patience and to urge caution. You should not reward this provocation with a counterresponse, unless that is a loving response, unless that is an interfaith response. But I would ask religious leaders to speak to their congregations and say, ‘he’s trying to provoke you. Don’t be provoked.’ SMITH: One of the things that’s being talked about, Congressman, is that there is a line that can be drawn from the anti-Islamic – anti-Muslim sentiment that seems to be growing in this country  and seems to be festering in the Islamic cultural center that’s being proposed to be built a couple of blocks away from Ground Zero. Do you see a line that connects here? ELLISON: Well, the – in my view, the cultural center in lower Manhattan, the purpose of it wasn’t to offend or insult anyone. The purpose was to try to build bridges of understanding. Now, people can have different interpretations as to what it means to them, but there’s no doubt that the people who pull this project together were not intending to insult anyone because there’s a mosque within four blocks and they’ve been in this place for a number of years before. This is a deliberate attempt to provoke people, so I think that there are real distinctions. Of course, the similarity is that there does seem to be a certain wave of anti-Islamic sentiment, but let me just add- SMITH: Quickly. ELLISON: While there is anti-Islamic sentiment, there are many, many more Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, who are standing in solidarity with their fellow Americans who are Muslim and I think that’s a good sign. People are rising to the occasion. SMITH: Very quickly, Dr. Land, what is the antidote for this? LAND: Oh, I think the antidote for this is, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Love your neighbor as yourself. ELLISON: I agree. LAND: Take into consideration your fellow citizens and your neighbors’ feelings and let’s act as – toward others as we would want to be treated ourselves. SMITH: Dr. Land, Congressman Ellison, thank you both very much for taking the time to speak with us this morning. Do appreciate it. ELLISON: Thank you. SMITH: Alright. ELLISON: Thank you, Dr. Land. LAND: Thank you. SMITH: Take care.          ERICA HILL: It continues to be a fascinating story. Here is a full transcript of D’Agata’s report: 8:01AM SEGMENT: JEFF GLOR: President Obama wants a Florida pastor to call off his plans to burn copies of the Koran on Saturday. Mr. Obama said this morning, quote, ‘this is a recruitment bonanza for Al Qaeda’ and that it might cause serious violence in Pakistan or Afghanistan.’ He also says it might lure more individuals who would be willing to blow themselves up in American or European cities. CBS News correspondent Charlie D’Agata is in London this morning with more on this. Charlie, good morning. CHARLIE D’AGATA: Good morning to you, Jeff. The U.S. State Department has issued a warning to American embassies in Muslim countries to brace for an anti-American backlash, demonstrations, and the possibility of violence. [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Koran Buring; President Obama: “Recruitment Bonanza For Al Qaeda”] The plan to burn the Koran has already sparked outrage among Muslims the world over. Protesters in India burned American flags this morning and chanted, ‘down with America.’ In Britain, a former leader of an Islamist hard line group told CBS News this morning, he plans to call on Muslims worldwide to make 9/11 a ‘burn the Stars and Stripes day.’ ANJEM CHOUDARY [RADICAL ISLAMIC LEADER]: The burning of the Koran has united the Muslims around the world and has made them very angry. And I think that the Americans are really digging their own grave. D’AGATA: In Afghanistan, Muslim leaders said the U.S. can’t afford to let the burning go ahead. [SPEAKING IN BACKGROUND, MULLAH HABIBULLAH, AFGHAN MUSLIM PREACHER] D’AGATA: ‘America must stop this,’ he says. ‘The Taliban will use it as proof they’re here to destroy Islam.’ During a trip to Pakistan, actress Angelina Jolie was appalled at the idea of burning the Koran. ANGELINA JOLIE: I have hardly the words to – that somebody would do that to somebody’s religious book. D’AGATA: Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country, has sent a letter to President Obama asking him to step in and forbid the bonfire from taking place. Jeff. GLOR: Charlie D’Agata in London this morning. Charlie, thank you.

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CBS’s Smith: Did Opposition to Ground Zero Mosque Lead to Koran Burning?

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Imam Rauf’s NYT Op-ed Completely Ignores Ground Zero Mosque Polls

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

The Imam in the middle of the Ground Zero mosque controversy finally spoke about the issue Wednesday by publishing a New York Times op-ed without once mentioning the overwhelming public opposition to the location of this Islamic center. Somewhat curiously, he didn’t even refer to last week’s poll by the Times finding two-thirds of New York city residents against the building of such a facility two blocks from where radical Islamists killed thousands of innocent people almost exactly nine years ago. But that didn’t stop Feisal Abdul Rauf from putting a happy face on an issue that has deeply saddened much of the nation he is also a citizen of: We are proceeding with the community center, Cordoba House. More important, we are doing so with the support of the downtown community, government at all levels and leaders from across the religious spectrum, who will be our partners. I am convinced that it is the right thing to do for many reasons. Yes, but not with the support of the very community this mosque would serve. Let me remind the Imam of what the very paper he wrote in Wednesday reported just five days prior: The poll, however, reveals a more complicated portrait of the opposition in New York: 67 percent said that while Muslims had a right to construct the center near ground zero, they should find a different site. Most strikingly, 38 percent of those who expressed support for the plan to build it in Lower Manhattan said later in a follow-up question that they would prefer it be moved farther away, suggesting that even those who defend the plan question the wisdom of the location. Weeks prior, a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll found similar opposition nationwide. How could a man claiming his “life’s work has been focused on building bridges between religious groups” not recognize in his call for unity the overwhelming opposition to this mosque from the very people he says he wants to build bridges between? Shouldn’t the beginning of such a process be to validate the existence of powerful resistance and concern? By ignorning the volume and intensity of these sentiments, the Imam was actually offending those that possess them. Instead, he continued to make his pitch like a salesman ignoring negative feedback from his prospects: Our broader mission – to strengthen relations between the Western and Muslim worlds and to help counter radical ideology – lies not in skirting the margins of issues that have polarized relations within the Muslim world and between non-Muslims and Muslims. It lies in confronting them as a joint multifaith, multinational effort. From the political conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians to the building of a community center in Lower Manhattan, Muslims and members of all faiths must work together if we are ever going to succeed in fostering understanding and peace. Great thoughts indeed, but you can only convert your opponents by recognizing their existence. By ignoring them, you run the risk of further alienating those you claim to be reaching out to. With this in mind, if Times editorial page editor Andrew Rosenthal had any input to what Rauf wrote before it was published, one has to wonder if he suggested to the Imam that it might be a good idea to mention last Friday’s poll. He may have balanced this by referring to the Times own editorial the same day wherein the Gray Lady spoke in favor of the mosque despite the poll’s findings. After all, the absence of both suggests regardless of the optimistic title “Building on Faith,” either Rauf had little faith his readers could handle the truth or he is refusing to face it himself. Whichever the reality, it didn’t paint a picture of a religious figure trying to build bridges.  As a result, this op-ed might act to further the divide concerning this mosque rather than unify a nation with many remaining questions about its possible construction.

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Imam Rauf’s NYT Op-ed Completely Ignores Ground Zero Mosque Polls

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Pressure rises on pastor who wants to burn Quran

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

PLEASE WATCH ! could not embed video. http://video.ap.org/?f=AP&pid= {releasePID} GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The government turned up the pressure Tuesday on the head of a small Florida church who plans to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, warning him that doing so could endanger U.S. troops and Americans everywhere. But the Rev. Terry Jones insisted he would go ahead with his plans, despite criticism from the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, the White House and the State Department, as well as a host of religious leaders. Jones, who is known for posting signs proclaiming that Islam is the devil's religion, says the Constitution gives him the right to publicly set fire to the book that Muslims consider the word of God. Gen. David Petraeus warned Tuesday in an e-mail to The Associated Press that “images of the burning of a Quran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan – and around the world – to inflame public opinion and incite violence.” It was a rare example of a military commander taking a position on a domestic political matter. Jones responded that he is also concerned but is “wondering, 'When do we stop?'” He refused to cancel the protest set for Saturday at his Dove World Outreach Center, a church that espouses an anti-Islam philosophy. “How much do we back down? How many times do we back down?” Jones told the AP. “Instead of us backing down, maybe it's to time to stand up. Maybe it's time to send a message to radical Islam that we will not tolerate their behavior.” Still, Jones said he will pray about his decision. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the administration hoped Americans would stand up and condemn the church's plan. “We think that these are provocative acts,” Crowley said. “We would like to see more Americans stand up and say that this is inconsistent with our American values; in fact, these actions themselves are un-American.” Meeting Tuesday with religious leaders to discuss recent attacks on Muslims and mosques around the U.S., Attorney General Eric Holder called the planned burning both idiotic and dangerous, according to a Justice Department official. The official requested anonymity because the meeting was private. Crowley said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton may address the controversy at a dinner Tuesday evening in observance of Iftar, the breaking of the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. At the White House, spokesman Robert Gibbs echoed the concerns raised by Petraeus. “Any type of activity like that that puts our troops in harm's way would be a concern to this administration,” Gibbs told reporters. Jones said he has received more than 100 death threats and has started wearing a .40-caliber pistol strapped to his hip. The 58-year-old minister said the death threats started not long after he proclaimed in July that he would stage “International Burn-a-Quran Day.” Supporters have been mailing copies of the Islamic holy text to his church to be incinerated in a bonfire. Jones, who has about 50 followers, gained some local notoriety last year when he posted signs in front of his small church declaring “Islam is of the Devil.” But his Quran-burning scheme attracted wider attention. It drew rebukes from Muslim nations and an avalanche of media interview requests just as an emotional debate was taking shape over the proposed Islamic center near the ground zero site of the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York. The Quran, according to Jones, is “evil” because it espouses something other than biblical truth and incites radical, violent behavior among Muslims. “It's hard for people to believe, but we actually feel this is a message that we have been called to bring forth,” he said last week. “And because of that, we do not feel like we can back down.” Muslims consider the Quran to be the word of God and insist it be treated with the utmost respect, along with any printed material containing its verses or the name of Allah or the Prophet Muhammad. Any intentional damage or show of disrespect to the Quran is deeply offensive. Jones' Dove Outreach Center is independent of any denomination. The church follows the Pentecostal tradition, which teaches that the Holy Spirit can manifest itself in the modern day. Pentecostals often view themselves as engaged in spiritual warfare against satanic forces. At first glance, the church looks like a warehouse rather than a place of worship. A stone facade and a large lighted cross adorn the front of the beige steel building, which stands on 20 acres in Gainesville's leafy northern suburbs. Jones and his wife, Sylvia, live on the property and also use part of it to store furniture that they sell on eBay. A broad coalition of religious leaders from evangelical, Roman Catholic, Jewish and Muslim organizations met in Washington on Tuesday and condemned the plan to burn the Quran as a violation of American values. “This is not the America that we all have grown to love and care about,” said Rabbi Steve Gutow of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. “We have to stand up for our Muslim brothers and sisters and say, “This is not OK.'” FBI agents have visited with Jones to discuss concern for his safety. Multiple Facebook pages with thousands of members have popped up hailing him as a hero or blasting him as a dangerous pariah. The world's leading Sunni Muslim institution of learning, Al-Azhar University in Egypt, accused the church of stirring up hate and discrimination, and called on other American churches speak out against it. Last month, Indonesian Muslims demonstrated outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, threatening violence if Jones goes through with it. In this progressive Florida city of 125,000 anchored by the sprawling University of Florida campus, the lanky preacher with the bushy white mustache is mostly seen as a fringe character who doesn't deserve special attention. At least two dozen Christian churches, Jewish temples and Muslim organizations in Gainesville have mobilized to plan inclusive events – some will read from the Quran at their own weekend services – to counter what Jones is doing. A student group is organizing a protest across the street from the church on Sept. 11. Gainesville's new mayor, Craig Lowe, who during his campaign became the target of a Jones-led protest because he is openly gay, has declared Sept. 11 Interfaith Solidarity Day in the city. Jones dismisses the response of the other churches as “cowardly.” He said even if they think burning Qurans is extreme, Christian ministers should be standing with him in denouncing the principles of Islam. All the attention has caused other problems for Jones, too. He believes it's the reason his mortgage lender has demanded full payment of the $140,000 still owed on the church property. He's seeking donations to cover it, but recently listed the property for sale with plans to eventually move the church away from Gainesville. The fire department has denied Jones a required burn permit for Sept. 11, but he said lawyers have told him his right to burn Qurans is protected by the First Amendment, with or without the city's permission. The same would hold true, he said, if Muslims wanted to burn Bibles in the front yard of a mosque. “Of course, I would not like it,” Jones said. But “I definitely would not threaten to kill them, as we have been threatened.' http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/Q/QURAN_BURNING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&am… video link: http://video.ap.org/?f=AP&pid= {releasePID} added by: onemalefla

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