Obama's Ground Zero Political Football

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright August 14, 2010
All Rights Reserved.                                

            Weighing in on New York City’s recent approval to build a mosque and Islamic cultural center two blocks north of Ground Zero, President Barack Obama danced on the razor’s edge.   “Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country,” said Barack, steering away from any comment on the advisability of the project.  Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire business media mogul, forcefully supported the $100 million Saudi-funded project, standing to make cash-strapped New York City millions.  No one knows for sure the financial arrangements promised to Bloomberg and New York City.  Calling Obama’s remarks a “clarion defense of the freedom of religion,” Bloomberg skirted the question of advisability, especially in relation to how many survivors or families of Sept. 11 victims would be deeply offended by the Islamic site.

            Less than three months before midterm elections, Obama played with a loaded gun, with current polls showing Republicans picking up ground.  With real estate prices depressed in New York City since Sept. 11, Bloomberg sees the Ground Zero building project as welcomed relief to an otherwise depressed Manhattan real estate market.  Bloomberg talks about the First Amendment but it’s clear that he’s really defending the rights of multinational corporations to invest in New York City.  “I think he’s right—I mean you know we’re a country in my view that stands for freedom of religion and respect for others,” said former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, supporting Obama’s public remarks on Islamic rights.  Whatever sensitivities exist over Sept. 11, it’s bigoted and unconstitutional to blame practicing Muslims or the Muslim religion, since they’re not responsible for terrorism.

            Islamo-terrorism, or more chic terms from right-wing radio like Islamo-fascism, are non sequiturs because the Islamic religion didn’t commit the horrors of Sept. 11 or other terrorist acts.  Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terror network, or those other splinter groups, is responsible for the attacks of Sept. 11 and other known terrorist attacks on U.S. targets or its allies.  Blaming Muslims or the Islamic religion insults law-abiding Muslim citizens, including, for that matter, Black Muslims, whose interest in Islam related to discrimination against blacks since slavery by white Christian churches.  When Wallace D. Fard Muhammed founded July 1930 the Nation of Islam church  in Detroil, there was no association of Islamic terrorism.  Whether or not terrorists that attacked the U.S. or its allies happen to be Muslim has nothing to do with the outlaws and desperados that continue to attack the U.S. or its allies.

            New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg forcefully defended the City’s right to approve a building permit for a $100 million Saudi-funded building project two blocks north of Ground Zero.  Obama’s statement about Muslim rights provoked partisan reactions heading into November’s midterm elections.  “President Obama has this all wrong and I strongly oppose his support for building a mosque near Ground Zero especially since Islamic terrorists have bragged and celebrated destroying the Twin Towers and killing nearly 3,000 Americans,” said Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Greene, exploiting the issue to win votes.  Greene knows that Obama didn’t endorse building the project only Muslim rights.  Greene also knows that Bin Laden, not the Islamic religion, caused the deaths and destruction of the Twin Towers and Pentagon on Sept. 11.

            Obama’s comments serve as fodder for the right wing heading into the midterm elections.  Any statement defending Islamic rights is taken out of context.  “That includes the right to build to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances,” said Barack, giving his critics plenty of red meat.  “This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable,” the president said, not addressing more practical considerations for cash-strapped New York City, where Bloomberg stands to make millions from Saudi patrons.  Barack needs to clarify not his support for a Muslim cultural center but that his administration won’t single out one group, namely, Muslims, when a band of hoodlums committed the terrorist acts.  Only that clarification makes sense to the aggrieved parties.

            Victims of Sept. 11 and surviving family and friends must realize that Islam had nothing to do with the attacks on the Twin Towers.and Pentagon.  President Obama showed some insensitivity not to Sept. 11’s victims or families but to the need to clarify those responsible for the attacks.  Today’s presence in Afghanistan continues the fight against the exiled Taliban regime that hides and supports Osama bin Laden.  Calling Obama support of a Ground Zero mosque “a gross lack of sensitivity to the 9/11 families and to people who were lost,” Sally Regenhard, whose son was killed in the World Trade Center, reflects the prevailing rhetoric in conservative circles.  Regenhard and others must remind themselves that the Muslim religion had nothing to do with Sept. 11.  Barack must remind all that Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda terror group are international outlaws not clerics.

About the Author    

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

©1999-2012 Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.
(310) 204-8300
All Rights Reserved.