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Old 07-20-2010, 10:05 PM   #8 (permalink)
hiredgun
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Here is what I find ironic:

Cordoba House is not really a mosque. It includes a prayer space, yes, but it's primarily a cultural center - and not even an exclusively Muslim cultural center. Take a look at their mission statement:

Quote:
Cordoba House is a Muslim-led project which will build a world-class facility that promotes tolerance, reflecting the rich diversity of New York City. The center will be community-driven, serving as a platform for inter-community gatherings and cooperation at all levels, providing a space for all New Yorkers to enjoy.

This proposed project is about promoting integration, tolerance of difference and community cohesion through arts and culture. Cordoba House will provide a place where individuals, regardless of their backgrounds, will find a center of learning, art and culture; and most importantly, a center guided by Islamic values in their truest form - compassion, generosity, and respect for all.

The site will contain tremendous amounts of resources that otherwise would not exist in Lower Manhattan; a 500-seat auditorium, swimming pool, art exhibition spaces, bookstores, restaurants - all these services would form a cultural nexus for a region of New York City that, as it continues to grow, requires the sort of hub that Cordoba House will provide.
The entire Cordoba initiative seems to me to be exactly what the shrillest commentators have spent the last nine years claiming does not exist: a Muslim constituency genuinely and publicly devoted to tolerance and interfaith understanding.

So the choice of Lower Manhattan is meaningful; the whole point is to juxtapose a monument to understanding in the shadow of a scar of hatred and war.

Also, it's really not at ground zero, but a few blocks away on Park Place.

I think political opposition to this project is the cheapest, basest form of grandstanding, and I genuinely hope that the truth of the matter wins the day and calms the hearts of those who are sincerely upset.
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