Ground Zero Mosque:Whoâ€s in Charge?

Regarding the Ground Zero mosque, based on the information provided by the two partners in the project, we know very little about who will eventually be its directors, or who will fund it. It is the answers to these questions that will determine whether the Ground Zero mosque will be an “affront to extremists everywhere,” or, alternatively, whether it will threaten our homeland security by hindering our war against a dangerous idea that has “corrupted” Islam.

However, even if Imam Rauf is not going to play a significant role in the project, currently he (along with his wife) is the public face, so I don’t think it’s unfair to judge the project by Imam Rauf.

Jeffrey Goldberg defended Imam Rauf last week for saying at a memorial for Daniel Pearl, “I am a Jew.” (via memeorandum). Goldberg asserted that by making such a declaration, Imam Rauf put his own life in danger.

Daniel Pearl’s father, was impressed by the statement of solidarity. However, according the JTA (via Contentions) he doesn’t see it as enough:

Such appearances seem unlikely to sway at least one opponent of building an Islamic center so close to Ground Zero at this time — Judea Pearl, Danielâ€s father and a computer science professor at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Pearl told JTA that while he was “touched” by Raufâ€s appearance and speech at his sonâ€s memorial, “many Muslim leaders offered their condolences at the time.” More to the point, Pearl said he is discouraged that the Muslim leadership has not followed through on what he hoped would come from his son’s death.

“At the time, I truly believed Dannyâ€s murder would be a turning point in the reaction of the civilized world toward terrorism,” said Pearl, who engages in public conversations with Akbar Ahmed, an Islamic studies professor at American University, on behalf of the Daniel Pearl Dialogue for Muslim-Jewish Understanding. The established Muslim leadership in the United States, Pearl said, “has had nine years to build up trust by pro-actively resisting anti-American ideologies of victimhood, anger and entitlement.

Reactions to the mosque project indicate that they were not too successful in this endeavor.”

He views the controversy to be a vote of no confidence in the organized Muslim leadership, not specifically against Rauf.

Had the statement not just been a one time thing, it might have convinced Dr. Pearl that there had been a change is Islam. Apparently Dr. Pearl wanted to see actions to match the words.

Another surprising opponent of the Ground Zero Mosque, is civil libertarian, Nat Hentoff who writes in Am I also a bigot? (via memeorandum)

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg charges that opponents of Imam Rauf’s mosque “should be ashamed of themselves” and are bigots.

Me, too, Mr. Mayor?

If you want to join Speaker Pelosi in investigating me, your honor, I’d be glad to oblige. I’m just doing my job as a reporter. I wish more reporters had gone beneath the shouting on both sides. There’s another part of the First Amendment in addition to the free exercise of religion: The press is free to investigate the reasons for Imam Rauf’s fixation on the 9/11 location of his mosque.

And why does this location make Hamas glow?

I don’t think that anyone else would consider Judea Pearl and Nat Hentoff to be bigots. Yet by opposing (verbally) Park51, there are many of our political elite who would deem them bigots.

There’s a lot more to Imam Rauf and the Islamic Center than its supporters let on. By framing the issue as one of “religious tolerance” and conveniently deeming its opponents bigots, the Islamic Centers supporters are refusing to face uncomfortable facts about the project.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.