Imagine Rudy 9iu11ani's mouth spouting off about the Cordoba Initiative.

[BurtWorm]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/24/bloomberg-cordoba-house-another-defense_n_693334.html


In a rousing address before a predominantly Muslim audience Tuesday night, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg reaffirmed his commitment to the controversial Islamic cultural center near the former site of the World Trade Center.

Bloomberg, who hosted the annual Ramadan Iftar dinner at his official Gracie Mansion residence, did not back away from his position as the most vocal and public defender of the so-called "Ground Zero mosque." If anything, he couched his defense of the project in even deeper moral and political terms, calling the Cordoba House a telling illustration of intrinsic American principles and a valuable tool in the war on terror.



From Bloomberg's prepared remarks:

But if we say that a mosque and community center should not be built near the perimeter of the World Trade Center site, we would compromise our commitment to fighting terror with freedom.

We would undercut the values and principles that so many heroes died protecting. We would feed the false impressions that some Americans have about Muslims. We would send a signal around the world that Muslim Americans may be equal in the eyes of the law, but separate in the eyes of their countrymen. And we would hand a valuable propaganda tool to terrorist recruiters, who spread the fallacy that America is at war with Islam.
Islam did not attack the World Trade Center -- Al-Qaeda did. To implicate all of Islam for the actions of a few who twisted a great religion is unfair and un-American. Today we are not at war with Islam -- we are at war with Al-Qaeda and other extremists who hate freedom.

....

The members of our military are men and women at arms -- battling for hearts and minds. And their greatest weapon in that fight is the strength of our American values, which have always inspired people around the world. But if we do not practice here at home what we preach abroad -- if we do not lead by example - we undermine our soldiers. We undermine our foreign policy objectives. And we undermine our national security.

[Crystal Clarity]

1. Yay!!! Thanks for standing up for religious tolerance!!!

I never thought I'd see that happen. Who knew? :shrug:... :P

[Crystal Clarity]

2. Whoops-Dupe

Sorry! :blush:

[BrklynLiberal]

3. I despise Giu911ani...not a really big fan of Bloomberg, but in this case.

I give him credit where credit is due. He is doing the right thing, and staying firm in his position..and defending it very eloquently.

[Crystal Clarity]

4. I agree...he truly deserves some credit on this one. nt.

[BurtWorm]

5. I've never cared much for Bloomberg myself.

But in this case, he's acting like a mensch. I shudder to think of what it would be like with psycho mayor in charge.

[Turborama]

6. . And we would hand a valuable propaganda tool to terrorist recruiters

"And we would hand a valuable propaganda tool to terrorist recruiters, who spread the fallacy that America is at war with Islam"

Exactly the point I have been making for weeks.

Thanks for posting this, BurtWorm.

:kick: & Rec

[Scurrilous]

7. K & R

:thumbsup: