August 6, 2010
The Consequences of Park 51: The Cordoba House
Frank Salvato
In light of the decision by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to allow for the construction of a mosque and Islamic center just 500 feet from Ground Zero, it can be successfully argued that political correctness has replaced history as a basis for knowledge in the United States of America. If it holds true that history does repeat itself – and I have no reason to believe it won’t – then the culture of ignorant arrogance, so prevalent in the nation today, will prove to be a contributing factor to the subjugation of the great American experiment.
To summarize, radical American Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder, CEO and Executive Director of Cordoba Initiative, has won approval – and support from the self-deprecating Progressives elected and appointed to office in New York City – to construct a $100 million, 13-story Islamic center, including a mosque that would accommodate up to 2,000, just 500 feet from Ground Zero. Abdul Rauf – who after the slaughter of innocents on September 11, 2001, said, “"I wouldn't say that the United States deserved what happened, but the United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened,” and who has refused to recognize Hamas or Hezbollah as terrorist organizations – is refusing to divulge the revenue sources for the project. Abdul Rauf’s wife, “Daisy” Kahn, is quoted as saying of the construction of a mosque in the shadow of 2,976 souls, “No big deal.”
Aside from the fact that the Abdul Rauf’s insistence in building a mosque 500 feet from hallowed ground, consecrated by the massacre of almost 3,000 innocents by 19 Muslim barbarians, is, simply put, insensitive to every other demographic but fundamentalist Islamists, self-deprecating Progressives and the evil, it is callous, rude and ignorant. But most importantly, it is antagonistic.
In order to understand just how deliberately abrasive the construction of Park51 – or, as originally intended, The Cordoba House – in the shadow of Ground Zero actually is, we must come to understand its inferred meaning and to do that we must understand a period of violent Muslim aggression, circa 711AD, that established the Emirate and Caliphate of Cordoba. Remember, the mosque project at Ground Zero was originally meant to be called “The Cordoba House.”
History
In 711AD, during the first attempt at global conquest by Muslim leaders, Tariq ibn-Ziyad, under the orders of the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I, brought most of the Iberian Peninsula (what is now Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar) under Muslim occupation in a campaign that lasted approximately seven years. The Iberian Peninsula, for the most part, became part of the expanding Umayyad Empire, under the name of al-Andalus.
The turning-point battle that brought the Muslims to power in Cordoba, the Battle of Guadalete, was not a singular Muslim attack, rather, it was the culminating event in a series of raids across the straits from North Africa. During the initial raids, several southern Iberian towns, predominantly Christian in nature, were pillaged by the Islamist forces, which had been harassing the peninsula by sea since approximately 705AD. But during the Battle of Guadalete, whole cities were razed and a grotesque number of people were slaughtered in a general destruction that sent non-Muslim civilians fleeing to the hill countries.
At first, al-Andalus was ruled by appointees of the Caliph, most holding power for periods of approximately three years. But after a series of civil wars between Muslim factions, exiled Umayyad prince Abd-ar-Rahman I established himself as the Emir of Córdoba. He refused to submit to the authority of the Abbasid Caliph, who now held power, as forces under his control had butchered many members of his family. Over a thirty year reign, he established a tenuous rule over much of al-Andalus.
For the next century and a half, his descendants continued as emirs of Córdoba, with nominal control over the rest of al-Andalus. Abd-al-Rahman III, who came to power in 912AD, not only tightened his authoritative grip on al-Andalus but extended it into western North Africa as well. In 929AD he proclaimed himself Caliph, elevating the emirate to a prestigious position competing with the Abbasid Caliph and the Shi'ite Caliph in Tunis—with whom he was competing for control of North Africa.
Under the Caliphate of Cordoba, non-Muslims were given the status of ahl al-dhimma (or dhimmi, a non-Muslim subject of a sharia law state) and adults paid a jizya (or tax). Then, as today, there were only three choices afforded to dhimmis under sharia law: accept dhimmitude, pay the jizya and exist as second-class citizens to all Muslims; convert to Islam; or die.
And while apologists throughout history have tried to diminish the cruelty of the Islamic culture toward non-Muslims in the many Caliphates, many scholars have argued that it would have been both a "theological as well as a logical absurdity" that Islam would have offered equality or even pretended that it did. [Lewis, Bernard W (1984). The Jews of Islam, p.4.]
Taking into consideration the history surrounding Cordoba where it relates to Islam, the significance of the initial intention to name the Park51 project “The Cordoba House” cannot be ignored. Cordoba infers conquest. In Abdul Rauf’s quest to erect an Islamic center and mosque in the shadow of Ground Zero we can only be led to the conclusion that its existence would signify conquest as well.
Rauf & Co.
In light of the history behind the name of Abdul Rauf’s organization – the Cordoba Initiative – it is legitimate, and, in fact, necessary, to scrutinize not only the intent behind his quest to build a monument to Islamic conquest in the shadow of Ground Zero, but a moral obligation for the non-Islamic world to inquire as to who and/or what organizations are funding the construction of said monument.
For his part, Abdul Rauf says he wants to build the Islamic center and mosque to promote interfaith understanding and tolerance, yet he has shown little tolerance, understanding or sympathy for those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001; for Americans who watched their fellow citizens jump and fall from the soon to collapse Twin Towers only to smash into the concrete below; for the families of first responders who raced to their deaths if only to save one life from the evils that radical Islamists perpetrated on our country.
Truth be told, I suspect that Abdul Rauf, deep down inside, sees his Cordoba House as a mark of conquest over America; a monument to the Islamist quest for a global Caliphate. I suspect that Abdul Rauf, and all those who are helping to fund his “initiative,” would dance with glee at the prospect of the United States Constitution falling prey to sharia law. Of course, this is my opinion, but I am familiar with the Abdul Rauf’s of the world and there is nothing understanding, tolerant or inclusive about them. They are arrogant elitists hell-bent on domination, and in this particular case, the domination of a hallowed site by a monument to radical Islamist aggression surrendered by the ignorant, the uninformed and those possessing a less than noble agenda.
In 2008, at an event in Dallas, Texas, which, in-part, constituted the original symposium series on the root causes of radical Islamist aggression, co-produced by our organization, BasicsProject.org, a young Islamist confronted one of our speakers, Robert Spencer of JihadWatch. I listened as he questioned Mr. Spencer and then again as Mr. Spencer picked-apart his logic with facts, completely dismantling the young Islamist’s argument. In the end, vanquished on the field of factual and ideological battle, the young Islamist declared, “You will all live under sharia before the end of your days.” This is exactly the mentality of Abdul Rauf...that we will all live under sharia before the end of our days. That is why it is obvious, at least to this observer, that his declaration of interfaith understanding rings hollow and that his core intention in constructing The Cordoba House within line-of-sight to Ground Zero is intended to mark the location of a modern day Islamist conquest of “the infidel.”
A Line in the Sand for So-Called Moderate Muslims
To his credit, Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, a tirelessly campaigner for the eradication of political Islam and the divorce of violence from the religion, founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and a gentleman who has always been cordial to me during our few encounters, strongly opposed the construction of The Cordoba House at Ground Zero, saying:
“For us, a mosque was always a place to pray, to be together on holidays—not a way to make an ostentatious architectural statement. Ground zero shouldn’t be about promoting Islam. It’s the place where war was declared on us as Americans.”
And Hossein Kamaly, Fanny Brett de Bary Term Assistant Professor of Asian & Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College, Columbia University, said:
“After all, it was 19 Egyptian and Saudi Arabian thugs calling themselves Muslims who perpetrated this heinous crime on September 11th. They want to send a message of friendship, but building a mosque where there wasn't one before, is not the most nuanced way of doing that.”
Sadly, these voices of reason are but muted whispers in a wind that howls with the disingenuous voices of the politically correct who ignorantly call for “tolerance” and “understanding” in the face of naked and violent Islamist aggression. Certainly it cannot be denied that the overwhelming majority – and, in fact, almost all – of violent aggression in the name of religion today comes at the hands of Islamists executing their crimes against humanity in the name of “Allah” and “Muhammad.”
And yet, so-called moderate Muslims across the United States and throughout the world respond to outrages such as the construction of a mosque in the shadow of Ground Zero with a deafening silence. So-called moderate Muslims from around the world react to the horrors of terrorism perpetrated in the name of their religion and through the hands of barbarians with grotesque indifference. And, instead of taking the lead in expunging radical elements from within their own religious community, instead of calling for a reformation of the Islamic religion to exclude all violent, anti-Semitic and dominant language in an effort to embrace the peaceful tenets of the Islamic dogma, so-called moderate Muslims do nothing but hide behind the disingenuous spin of organizations run by closeted fundamentalists like the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
It is well past time that the so-called “moderate Muslims” step up to do what they know deep down is correct. It’s time for them to choose sides and live with their choices. Moderate Muslims either condemn the violence and deceit, the subjugation of women and the crusade against all other religions or they side with the aggressor jihadists in their quest for the establishment of a global Caliphate; a quest to rule the world under sharia law. From this day forward their silence must be interpreted as siding with the aggressor Islamists.
There can be no turning back, no further delay. The grace period that began on September 12, 2001, for non-Muslims to exercise understanding and tolerance of the Islamic religion, to explore the meaning behind the aggression, is over. The non-Muslim population of the world has been intensely exposed to Islam for almost a decade now and that is long enough for us to understand that in its current form – especially its current fundamentalist form – Islam is not symbiotic with freedom or liberty, not compatible with the 21st Century, and antithetical to the United States Constitution.
We in the free world, who understand that liberty and freedom come to us as inalienable rights from the Creator, will not acquiesce to an ideology that oppresses its own women, that celebrates the conquest of other cultures, and which is so indignant of other philosophies and ideologies that it would allow for the use and rationalization of “violent jihad” in pursuit of global subjugation.
There is no retreat from this moment in time, this “line in the sand,” as it were. So-called moderate Muslims must choose: peaceful symbiotic co-existence or a confrontation of cultures.
For those truly moderate Muslims who choose to demonstrate a desire to co-exist in peace, standing against the “trophy mosque of conquest” – The Cordoba House – would be an excellent opening gesture.
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Frank Salvato is the managing editor for The New Media Journal. He serves at the Executive Director of the Basics Project, a non-profit, non-partisan, 501(C)(3) research and education initiative.
If you object to the mosque/Park51 anywhere near Ground Zero, sign the petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/killcordoba/ and PASS THE LINK ON TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. This proposal is a moral abomination in every respect, and so is anyone who can possibly forget the images of innocent people jumping to their deaths on that beautiful, sunny Tuesday morning, entirely because of --correctly interpreted or not-- Muslim ideology.
posted by: Dawn Olson
Friday, August 6, 2010 at 10:01 AM
Why not ask the 101 Airborne division, 506 PIR veterans how THEY think about this.
They ARE the USofA
posted by: pierrelebon
Friday, August 6, 2010 at 02:52 PM
There is such a thing as being gullible and extremely naive. As Ronald Reagan said in dealing with the USSR, trust but verify. I believe it is wise to examine the facts, and if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is a duck. I know people tell
me the good are trying to make amends; but I have a healthy doubt because of the cleric and because of the name originally mentioned, Cordoba, and the history of that word and its implications. There may be some of the people on both sides are behind it, but my gut feeling would deny the permit to build it. I'm very, very skeptical!
posted by: Richard C Wagener
Friday, August 6, 2010 at 04:52 PM
The Imam is not a "radical"
posted by: Rod Pardey
Friday, August 6, 2010 at 05:56 PM
This article is sick. The inference and baseless smears are obvious. It makes one quote- similar to those US officials and academics have made noting our history with the Taliban- and then proceeded to do the following:
1) Tell a scary story from history, with no evidence its the reason for the name. His site states his, the period of peace and coexistence that followed that battle, clearly, so you have only your imagination and hope of scaring people.
http://www.cordobainitiative.org/?q=content/about-muslim-west-engagement
And if you want to talk about Sharia Law in this era, lets talk about the Christian treatment of Jews, Muslims or heretics in cities THEY conquered. Driven into ghettos, forced conversion, or burning at the stake was order of the day under Ferdinand and Isabel. The persecution of the Cathars, the only Crusade in Western Europe against Christian lands led to the lovely quote by a general who, speaking of the civilians of a city noted "Kill them all. God will find his own."
2) You claim to know what the man "thinks, deep in his heart." Based on WHAT? One quote, and your scary war story? Are you kidding me? That's the worst journalism I've seen in my life!
3) You then try to paint him as a further radical, but QUOTING SOMEONE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, then saying, OH, HE PROBABLY THINKS LIKE THAT.
This article is a travesty. Iman Rauf is a Sufi, and along with many of the Sufi Muslims in lower Manhattan, some of whom I know personally would ALSO not be safe under the Sharia law you fear. I know of people there who had Mosques attacked by radicals where they come from. The idea of NYC Sufi's supporting these people is lie, of the worst sort.
And now, they are even inviting people of other faiths to participate in their Board and oversee fund-raising for transparency.
This article should go back on the shelf of some of the worst Yellow Journalism of our history. I only pray it does not inspire any actual harm to peaceful, law abiding Muslim communities in the city I love.
posted by: Kieran Conroy
Friday, August 6, 2010 at 10:56 PM
It's a shame ,Bloomberg do you know what TAQIYYA means ? Read the book of hate and you will!
I signd the petition and give everywhone this email adres .
Greetings from the Netherlands .
Keep on fighting islam like we do with Geert Wilders !
posted by: Anna
Saturday, August 7, 2010 at 03:35 AM
After 9/11, a mosque was built, for the first time in history in the Pentagon, mere feet from the point of impact from a jetliner that was driven into the Pentagon by Islamic terrorists. This was endorsed by the President and is still functional. And there has been zero outrage from anyone over this. Makes us see that the outrage over Cordoba House is fake outrage
posted by: Doug
Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 03:22 PM
"...because of the name originally mentioned, Cordoba, and the history of that word and its implications."
Imagine if a city denied a building permit to a group of Christians because of the name they wanted to call their church? You'd see mass protests like you would not believe.....
posted by: doug
Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 03:30 PM
If this building was granted landmark status so too should all of lower Manhattan and that would cheapen the deignation...viva democracy!!!
posted by: jesus
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 at 12:20 AM
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?" - Matthew 5:44-46
"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:30-31
posted by: MMorse
Thursday, August 26, 2010 at 02:22 PM
Frank,
I honestly think this article could not be more fundamentally flawed from conception to execution, at least at the level of incisive, logical thinking, especially from the perspective of Western democratic thought.
On the other hand, you are an excellent writer. I read this article and thought you can be, and should be, a writer for a major publication, even though I am utterly confounded by how well you stated your vacuous position.
posted by: JP
Friday, August 27, 2010 at 09:51 PM
I think that the writer, along with most of the united states, implies and assumes that muslims are 'evil'. i would like to remind you of your stereotype and that not all muslims are extremist. As for imam, i would like to comment that i don't know what his intentions are, whether he builds the mosk to mock americans, or for peace and to show that muslims have rights too. all i know is that he does have the right to build his mosk. i think this situation is getting blown outrageously out of proportion. the mosk isn't on ground zero people, it is near it, yes, but to not let him build it shows how we really feel about muslims and how truly prejudice we are against them. let him build his mosk, and for gods sake let there be peace
posted by: Emanuel Chavez
Thursday, September 9, 2010 at 07:51 PM
This Cordoba Mosque cannot be built---Under no circumstances . Listening to the Imam say that is this MosqThere should not even be a question of what our country does in this situation. If this is not built as he wants the US will face tragic distruction. Since he is telling the US now will face war from within and without if we do not cooperate with ISLAM ---What is this other than a National Threat.Obama is not functioning as OUR president--We Say No to 51 park and see what the Imam does then.This Mosque is built to show the WORLD how Muslems have control over the USA.. This is from all the past history---Just read and you will see---
posted by: Charles Hux MD
Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 06:49 PM
Imam Rauf worked for the Bush administration: where were the scaredy cats then? If he was okay by Bush, why is he not okay for Obama? Remember GW Bush saying right after 9-11-2001, that "we are not at war with Islam"?
If we weren't then, why should we be now? Doesn't this whole "issue" seem like an election year diversion? Not a real issue at all?
posted by: Helen Montgomery
Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 08:29 PM
Cordoba will never happen again...........No now and no forever to Sharia Law
posted by: Glen Pomerantz
Sunday, September 19, 2010 at 09:42 AM
You all are aware of the oklahoma city bombing, I assume?
That was perpetrated by a radical christian. I have one question...
Does that mean all churches existing within the vicinity of that building should be torn down? Is it salt in the wounds of the families of dead children to have to see christians pray. Should any YMCAs be dimantled within the vicinity? Should building churches near there be banned?
I think not.
I think all of you, you immature bigots hiding like cowards behing the mask of patriotism, would be furious if someone had suggested such a thing. You would be fuming, posting your little blogs. You would be offended.
Should muslims of America not? Should they be castigated for their beliefs? Be forced into a corner to be ridiculed and called radicals by ignorant people such as you?
No.
posted by: Maddie
Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 01:03 PM
Well, this is just poor scholarship and reporting. I am an apologist for no one, but this article draws several false conclusions. What really bugged me though was the section on Islam's history in Iberia. Even if you don't want to commit to rigorous scholarly investigation on the matter, at least look it up on Wikipedia, just be sure to check the references at the bottom of the page :-)
posted by: Ferrant B.
Thursday, October 7, 2010 at 00:26 AM
The US policies on Israel was one of the motives.. that is not a radical statement... The author of this article is a Radical
posted by: Rawr
Tuesday, November 2, 2010 at 09:42 AM
