A. It's not at Ground Zero. It just isn't.

B. It's not even a mosque specifically. It has a prayer hall, but it is primarly a community center rather than a prayer hall.

C. There already is a mosque four blocks away from Ground Zero and has been there for the past 30 years.

D. For those asking why this spot: MONEY. It's cheap real-estate in NYC.

I understand that some feel it is insensitive, though I don't see anyone getting angry about the Muslim prayers at the Pentagon or the strip club located at the same distantce where this mosque is planned. So to me, it really just comes off as Islamophobia.

Ok Jon Stewart!

You're welcome misguided American!

Personally I would like to see a Dave & Busters there.

I would approve of this.

I think it's an awful idea but I also don't think the government or American people have any right to prevent it from being built. However, I wouldn't be terribly upset if it were to burn to the ground soon after its completion. Just my opinion.

Yes, that would make things better.

Do realize that if that happen, the whole "war on terror" will be about 1000x more harder than it is now. So even rooting for that to happen is in essence, unpatriotic.

Islam is what Communism used to be for the GOP not too long ago

Eh. Except most Democrats actually are siding with conservatives on this.

Obama was forced to flip-flop on his opinion for getting heat. This is is really beyond just "Republicans v. Democrats".

They should ban all religious centers everywhere.

Insensitive my ass. Build the mosque already and get over it. Prohibition of religious freedom simply shouldn't be tolerated. All those politicians speaking against it and creating obstacles against more inclusiveness are pigs and dead to me.

How did Obama flip-flop on this? Did he say anything you disagreed with?

Umm... what? You stole that from Stewart.

And I completely agree with it. People are idiots for thinking they shouldn't build it there. They have every right to.

Actually, I never saw the Stewart rant. I was just going on general knowledge, which is pretty much what Stewart goes on most of the time too.

This.


All Saudis are also dead to you, I assume.

He went from encouraging it to pretty much saying "no comment".

I would have been fine with him just sticking with no comment. But to show encouragement and then go back to no comment because of fear of political backlash is sad to see.

Let's all behave like Saudis!!!

No, he first said that the developers have the right to build the mosque on First Amendment grounds and then he said that he wasn't commenting on the wisdom of building the mosque.

Where's the flip-flop?

Back-tracked if you wish then. And let's be real: Obama made comments on Friday that didn't bode well with many and thus went back to "no comment." Flip-flop was perhaps the wrong word, but he went from positive to neutral after the reaction to his comments were not so good.

I still don't see it as backtracking. It's a comment and a clarification. He did not once say that he supports the idea of the mosque there on principle.

He certainly alluded to it. Of course, that's completely subjective.

Regardless of Obama though, this shit is getting out of hand.

Def. one of the stupider issues in recent years.

They have every right to practice their religion wherever they wish, and clearly the vast majority of muslims are not terrorists.

I don't see how it is insensitive. The 9/11 terrorists were not the average muslim, and do not represent the people who will pray here.

Plus...9/11 was 9 years ago. Move on from the msulim hate.

Yeah...that was hilarious.

I think a simple solution to this is for the group to back off the construction here and pick a new location. Of course, they should then have all these groups and politicians pay the extra money it will cost them to buy somewhere else cause it will be more expensive. If they care so much, they should have no problem with paying the extra money to move it away.

How far away is it from ground zero?

I thought the following best captured the New York City I know, from Groucho's political cartoon thread: