A German beer garden at Auschwitz?

Friends and family members of those killed during the 9/11 attacks on New York’s World Trade Center were stunned to learn that construction on a 13-story Islamic center and mosque was underway just two blocks from ground zero. In fact, the site, which was home to the former Burlington Coat Factory damaged during that attack, is located on Park Place and the project is sponsored by the American Society for Muslim Advancement, in collaboration of the Cordoba Initiative.

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The American Society for Muslim Advancement, headed by Executive Director Daisy Khan, is an organization whose name explains its existence. Regardless of the group’s claim that the Islamic center would be “a wonderful asset to the community” the plan is cheeky, to say the least. More interesting is the Cordoba Initiative, headed by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, a well-educated, silver-tongued Egyptian American, who claims that the Islamic Center would help to foster better relations between Muslims and the West. The name Cordoba is significant, as the Spanish city of Cordoba represented the high point of the Islamic Empire, which dominated the world for nearly 500 years until King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella ejected the Muslim occupiers from Spain in what Osama bin Laden calls “the tragedy of Andalusia.” If nothing else, this shows that Islamic fundamentalists have long memories and never forget a slight. The Cordoba Initiative’s web site explains that the Islamic Center adjacent to Ground Zero is necessary as follows:

“In recent years the global public has shown an increased interest in Islam and the Muslim world. Many facets of Islamic life, religious, cultural and artistic, remain underrepresented and misunderstood. The Muslim community must provide an opportunity to educate individuals about Islam through education and organized experiences of art, culture and entertainment. 
 A need exists in New York City, America and the world to integrate Islamic education, spiritual development, the arts and culture under one roof. The Muslim community in NYC will build a world-class facility to promote tolerance, self- awareness and self-recognition within society. Both community driven and globally oriented, the center will serve as the platform to launch a broader vision of Muslim- West harmony and interdependence. The mosque will satisfy the current need of a prayer space in the lower Manhattan area, making it the only prayer area opened for the five daily prayers below Houston (greater lower Manhattan).”

However, Madeline Brooks of family security matters finds that Rauf’s Dr. Jekyll easily turns into Mr. Hyde, depending on his audience. Writing on the Family Security Matters web site ( HYPERLINK "http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.6185/pub_detail.asp" here ) Ms Brooks states that during one Friday sermon she heard Rauf deny that Muslims perpetrated 9/11. She also quotes Rauf’s interview with CNN shortly after 9/11, where he stated that “U.S. policies were an accessory to the crime that happened. We (the U.S.) have been an accessory to a lot of innocent lives dying in the world. Osama bin Laden was made in the USA.” Rauf also claims that terrorism will only end when the West acknowledges the harm it has done to Muslims, and that it was Christians who started mass attacks on civilians.  Ms Brooks also writes that Rauf has numerous ties to CAIR, who is an "unindicted co-conspirator" in the Department of Justice funding case brought against Hamas, an openly terrorist organization. CAIR has infamously initiated numerous lawsuits designed to discourage non-Muslims from criticizing belligerent Muslim behavior in efforts to eventually dominate an Islamic America.  At worst, this is a blatant and subversive attempt by Islamic fundamentalists to further their goal of world domination by pushing the envelope against American sensibilities. In its best light this is a move that betrays a shocking insensitivity on the part of the American Society for Muslim Advancement and the Cordoba Initiative. Equally insensitive and unwilling to take any responsibility would be if Germany wanted to open a beer garden at Auschwitz.