Religion was defamed at Ground Zero

Timely wake up call, America.
America needs a new legal system so that it prevents predatory religion to find it's hunt and establish the permanent mark of it's ideology so easily.

Nr Yousufi, your lambaste "Is there a model we ought to follow?" Yes there is a simple one get rid of all religious based laws from the books. Also stop calling it "Islamic ....." whatever.

You also wrote, " There is a list of Human Rights Offender states published by both US and UN, would you mind telling where Malaysia stands in those lists". That list is a list of the most egregious violators, where people are systematically tortured, or beaten, etc. Even the US list, of course the UN list is debauched, is still a political list. Wherein detractors of US find a top place more easily that friends of US. So not being mentioned in it is not a terrible accomplishment. Probably China did not make the top of the list, still I would not ever in my dreams think does nat human rights. Go find something else for credentials. Malaysia is the country where a female celebrity was supposed the get some 20 lashes for being caught drinking beer, in public. This is the one you uphold as an example of tolerant society. Good grief man get a life.

You also wrote, "Your blanket accusations of "No Govt. Jobs for minorities" have no credibility coming from an obvious muslim hater until backed up with proof". First of all I am not a muslim hater per se. I am a rationalist, who has concluded that all religion should be consumed to the dust heap of history. Yes of all the religions, I find the OIC countries as the most oppressive (insofar as tolerance towards minorities, gays, heretics, rationalists and apostates). Isn't Malaysia the country where the heir apparent vice-president was prosecuted/persecuted on the trumped uo charge of sodomy?

Mr. Yousufi, how come you did not comment on the inter-religious marriages and the law requiring non-muslim to convert to islam. What do you think the reaction of your Ummah be if Nepal had a law which required in Hindu/muslim wedding the muslim had to become a Hindu. Oh my gosh, the sky would have fallen and yet another example of how rest of the world is oppressing muslims, blah blah blah. In fact Pakistan would be lodging an complaint in UN that India is not allowing it to invade Nepal.

Well written! Thank you from all of us living in downtown NYC who pass by ground zero and are constantly reminded of this tragedy committed in the name of Islam. To build a mosque on (or even near) this site is a slap in the face to the victims and their families.

No one is saying they shouldn't build a mosque - but have a little consideration for the feelings of others and PICK A DIFFERENT SITE. Daisy Khan and her husband are not stupid people - the couldn't have actually thought that this idea would go over well and un-denounced. WHY, of all places in the city, must they choose this spot? It's not going to better relationships between the West and Islam, like they claim. It's just dividing people - as is very apparent by all the outrage over the proposal.

"Mr. yusoufi, contrary to your claim, Malaysia, is basolutel not a very tolerant society. It perhaps is by your standards may be. But not by any reasonable standards."

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That begs the question, what are the reasonable standards? Is there a model we ought to follow? There is a list of Human Rights Offender states published by both US and UN, would you mind telling where Malaysia stands in those lists? Your blanket accusations of "No Govt. Jobs for minorities" have no credibility coming from an obvious muslim hater until backed up with proof. Most business in malaysia is controlled by the Chinese and on average they are richer than the indigenous malay people. And by the way, the british monarchs are the constitutional heads of state in UK. If Prince Charles, the Crown Prince converts to Islam tomorrow he will be automatically stripped of this status by law. So you cant single out Malaysia.

So Mr. Secular, you are welcome to sing your silly racist, ignorant songs! just don't expect educated people to take you seriously!

Nice balanced post

Mr. yusoufi, contrary to your claim, Malaysia, is basolutel not a very tolerant society. It perhaps is by your standards may be. But not by any reasonable standards. In there every non-muslim is per se is a 2nd class citizen. Whenever a non-muslim tries to marry a muslime, it is incumbent that the non-muslim convert to islam, never the other way around or the non-muslime maintain his/her original religion. This you call it the most pluralistic society? Under their wretched constitution a non-muslim can never aspire to be the PM. All the government jobs are preserve of the muslims. Go sing your silly songs to someone else not here. I have personally been to that country despite excellent infrastructure. I found it a very suffocating place. The moment you step out of the Jetway you get the feeling of being a 2nd class person. Above all it well nigh impossible to get a slab of babybacks, over there. All because of sharia.

"Would the Imam repudiate an oft-quoted gaffe on Sixty Minutes where he argued that American policies were an accessory to the killing of thousands at Ground Zero? Does the Cordoba Initiative still advocate the selective introduction of Sharia laws within Muslim communities in the United States? Does Cordoba--with its strong ties and branches in Malaysia--reject that country's history of Muslim chauvinism as a Sharia practicing country that systematically discriminates against the Hindu and Christian populations marginalizing them to second class status?"

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Mr. Shukla,

I am not surprised at your anti-muslim slant in your post as is your wont. Does your Hindu American Foundation condemns the tradition burning hindu widows with their husbands? Does your organization condemns the inhuman treatment Hinduism mete's out to 200 million untouchables of India? Does your Organization condemns killing of Christians, Muslims and Sikh's by Hindu Fundamentalists in India? Should your organization be stopped from working because of these atrocities committed in the name of Hinduism?

Does my criticism sound out of place to you? Well its a kind of shoch treatment to make you realise the stupid points you raise in opposition to the Cordoba Initiative. Why should only this Imam repudiate something that every left leaning liberal in the West has said. Why dont you and other neocon's hound them the same way you are doing with Imam Feisal? The Cordoba Initiative cant force Sharia on anyone, anywhere in the world let alone in the US and you know that very well. So whats this fear mongering about Sharia anyway? US is a Democracy where non-muslims have a freedom of speech and heap all kinds of insults on Islam. Why shouldn't the same freedom of speech be extended to Muslims and their faith leaders as long as they are not inciting hatred? And really Malaysia is 100 times more pluralistic then say your native India. Every country has its own drawbacks. No one can say there is 0% discrimination against muslims in US and Europe, but malaysia is one of the more pluralistic countries around in the world. Anyone whose ever been to malaysia can bear witness to that.

So really......as I have said before, your posts are getting predictable in terms of your anti-islam stance. Thats certainly not a reputation a scholar would like to have.

Dr. Shukla wrote "...a perverse read of Islam, we are told, was their inspiration. Religion was defamed at Ground Zero, and asking religion to heal itself and others together at this site seems more reasonable..." Stop saying that it is a perverse read of Islam, the best we can say of Islam is, it is at least one of the plausible reads of Islam. And the worst is, it is the right read of Islam. Now coming to the part of Religion being defamed, I think religion defames itself by its scripture more that anything else.

"... this continuing lie that the only motivation behind the 9/11 attack was religious is ridiculous already. Our Foreign policy is a motivating factor for terrorist leadership. They just use religion to brainwash their followers."

: BWINTERSX

Religion was not the only motivating factor behind the First Crusade, yet no one is going to deny that it was an act of religious war. I have no brief for the men who flew those planes into the Twin Towers, but to say they were 'brain-washed' is a stupid statement. They truly believed they were doing God's will, and so do, I think, the men who are building this mosque.

How about a church near the Kaaba? How would the peace loving muslims feal about that?

First of all it's not at Ground Zero it's near Ground Zero. Over two city blocks. It won't be visible or noticed one everything is built.

Secondly this continuing lie that the only motivation behind the 9/11 attack was religious is ridiculous already. Our Foreign policy is a motivating factor for terrorist leadership. They just use religion to brainwash their followers.

Finally who is going to get this group another building in the neighborhood to build a community center? Unless people are willing to help them find an alternative site they should stop protesting.

Bravo. And thank you.