OR
They are brave people of faith who, fully aware that a certain small minded and bigoted segment of Americans would be up in arms and potentially violent about a mosque being built there
First, you make the mistake of lumping together the segment that are bothered by this, which is decently sizable, and the segment that would act violently, which is ridiculously small.
Second, The "small minded" or "bigoted" segment (Thank you by the way for your wonderful bigoted insult to anyone that dares disagree with you, well done) are the ones needing to have any "bridges" built to them as one does not need to "build bridges" to people who you've already reached. So if they know full well that its going to piss those people off, yet they still are claiming their purpose is to build bridges, then again they're either idiots or lying.
or anywhere at all for that matter
Yes, becuase we all know that there's been no mosques constructed since 9/11 anywhere in this country at all that hasn't turned into a national headline story.
:roll:
have decided to withstand the intimidation and hate coming from this unfortunate segment of Americans
Of which is the ones whose proposed purpose of said building would be aiming at...you're just lending credit to my "lying or ignorant" argument.
and build this mosque in an effort to increase tolerance and peace between the world's two largest religions.
Increase it between who? The people who have no problem with Islam in any way shape or form and are perfectly fine with it? What's the point in that? What's the goal in that? What bridges are being built with that? "Hey, I got a great idea, I'm going to try to create new fans of the Redskins by preaching how great the Redskins are to other people that like the Redskins".
The people needing an "increased" of tolerance and peace are the people who are relatively neutral or slightly negative about Islam or portions of Islam on up to people who flat out hate Islam. These people are the same group of people who, by the act of placing the Mosque where it is, you're actively pissing off and ostrecizing from the beginning.
Seriously man, you're making my argument for me.
They refuse to accept blame for the crimes of a few fringe terrorists, nor should they, despite that fact that many ignorant people attribute blame for 9/11 to all Muslims.
Whose saying they should accept the blame for the crimes? I'm most certainly not and you are responding to me.
I'm saying that its completely reasonable and understandable for people to have severe negative emotions occur within them when one places 9/11 and Islam together in a close proximity in ones mind due to the undeniable and unquestionable fact that ISLAM was instrumental in the occurance of 9/11. And, as such, because of that completely reasonable and understandable reaction, placing a Mosque...and not just any mosque, but a mosque dedicated to "outreach" meaning its continually making its presense known...within the shadow of the former Trade Centers is amazingly tactless. It is creating an atmosphere where those coming to mourn that devestating day are having emotional triggers that generate excessive negative feelings when its frankly not needed. Not to mention the very location of it HURTS their supposed cause of mending fences and building bridges and "out reach" BECAUSE it appears as nothing but Muslims being unempathetic to what helped cause that day which simply reinforces much of the antipathy that many people have wrongly towards the religion as a whole.
Are ALL muslims terrorists? No. Are ALL muslims responsible for 9/11? No. Did Islam play a central role in 9/11? Absolutely.
All alcohol isn't bad, all people who consume alcohol aren't criminals, but I wouldn't find it to be a tactful thing to build a Bru-Threw on the location of a massive traffic accident caused in large part by drunk driving.
They have nothing but a peaceful interest in building this mosque and no connection with these criminals whatsoever, and the best efforts of racists and demagogues everywhere haven't shown even a shred of evidence otherwise.
Oh look, more bigoted insults directed at anyone that dares disagree with you. So, lets chalk this up so far. "Anyone that disagree with Guy's stance on this are simple minded, bigoted, racist, demagogues". What an amazingly simple minded presentation of demagogury proclaiming your wonderfully stereotyped and over generalized bigoted argument. Bravo!