When GOP gave aid to Muslims - A 2000 law favors the ground zero mosque.

[kpete]

Source: Chicago Tribune

When GOP gave aid to Muslims


A 2000 law favors the ground zero mosque.

August 22, 2010


Ten years ago, Republicans in Congress passed a major law to protect the right of Muslims to establish mosques even where such a building might be unwelcome. Yes, they did. They just may not have thought of it quite that way at the time.

The law, called the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, was aimed at a common problem often ignored by the courts: local government bodies using zoning authority to prevent religious institutions from moving in or expanding their operations.

It had the support of such groups as the Christian Legal Society and the Family Research Council. Rep. Charles Canady, R-Fla., said it was aimed at "the well-documented and abusive treatment suffered by religious individuals and organizations in the land use context." Sen. Orrin Hatch, R- Utah, pushed it because, he said, "At the core of religious freedom is the ability for assemblies to gather and worship together."

Today, of course, that statute is a problem for anyone hoping that the city, state or federal government would take action to block an Islamic community center in lower Manhattan, commonly referred to as the ground zero mosque. Many of those opponents are happy to disregard both the law and the Constitution in their effort.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-oped-0822-chapman-column-20100820,0,1147455.column

[underpants]

1. Damn, and in black and white too

Orrin Hatch may just disappear like he did for the 6 months following 9/11

[aquart]

2. Well, I'm entertained.

[SpiralHawk]

3. ..And now we learn Fox Propaganda, Inc. (R) is owned by the mosque developers

What's up with these whacky republicon hypocrites?

[dkf]

5. By a Saudi Prince you mean?

So the Prince is a terrorist? I don't know if this is supposed to be a slam on the prince or not. What is the point?

[Angry Dragon]

9. According to republicans

all Muslims are terrorists.
Saudi Arabia is 100% Muslim
All Saudis are terrorists according to republican thinking

Can not fault perfect republican logic

[dkf]

10. He bought into it after their ascendance. At least give the pubbies credit for not

Raising jell over it.

[dkf]

4. Who is questioning the legality of the thing? What a total strawman.

The question is how smart is this move when most Americans think it is grossly insensitive. When you do things that people find offensive there are consequences not because you exercised your rights but because you are an asshole ala dr Laura.

[Igel]

6. That's part 1.

Part 2 is that support for this wasn't all that widespread in certain portions of the political spectrum that many of us are most familiar with. It was deemed a very bad thing.

Now, of course, some of us would deem it a good thing, not because it was and is always a good thing, but because of the end that it serves.

[dkf]

11. Yes but it is our ends that are served not the Muslim populace as a whole.

I object to it because I don't see the point in poking the bee hive with a stick. Some people are willing to let other people get stung in order to get the bees nest explode but for most it isn't their necks on the line.

[Douglas Carpenter]

7. Christiane Amanpour: Debating the Ground Zero Islamic Center - watch this video

an excellent interview with Daisy Khan, wife of Imam Feisal and Rabbi Joy Levitt of the Jewish Community Center of Manhattan discuss the proposed Islamic Center near Ground Zero.

Click on this link below - then click on Debating the Ground Zero Islamic Center :

http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/

.

[Douglas Carpenter]

8. Now on youtube - interview with Daisy Khan and Rabbi Joy Levitt

now on The DU Video Forum:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x497675


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE_XnmQRDPA


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