Let the Mosque be Built

Let the mosque at be built.

Freedom of religion and property rights trump concern terrorists might be building the mosque as a victory monument to 9/11. Islamic mosques have at times been built to celebrate conquests.

One such celebration being the Great Mosque of Cordoba in Spain in the 10th century. Cordova was at that time one of the great cities of the world. A Christian cathedral had just been built when the Muslims conquered Spain. The Great Mosque of Cordoba was built in its place, and was hailed as one of the wonders of the world at that time.

The Imam behind the mosque to be built near Ground Zero has an effort he dubs the Cordoba Initiative, which builds interfaith relations between Muslims and others.
Did the Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf select an unfortunate choice of names for his initiative, not realizing people would connect the mosque at Ground Zero to the Great Mosque of Cordoba, saying that since the Great Mosque was a victory monument, so the Ground Zero mosque will be?

Or, did the Rauf choose "Cordoba" because it reflects the conquering of a Christian people?

I don't know, but he must known the significance of the Mosque of Cordoba, and that it was one of the great conquest mosques. Even as Cordoba was one of the great cities, then, so is New York one of the great cities, now. Still, while we sure must wonder if selecting "Cordoba" is a way of celebrating a conquest in 9/11, we do not know. It is only conjecture.

It has also been pointed out that the Rauf is officed next to an office of the organization representing Hamas in the United States. That, too, is circumstantial evidence. It is what it is, a bit of evidence, but not a strong connection to terrorism.

And, today's news on a mosque investor who donated to what turned out to be called a terroristic organization hardly draws a connection at all, to terrorism. The investor, himself, is not being said to be a terrorist. Those attacking him for giving to a terrorist group are going back more than a decade to find his giving to a terroristic organization, and even then they only come up with an organization he may have thought was just a legitimate charity for schools, orphanages and social welfare.

Even without bringing up freedom of religion and property rights, the case for a connection between the mosque and terrorists just isn't strong enough to justify standing in the way of the mosque being built. There are connections, yes, but they are not strong enough.

Let them build. Let them built because it is their right to build, even though we might not like what they are doing, and let them build because we don't have enough evidence to support us in not liking what they are doing.