Dueling mosque rallies rage at Ground Zero

[Jeffersons Ghost]

Cops keep order amid a raucous battle

By AMBER SUTHERLAND, DOUGLAS MONTERO and SABRINA FORD


Thousands of chanting, jeering protesters with dueling agendas converged on lower Manhattan yesterday in a bitter and sometimes violent clash over the planned Ground Zero mosque.

Rival demonstrations over the Islamic center were kept apart by a phalanx of cops -- though there were flare-ups between the groups even as relatives of 9/11 victims mourned just a few blocks away.

"I don't care if they build a mosque, but I don't want to hear their Islamic prayers wafting over the grave site . . . I saw the carnage of 9/11," fumed a retired firefighter who waved his middle finger at those who supported the mosque, which would sit two blocks north of the World Trade Center site.


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/rallies_rage_in_downtown_duel_bfR6LhnozVPCPUXAWXReWP#ixzz0zJqJH0VS

[jaxx]

1. Ruperts NYP still trying to push the anti-Muslim screech.

Leave it to them to keep the hate going.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

3. yep, I agree

[pampango]

2. "The estimated 3,000 pro-mosque demonstrators outnumbered the mosque opponents by about 500."

"Beating drums and ringing bells, the crowd chanted, "Bigots go home." The demonstrators also carried signs reading, "Tea party bigots funded by corporate $," and, "Our grief is no excuse for bigotry and racism."

"Natalie Sowinski, 19 -- watching the anti-mosque rally with pals Andressa Leite, 20 and Dennis Grabowski, 20 -- was wearing a scarf wrapped around her head like a hijab. Leite, meanwhile, blew on a vuvuzela, similar to the horns heard at the World Cup.

Demonstrators ripped the scarf off Sowinski's head and screamed: "Did you lose someone on 9/11?" "There was a moment when I got scared for my life," Sowinski told The Post.

On Church Street, Kamal Ramdas, 57, a dark-skinned Muslim born in Guyana and now living in Queens, drew jeers and catcalls for his clothing: an all-white long robe and white skull cap. "Islam is a religion of hate," a woman screamed at him.

[surrealAmerican]

10. I would rec this post if I could.

Six times as many protesters are FOR the mosque!

... even with all the hateful propaganda the other side is spewing. It makes me proud of my country.

[pinboy3niner]

4. WTF? No one will hear "prayers wafting "

Interesting that someone would cook up in his own mind (or be influenced by others to imagine) a scenario of Muslim prayers 'wafting' from a building that is to have no external speakers.

The misinformation/disinformation and outright propaganda about this issue is astounding! Fox Nooze and Pamela Geller (an absolute bigot with ties to neo-Nazi groups), along with wingnut websites and talk radio (which often flies under the radar), have whipped up an anti-Muslim hysteria that defies all reason.

Hallowed ground, my ass. There is no rational basis for opposing an Islamic center two blocks away from the WTC site. And the protests and pressures only make it MORE important to proceed with the Park51 plans and not be bullied into moving. When peple are protesting at mosque sites in WI, TN and even Temecula, CA--not to mention incidents of pipe-bombing, arson and vandalism at mosques around the country--there is no place in America that some bigots would allow a mosque or any Islamic facility.

Caving to ignorance and bigotry would be a HUGE mistake.

[Chulanowa]

12. This is the same argument that's made against gays being out in the open

"I don't mind gay people! They can do what they want. I just don't want to ever know about it!"

[NJmaverick]

5. Hey retired firefighter

I saw the carnage on that day as well (working EMS) and I can tell you that you are just a bigoted fucking Un-American asshole.

[Renegades of Funk]

6. I was at the rally

So many people showed up. It was so diverse. My favorite two signs were "Texans for the Mosque" and "Atheists for Religious Freedoms".
We got way more support from people than expected. While we were marching a bunch of cars honked their horns in solidarity, tourists gave us thumbs up, even some firefighter agreed with our sentiment. I really didn't run into anti-mosque people, the police did a good job. Their was this one bus that had sayings like "Islam is a false religion" painted on it, but other then that I didn't run into any anti-mosque people.
I was interviewed by a professor and a media outlet. I loved how they were taken aback (in a good way) when they found out I was so young and a Catholic.
The speakers were great too. Cynthia McKinney and Ramsey Clark made speeches.
Yesterday I gained a greater understanding of the Islamic religion and I can now truly see it is a religion of peace.
Allah Akbar (God is Great)

[NJmaverick]

Sounds like you did good and thanks for the report

[NJmaverick]

7. Sounds like you did good and thanks for the report

[Jeffersons Ghost]

8. thanks for the double kick. the other posts need to be read by a bigger audience

[Dystopian]

9. KandR

peace~

[Douglas Carpenter]

11. knr