Salman Rushdie Defends Muslims' Right to Build NYC Mosque

[sabrina 1]

Rushdie defends Muslims' right to build NYC mosque

NEW YORK: ''The Satanic Verses'' author Salman Rushdie is not a great fan of organized worship but believes an Islamic center and mosque should be permitted two blocks from ground zero.

Rushdie's satirical novel led in the 1980s to worldwide riots by Muslims and calls for his death. He tells The Associated Press in an interview Monday that he understands the ''sensitivities'' of building the site close to where thousands were killed during on Sept. 11, 2001.

But he says US Constitution's rights to freedom of speech and religion should be honored. He adds that he is ''not personally'' a lover of mosques or any place of worship.

But he says that if people ''want a mosque, it seems absolutely right they should have it.''

Another voice added in support of what never should have been an issue to begin with. If anything defines the Sane V Insane members of this society, it is the list of those 'for' and 'against' this Mosque.

A non-issue about as significant as the Balloon Boy story, becoming significant only because of the huge amount of coverage given these tea-bagger haters by the Media, who appear to be obsessed with whatever emanates from the hateful ranks of America's far-right fringes. If they given even a fraction of the coverage to the War Protests, this might be a different country today.

A few years from now, anyone who was on the wrong side of this will not want to admit to it. The photos of those protesting picturing faces filled with hatred, remind of the old black-and-white photos of similar mobs protesting the integration of schools back in the Civil Rights Era. Who would want to go down in history like that?

I just feel sad that a few Democrats, one I admire so much, felt compelled to be on the wrong side of this. There is still time to change their minds and I hope they do.

[Enthusiast]

1. I agree completely.

And I now include Salman Rushdie in the sane group.

[Turborama]

2. Not just 'a few years from now' for other similar recent media led events

Remember how so many on the 'left' jumped into the ACORN "scandal" and how stupid they looked less than a year later. Just a couple of months ago there were a few people on the 'left' who fell for the Sherrod thing as soon as it was posted online.

It seems that there are certain elements all over the political spectrum who, through knee-jerkism and a lack critical thinking capacity, willingly allow the media to lead them by the nose. The sad thing is they'll deny it until they are blue in the face and yet will continue to repeat the same "ooh... look... a butterfly...!" mistakes.

ETA thanks for posting this. It's good to hear Rushdie's take on it all.

[sabrina 1]

3. True, I have talked to people who I thought would

have known better, but were influenced by the media reports and they say 'well, it would be better to build it somewhere else'. But when you discuss it with them for a while and point out that there is no place far enough away for these bigots, most of whom are only using 9/11 for their own political purposes, they will see it differently. So, I know it's the media's presentation that is the problem.

I would have expected Rushdie to say what he said, knowing as he dies, that zealots, no matter what side they are on, will destroy a country and should never be allowed to call the shots.