MR HARRY RUSSELL, the grandchild of an immigrant? What an interesting revelation! Given his recent writings, one would never imagine such.
Russell raises a series of questions relating to the multimillion-dollar Park 51 project two blocks from ground zero in his column of Monday, September 20.
The Park 51 project, previously titled the “the Cordoba Centre”, is described by the media as a mosque at Ground Zero.
It has evoked widespread emotions across America, and the media have certainly bought into the hysteria.
I have watched with fascination as a“tolerant” nation becomes seemingly “intolerant” in this issue and how the political whims and fancies of a few can manipulate the unsuspecting.
A mosque at ground zero? …“rubbing coarse salt in an open wound”, according to Mr Russell.
How ironic? Several mosques already exist at ground zero, some even closer, overflowing with worshippers at Friday prayers.
Muslims have been worshipping at the Burlington Coat Factory, proposed site of Park 51, since 2009. The project is much more than a mosque.
But as De Market Vendor recently pointed out, America is a strange place. they make noise at the erection of a place of worship on “hallowed ground”, but remain silent on the several strip clubs and porn places in and around ground zero.
As to the “hallowed ground” argument Jen Phillips’ piece makes great reading. This author points out the ground before the World Trade Centre was sacrosanct.
To quote: “The bones of 20 000 African slaves are buried 25 feet below Lower Manhattan.
As ten per cent of West African slaves in America were Muslims, it’s not out of bounds to extrapolate that ground zero itself was built on the bones of at least a few Muslim slaves; that is say, hallowed Muslim ground.” Russell dismisses the Florida priest’s plan to burn copies of the Qur’an as one man’s disgust but not a reflection of a militant faith.
Michael Moore’s daily blog on September 11 makes the point: “During an economic depression or a time of war, fascists are extremely skilled at whipping up fear and hate and getting the working class to blame ‘the other’ for their troubles.”
Lincoln’s enemies told poor southern whites that he was “a Catholic”. FDR’s opponents said he was Jewish… and one in five Americans now believe Obama is Muslim.
Blaming a whole group for the actions of just one of that group is anti-American. Timothy McVeigh was Catholic. Should Oklahoma City prohibit the building of a Catholic church near the site of the federal building that McVeigh blew up?”
It is interesting to note that many more innocent civilians have been killed by foreign forces in Afghanistan as a direct result and in retaliation of the 9/11 attacks than were killed on that day.
SULEIMAN BULBULIA
