By Jerry Kammer, Bryan Griffith, CIS.org
WASHINGTON (August 10, 2010) – Federal officials routinely assure the public that they are gaining control over the Arizona border. Despite these assurances, “Gaming the Border: a Report from Cochise County, Arizona,” shows why the border there remains porous, as illegal immigrants avoid the Border Patrol and walk around checkpoints on highways north of the border.
One day, President Obama “forcefully” supports the planned Ground Zero mosque, and the next day he backs off, straddling the fence. Well, that’s a definite maybe; he’s a regular push-me-pull-you of politics.
After skirting the controversy for weeks, President Barack Obama is weighing in forcefully on the mosque near ground zero, saying a nation built on religious freedom must allow it. …
“That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances,” he said. “This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable.” …
… “I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there,” Obama said. “I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding. That’s what our country is about.” …
By Mark Krikorian, CIS.org
Now that Arizona’s immigration law has at least temporarily been put on hold, President Obama may well be tempted to put the whole immigration issue on the back burner for a while, as his Justice Department’s lawsuit against the state winds its way through the courts. After all, he has plenty of other things vying for his attention — two wars and an anemic economy, for starters.
Who could blame him for wanting to put aside the contentious issue of immigration?
But doing so would be a mistake.
By Barry Rubin
Forget about The Onion, The National Lampoon, Mad Magazine, and Saturday Night Live (sorry for all those American cultural references). When it comes to satire nobody can beat a New York Times editorial!
Well, this one is funny because the Times is–sort of–trying to praise the Israeli government and criticize the Palestinian Authority (PA) but you can’t help but laugh at the contortions they go through.
Here’s the first one:
by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi*
News that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has come out in opposition to the planned construction of a 13-storey ‘Córdoba House’ or ‘Park51′ mosque, two blocks away from ‘Ground Zero’, should prompt us to ask whether it is truly right to oppose the building of this particular mosque.
To begin with, it should be noted that there is no basis for opposing its construction on legal grounds. That said, a distinction needs to be made between legality and morality. The key question therefore is: would the mosque fulfill the apparent, declared intention of fostering outreach and mutual respect between people of various faiths?
Palestinian Media Watch documents various Palestinian Authority “officials” being quoted as stating, in a nutshell, that conflict with Israel and terrorist acts against Israel are profitable and/or useful:
Former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei (Abu Alaa) said in an interview that the use of armed conflict - “resistance” - is a function of its profitability: “If it gives me [benefit] without costing me, yes.” …
“Dr. Nabil Shaath, Commissioner of International Relations and member of the Fatah Central Committee… stated that the decision to renew negotiations was a tactical decision, i.e., a temporary, defensive decision… and it is dependent upon the possibility of attaining tangible results for the Palestinians. He concluded: ‘Even the resistance uses defensive tactics in order not to miss opportunities.’”
[Al-Dustur (Jordan), June 10, 2010] …
By Andrew L. Jaffee
Proponents of building a mosque (”community center”) near Ground Zero claim they must be allowed to do so because it would be unconstitutional to deny them that “right.” Literalistic hogwash! Since when was the U.S. Constitution and American law intransigent and unchanging — only when it suits some agenda? The Founders knew that they should create a framework that would adapt within limits, but still adapt. People can and should — if they feel ethically bound — oppose the building of a mosque (”community center”) next to the hallowed ground of the 911 savage attacks. Fights like this happen all the time in the U.S. for various reasons, like over putting Christmas decorations on public land or refusing a church a building permit. Most Americans consider their country founded on Judeo-Christian principles and, “That is why American coins feature these two messages: ‘In G-d we trust’ and ‘Liberty.’” But the attempt — led by an imam linked to Muslim terror — to stamp an Islamist, “We won, ha, ha,” imprimatur on Ground Zero is akin to yelling, “Fire!,” in a crowded theater. We don’t have to allow this mosque. We cannot forget the spirit of the law while only concentrating on its letter, as the great Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. knew.
by Phyllis Chesler
Imperfect, tiny Israel is truly a “light unto the nations.” If only “the nations” would see it this way!
Israel is attacked by Turkey — and Israel, not Turkey, launches an investigation into the role its military played in defending their country. Yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu took “overall responsibility” for what happened. He said that although professional mistakes were made at intelligence and operational levels, the killings were justified.
Turkey has yet to admit its genocidal massacre of the Armenians; we are still waiting for Turkey to launch its own internal investigation — and for the United Nations to demand that they do. … Continue reading…
From the New York Post:
Ads opposing a planned mosque near Ground Zero should soon be seen on city buses after the MTA signed off on their controversial design today.
A lawyer for the New Hampshire group behind the campaign called the decision “a victory not just for free speech but against political correctness and Mayor Bloomberg’s bullying.”
Lawyer David Yerushalmi said the ads would be printed up and posted on city buses within the next 10 days.
The American Freedom Defense Initiative sued the MTA in Manhattan federal court last week to force it to accept the ads.
They feature an image of an airplane headed toward the burning World Trade Center, along with a high-rise that’s labeled “WTC Mega Mosque” and the words “Why There?” …
A vast majority of New Yorkers oppose — “By a margin of 61 to 26 percent” — the building of a mosque (Muslim “community center”) near the hallowed ground in New York City near Ground Zero — where 3,000 people where savagely murdered by Islamist terrorists on 9/11. This is according to a Siena College, NY poll published today:
By a margin of 61 to 26 percent, New Yorkers oppose the proposal to build the Cordoba House, a multi-story Muslim Cultural Center in lower Manhattan two blocks from the site of the World Trade Center according to a new survey released today from the Siena College Research Institute (SRI). …
“Large majorities of all New Yorkers, every party, region and age give a thumbs-down to the Cordoba House Mosque being built near the Ground Zero site,” according to Dr. Don Levy, SRI’s Director. …
Muslim author Raheel Raza opposes the building of a mosque (Muslim “community center”) near the hallowed ground in New York City near Ground Zero — where 3,000 people where savagely murdered by Islamist terrorists on 9/11. Raza spoke eloquently when interviewed on Fox News. When asked if she believed the purpose of the mosque was to show “respect” for the victims of 9/11, she said, “As a Muslim, I’m not buying that at all. How does building a mosque in the very place where Muslims murdered so many other Americans — would create any kind of respect?” Watch for yourself:
by Middle East Quarterly*
An architect by training, Mir-Hossein Mousavi was, from the 1960s, close to the forces that created the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Imprisoned in the period leading to the revolution, he later joined Ayatollah Khomeini’s close associate, Mohammad Beheshti, who founded the Islamic Republican Party. Later in that year he was appointed by Khomeini to the Iranian Council of Islamic Revolution and went on to hold important positions under the new regime, including foreign minister and prime minister (1981-89).
Screaming, “Allahu Akbar” (”G#d is great!”), while trying to kill people?!?!?! Should we call it “religious murder?” Well these Iraqi terrorists got nailed in the act — instantaneously — and filmed themselves getting sent to “heaven?!?!?.” Watch the video, then read the description of the tactical details provided by Jeremy Buff (below):
By By Mark Krikorian, CIS.org
It’s no surprise that key parts of the Arizona immigration law were temporarily delayed today by a federal judge. The many lawsuits brought by the opponents of immigration enforcement (including the Obama administration) will now proceed. As Churchill said in a different context, this isn’t the end; it’s not even the beginning of the end. It’s merely the end of the beginning.
by Raymond Ibrahim*
While vexing to many, the mega mosque set to be built two blocks from Ground Zero has produced one unintended consequence: like the 9/11 strikes a decade before it, the “9/11 mosque” is also creating a stir, is making people think and talk — about Islam.
Consider: Before the Islamist strikes of 9/11, mainstream America was incognizant of the threat posed by radical Islam. Islamic apologetics and anti-U.S. polemics were unquestioned orthodoxy, not only in their natural habitat — academia — but more generally.
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