OBAMA AND THE GROUND ZERO MOSQUE

On August 13, 2010, President Obama addressed a White House dinner celebrating Ramadan, the holy month in the Islamic religion. During the dinner he made a brief statement on proposed controversial Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan.

“Recently, attention has been focused on the construction of mosques in certain communities -- particularly New York. Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of Lower Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. And the pain and the experience of suffering by those who lost loved ones is just unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. And Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground. 

But let me be clear. As a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. And 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. This is America. And our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable.”

After that statement every major news organization in the world reported that President Obama strongly supported the construction of the Islamic center. Confronted with his words, the next day in Florida, Obama back peddled. 

“I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there … I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding. That's what our country is about."

I’m not sure what’s more repulsive. Obama pandering to Muslims during a Ramadan dinner or denying that his heavy pandering amounted to support for the Ground Zero mosque. I’d have more respect for him if he just clearly admits that he supports the Islamic community center.

We know Barack Hussein Obama is a citizen of the world, he lived in Indonesia, his father was a Muslim before becoming an atheist, he denounces American arrogance at every opportunity, we know his heart is behind the mosque. He should have the political courage to stand on his beliefs. His statement at the Ramadan dinner was a carefully crafted legal statement. It gave the impression to everyone in the room that he supported the Lower Manhattan mosque. When confronted with his words the next day he had plausible deniability to say he didn’t address the issue, he was speaking merely to the right of religious freedom.

On September 11, 2001, Islamic militants murdered more than 3,000 Americans several yards away from the proposed mega mosque. Muslims around the world would view the construction of this mosque as a victory for Islam against the west. What Obama doesn’t understand about the Ground Zero mosque is that not ‘officially’ opposing the construction means he supports it. He can’t have it both ways.