No Hatred in a Principled Stand

By Cory Emberson, Co-author of Pursuing Liberty: America Through the Eyes of the Newly Free

Cordoba House, the Islamic center/mosque proposed for the former Burlington Coat Factory building two blocks from New York's sacred ground - Ground Zero - has touched off a firestorm of debate in New York City and across the country. While Cordoba Initiative founder Imam Feisal (who will not call Hamas a terrorist organization), New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and a suddenly religiously tolerant left push ahead in their support of this thirteen-story mosque, they seem surprised by the intensity of the opposition.

Americans are a generally tolerant people, and while New Yorkers waited for the outcome of the Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing - they denied the building at 45-47 Park Place landmark status, allowing the permit process to move forward. But wait! Parts of United Flight 175's landing gear smashed through the building, landing on the empty selling floor. The building was, blessedly, vacant. This is not just another building.

Since the attacks of 9/11, a stateless declaration of war on the United States, the sensitivity game has been waged as a large-scale chess match. Politicians have made a point of articulating America's unique legacy of tolerance, even in the face of reciprocal intolerance. Want to bring a Bible to Saudi Arabia? Sorry. Got a problem with the red crescent-shaped Flight 93 memorial design? How could you reject such outreach? Is the construction of a mosque only a few blocks away from Ground Zero (and another mosque) a slap in the face to those who perished, their families, and the survivors? Just ask a New Yorker.

Our inalienable right of dissent has been tarred as hatred; our objections badly mischaracterized as a phobia; and we are pressured to ignore history and radical Islam's penchant for symbolism. Alyssa A. Lappen writes in Pajamas Media:

"Even Cordoba Institute's name telegraphs the organization's deceptiveness. Cordoba (also the name for Chautauqua's proposed new Muslim house) was the seat of the Islamic Caliphate that ruled most of Spain from Tariq ibn Zayid's 711 invasion through 1248, and controlled parts of Spain until its full liberation in 1492. However, neither the Umayyads (who ruled monolithically until about 1031), nor the particularly vicious Almoravids (who swept over the Atlas mountains and, in 1080, into Spain) ruled non-Muslims kindly. While Islamic harshness varied, it remained unquestionably ever-present."

Rick Lindstrom and I wrote Pursuing Liberty: America Through the Eyes of the Newly Free as both an intimate portrait of those who fled tyranny for American liberty, and as a historical record of how those countries descended into oppression. It was no surprise when we found Neda Bolourchi's powerful op-ed in Sunday's Washington Post: A Muslim victim of 9/11: "Build your mosque somewhere else":

"The Iranian revolution compelled my family to flee to America when I was 12 years old. Yet, just over two decades later, the militant version of our faith caught up with us on a September morning. I still identify as a Muslim. When you are born into a Muslim family, there is no way around it, no choices available: You are Muslim. I am not ashamed of my faith, but I am ashamed of what is done in its name."

Neda's mother was on United Flight 175, the second plane to smash into the World Trade Center the morning of September 11, 2001. She witnessed her mother's murder on live television. To this day, she is torn, and carries the anguish of that day:

"I still have great respect for the faith. Yet, I worry that the construction of the Cordoba House Islamic cultural center near the World Trade Center site would not promote tolerance or understanding; I fear it would become a symbol of victory for militant Muslims around the world."

Those militants who would cheer the destruction of the United States in favor of a worldwide caliphate ruled by sharia law have no problem telling us exactly what they intend to do. Why don't we believe them? And while the Cordoba Initiative's mission statement is to "improv[e] Muslim-West relations," it seems that sensitivities only exist on a one-way street.

We support New York construction worker Andy Sullivan's principled refusal to work on this particular site, as articulated during his interview on Fox & Friends on August 10: "It's not about religion - it's about human decency." Sullivan cited the "Muslim tradition of placing mosques on conquered territory," and is appealing directly to his rank and file colleagues. He was asked whether he would refuse paying work on the Cordoba Project, in that location, out of principle - even in a recession-wracked city. "Absolutely."

As fair-minded Americans, we find it difficult to operate outside the rule of law. While disallowing such a project on legal terms is vastly more in our character than rejecting it on emotional terms, sensitivity toward the mosque's opponents' pain - and a voluntary withdrawal of the project - truly would demonstrate their stated goal of goodwill toward the West. Just because it's legal to do something doesn't mean you should do it.

National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Vindicated for Removing Saddam

President Bush's top political advisor, Karl Rove, said on July 15 that his biggest mistake was not fighting back against Democrats trying to score cheap political points by accusing the President of lying to get the country to support an invasion of Iraq. Rove is right, but another mistake was made: not trying to vindicate the removal of Saddam Hussein using evidence, including Iraqi government documents, that was obtained after the regime’s overthrow. Compelling evidence exists to show that Saddam’s regime was sponsoring terrorists (e.g., Al-Qaeda), had the ability to quickly produce weapons of mass destruction, and the will to use both against its enemies. [more...]


More Muslim Riots in France

Muslim youths have taken to the streets of France once again, rioting against perceived abuses at the hands of police in their "special urban zones" that separate them from the rest of society. [more...]


Iran is Attacking U.S. Bases in Iraq Because We Let Them

I may be reading too much into these statements, but I’m getting a sense that General Ray Odierno, commander of the Multinational Forces in Iraq, is getting frustrated. Like General Petraeus before him, Odierno is becoming more and more vocal about the role Iran plays in attacking Coalition and Iraqi forces and mingling in Iraq overall. [more...]


Mexico Drug War Spills into U.S.

The drug conflict in Mexico has been growing for years into a full-scale guerilla war, and now it has spilled into Texas. There are contradictory reports that the Los Zetas drug gang has taken over at least two ranches near Laredo, Texas, forcing law enforcement to ask for federal intervention. The drug lords have become increasingly brutal and effective, have ties to foreign terrorist groups and have even set off a car bomb. As the U.S. fights two campaigns overseas, a lack of border security is permitting an insurgency south of the border to threaten us at home. [more...]

National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Frequent Muslim Speaker to Kids in New York Schools Supports Hamas, Hezbollah

In communicating with Hassan Shibly, it’s hard to see why this frequent guest speaker at schools in New York would be embroiled in a controversy. He’s easy to converse with and kind. He passionately condemns terrorism (including the 9/11 attacks) and sings the praises of America. But shortly after January 10, when he gave nine presentations during his fourth visit to Clarence High School, he became part of a controversy when a mother of a student that listened to Shibly reported that he blamed the 9/11 attacks on U.S. foreign policy, specifically support for Israel. The mother later found out that he doesn’t consider Hezbollah to be a terrorist group. School officials defended Shibly in emails to the mother and he defends his position by saying it is backed by top political scientists. [more...]


Mourning a Jihadist

Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah died at age 75 in Beirut on July 4. As a top Shiite cleric and spiritual influence for Hezbollah, he had a large number of followers - including one senior editor at CNN named Octavia Nasr. Fadlallah had a long history of terrorism and extremism, but this did not disqualify him from being admired by the news network’s senior editor for Middle Eastern affairs. [more...]


Europe's Backlash Against Islamization

Facing a precarious future, Europe has only just begun to reckon with increasing Muslim populations and Islamic extremism. If current demographic trends persist, Europe’s democratic secular foundations will be in serious jeopardy in about twenty-five years. This disturbing reality is causing a backlash, forcing European governments to confront the threat of Sharia law - and even some Muslims are joining the fight. The battle for the fate of the continent is intensifying. [more...]

U.S. Mexican Border a Terrorist Highway

By Brigitte Gabriel

As Obama softens his language on radical Islam and even avoids mentioning our enemy by name, lest we offend the moderate Muslim world, terrorists are feeling more empowered than ever due to the perceived weakness of the administration.

Not only have we arrested over 55 homegrown terrorists in the last 12 months alone - all Muslims plotting to kill Americans and carry out terrorist attacks - but our Mexican border is now becoming a terrorist highway.

Different terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaida and Hezbollah are working with the MS13 gang and drug cartels paying them top dollars to smuggle terrorists into the U.S. We estimate thousand of terrorists have been smuggled through the Mexican border in the last few years. The situation is so bad that our government has a code name for them: "OTM" (Other Than Mexicans).

Brigitte Gabriel will be at the Northshore tea party rally.
Free and open to the public.
Saturday, July 17th at the Fleur de Lis Event Center in Mandeville (About one hour north of New Orleans)
1:00 - 4:00 pm
1645 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville
(next to the DMV, Driver Motor Vehicle)

National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Muslim Enclaves U.S.A.

It seems almost unthinkable, but Islamist groups are, as we speak, hard at work creating Muslim states-within-states in the U.S. Indeed, this process has been unfolding for a long time across the Western world, through the creation of isolated Muslim enclaves in both rural and urban areas, as well as through the designation of "no-go zones" where governments admit to having little authority over Muslims living there, essentially leaving them to function as autonomous regions. [more...]


The Green Revolution's Next Phase: A Workers' Strike?

Over the past week, Iranians bravely challenged the regime, including protesting on the anniversary of the July 9, 1999, student uprising that was bloodily put down. Universities in Tehran were on alert and armed security personnel deployed. Clashes erupted, with demonstrators in some cases repelling the thugs. Last week’s events show that the opposition Green Movement is still alive. Not only is it evolving as it learns how to cope with security measures, it is also gaining steam as the potential for a regime-killing workers’ strike becomes a real possibility. [more...]


What’s Undermining the War in Afghanistan?

General Petraeus is replacing General McChrystal as the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and he has his work cut out for him. On the battlefield, he faces the problems of Pakistani and Iranian support for the Taliban and other radical Islamic militants and tough conditions that have forced the offensive into Kandahar to be delayed. At home, he faces rising anti-war sentiment and President Obama’s July 2011 deadline for when troops must begin coming home. These four problems are undermining the war in Afghanistan and must be dealt with soon for success to be possible. [more...]


The Next Osama?

Anwar al-Awlaki is a name unfamiliar to most Americans, but it is one well known in the jihadist world. This American member of Al-Qaeda used to serve as a prominent imam in the U.S., and is doing wonders for the terrorist group’s efforts to recruit Westerners and inspire homegrown terrorists. At this rate, he is well on his way to becoming the next Osama Bin Laden. [more...]

National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Dissent in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards

A new documentary interviews four former members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps testifying that the regime's top security force isn't as united behind the regime as it may appear. Dissent in the IRGC poses a mortal threat to the regime, and a former member that spied for the CIA tells FrontPage that they can no longer be relied upon. The regime is finding itself unable to trust even its top operatives as one of the pillars holding it together starts to crumble. [more...]


Will Turkey Turn Back Toward the West Next Year?
Prime Minister Erdogan is in trouble, as the opposition takes aim at his foreign policy.

Turkey is lost under Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP). They are firmly in the camp of Iran despite their competition over the title of reigning anti-Israel champion. Israel has labeled the IHH - the group that tried to break the Gaza blockade with the Marvi Marmara - a terrorist group, which indirectly labels Turkey a state sponsor of terrorism because of the AKP and Erdogan's close ties to the IHH. Luckily, this may only last for a year. [more...]


Burma Goes for the Nuke

A major in Burma's army has defected and delivered hundreds of secret documents and photographs to the Democratic Voice of Burma, an opposition group that has tried for years to convince the West that the ruling military junta is pursuing nukes to no avail. The information provided by the defector, Sai Thein Win, shows that Burma is going for nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles and has joined a growing list of rogue nations and the world will have to handle another region in crisis. [more...]

National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Extremist Conference in Chicago

Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic extremist group working for uniting the world under Sharia law, chose to hold its second annual conference on July 11 at the Chicago Marriott Oak Brook. The hotel has caved under public pressure and has just decided not to host the event, but HUT is still promoting the conference and can be counted on to look for other venues in the area. The organization has chosen the home of President Obama, the leader of the free world, to pursue its anti-democratic agenda by taking advantage of the freedoms it seeks to vanquish. [more...]


Shifting Sands

The U.S. position in the Middle East is quickly slipping as an image of Western weakness is convincing important actors that it is in their best interest to invest their future with the bloc of Iran and Syria. While some Arabs are choosing to embrace Israel backstage, this is because of the fear that an Israeli strike on Iran is their last hope before being forced to capitulate. If Tehran is viewed as the new dominant power, Israel will find itself alone and the West will have to contend with a region of countries too afraid to resist the demands of Iran and Syria. [more...]


U.S. Government Needs to Prepare for Coming Leak of Damaging Video

The U.S. government needs to brace itself for an outcry in Afghanistan and around the world. WikiLeaks, a website founded by an Australian ex-hacker named Julian Assange and devoted to releasing secret information regardless of consequence, is expected to release videotape of a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan last year that will be framed as a deliberate or reckless massacre of civilians. Expect protests, condemnations, and outrage - expressions of anti-Americanism that Assange and his cohorts are trying to provoke. [more...]


Jon Stewart Mocks Obama, Calls Afghanistan "A Losing Battle"

That's how Jon Stewart began his introduction to his coverage of the decision to replace General McChrystal with General Petraeus. Apparently, Stewart is pulling a Harry Reid and is declaring the war lost before the new counter-insurgency campaign can be fully implemented. [more...]