Park51 is its official name, and it's essentially a Muslim JCC. But since it's in Lower Manhattan, about four blocks away from where the World Trade center towers once stood, it quickly became known in media (and right-wing) shorthand as the "Ground Zero Mosque." (Insert loud gasp/scream of horror here.)
Considering how popular it was for alarmists to use Park51 as a bogeyman, it surely must have been utter chaos downtown when it finally opened yesterday, yes?
No: there were no protesters, and the center enjoyed a quiet event last night featuring an exhibition of photographs of children. Sharia!!!
The so-called Ground Zero mosque, where proponents of religious freedom clashed with conservative pols and the families of 9/11 victims for nearly two years, opened Wednesday without controversy.
Instead of protesters, who tried to shut down the Park51 center several times, spectators milled about the center before entering to view a photographic exhibition.
NYChildren, as the exhibit was titled, was as much a tribute to New York City's diversity as a display of mere photographs. It includes snapshots of city children representative of 160 ethnicities from around the world.
But surely they were evil Islamofascist photographers putting this up, yes?
The photographs were compiled by a 44-year-old Jewish shutterbug from Brooklyn, Danny Goldfield.
Oh.
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Oh, horror of horrors, that Goldfield is a self-hating Jew, don'cha know....Oy vey!!! What's the world coming to?!?!
Jews and Christians and Muslims, oh my!
Its not 'Ground Zero' mosque.
its an Islamic cultural center with a mosque in downtown Manhattan. Their declared objective is to work for inter faith harmony and we all wish them well.
This nation needs to get over its paranoia, propagands fed hate & fear now like no time in our history. Media can do a lot in this respect with honesty of purpose.
"Media can do a lot in this respect with honesty of purpose."
That sounds so good and common sense like; you must not watch "news" in America? Either that or you have really good, I mean really good drugs, and if you share with me, I'll indulge you in your fantasy... :>)
There is a reason why, in this post and its headline, 'Ground Zero mosque' always appears in quotes.
1st its is great that it is open!
2nd it is even better it open and there wasn't no idiots around!
and wow DADT over no end of the world// mosque opens and still no sign of the end!
guess the hate/right wing needs a new demon.
They still have Obama. And of course the poor to bash down even further.
You mean Pam Geller is not out front spewing hatred towards Muslims. Spreading her Islamophobic hatred? Is she out shopping or having another face lift? Too busy?
Too much a coward. It's far easier to shriek about how evil a group of people are when you're far away and don't run the risk of looking them in the eyes.
Here is one of the Hate Inc crew twisted successes
http://mondoweiss.net/2011/04/nyc-will-close-embattled-arabic-english-school.html
Rachel if you and your team have never read this report "Fear Inc" A must
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/08/pdf/islamophobia.pdf
It is obvious that Fox News must have shut their yaps about this one. I am very pleased it opened without difficulty from the wing nuts!
Fox News must have shut their yaps about this one. I am so happy that they were able to open without difficulty from the wing nuts. Maybe there is hope.
Rachel,
I teach at university and am amazed at the hateful ideas about Muslims that come from my kids' families.
I shouldn't do this, but I tell them God loves people ... because I try to counter the awful messages that get injected like venom into the mainstream discourse.
Don't always agree with you, but love your push for America.
Thanks for being a voice against the frightening tide.
Sincere thanks to the "usual suspects" for staying home and allowing the center to open without an accompanying Hate Circus.
Of course it was quiet. No midterm elections to try to influence right now. Everybody's focused on 2012 and the GOP "dream team" that has a "debate" every 30 minutes.
Amazing.... and I hope it continues to be used for the purpose of educating individuals and embracing & sharing the diversity without the underlying fear factor,which is generated out of ignorance not fact.
you mean like this!
shaking my head!
Conservative California Councilman Names Dogs ‘America’ And ‘Muhammad’: ‘Muhammad Is The Bitch’
When the 2012 election begins (for real) we will hear more than we can handle. The same hate and sharia law talking points, paired with Obama is not a real American and a secret Muslim will start.
I heard Miley Cyrus was there, too!
YAY! VICTORY! Love conquers again. Welcome to the neighborhood and it is so good to have you here.
Of course no one noticed as this no longer serves the GOP's purpose for their current fear-mongering tactics. They are too busy waging a war against women, children, the elderly and the homosexual community to be bothered with a mosque.
Awesome! I hope to visit one day. Welcome to the neighborhood!
No one noticed, eh? This blog did, which is more than you've done for the Wall St. protesters. Over the years I've wondered why more lefties weren't out on the streets voicing their opinions. I guess they actually have been, but no one, including TRMS have bothered to notice them. If members of the left side of the press and TV won't give left issues coverage, who will? If there had been several thousand Tea Party members protesting anything, the coverage would be massive and non stop. Might even have gotten a spot on TRMS.
M.
I guess you don't watch Countdown with Keith Olberman. He did a segment on them I think yesterday. He did complain about the lack of coverage. He or his guest it may be due to the fact that since Fox News isn't covering it no one else will. Hopefully this is not the case and TRMS ro another fine MSNBC show will cover it soon.
So beautiful, it brings tears to my eyes : ) Probably best that it's so low-key since America is, maybe going through growing pains (?), to put it mildly! I for one, had my attention & prayers focused on mercy for Troy Davis yesterday. A lot of people were. I know you were Rachel. RIP Troy Davis.
Cong. Peter King, were you watching??
Of course. Of course the dreaded "Ground Zero Mosque" opened in Lower Manhattan as virtually the same project that stirred insane reactions from Tea Party and right-wing thuggish types and politicians. And of course that opening, months after the initial furor, triggered virtually no reaction and virtually no controversy. Like the end of DADT, when birds were supposed to drop out of the sky, the GZM caused no continental shift or angry response from the heavens. The GOP is too busy trying to beat the brains out of Obama before 2012, so mosques just aren't that important anymore, I guess. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
No one noticed the Wall Street protesters either... what's up with that?
Congratulations to the mosque, and all of the Muslims, and anyone else who utilizes the space. I'm not religious, whatsoever, but delighted to see a Mosque dedicated to peace, respect and equality.
The previous commotion was never about any "ground zero mosque". it was about the 2010 election and stirring up fear and racial tension within the Republican base to get out the vote. Worked like a charm.
I spent several hours last year fighting the intolerance. Most that came wanted to know what this was all about and supported Park 51. The opposition was a wedge to cause discord during the midterm election.
I went back this summer almost a year to the date to get some photos for my blog, decidedly absent were the protesters, the abusive ground zero construction workers, the 9/11 outraged family members---when the elections and the cameras were gone so was their outrage. I guess it wasn't about keeping " The sanctity" of the site free of muslim presence but showboating hate in front of the cameras.