New York, NY – Among the Islamic clerics defending plans for a mosque near Ground Zero yesterday was an outspoken critic of Israel who enthusiastically signaled his support for terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah during a rally a decade ago.
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At a news conference outside the site of the proposed mosque, Imam Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Washington-based Muslim American Society, was adamant about Muslims’ right to build a mosque where they choose.
But he refused to discuss a video, from a rally in Lafayette Park in Washington, DC, that shows him onstage repeatedly raising his arms when an unidentified speaker asked how many in the crowd supported Hamas and Hezbollah.
Bray claimed the clip was taken out of context. A spokesman for Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the prime mover of the Ground Zero mosque, declined comment.
Meanwhile, Hisham Elzanty, the main financier of the proposed mosque, spoke out last night for the first time, telling WNYW/Channel 5 that he’s in control of the location and has no plans to move.
Video below rally in Lafayette Park in Washington, DC
I don’t have a problem with a mosque at ground zero
I have no problem with a mosque at ground zero, as long as a synagogue and a church can be built in Saudi Arabia, preferably In Mecca.
I’m just curious as to what prison Imam Bray was in and for what offense when he converted to Islam.
what else is new , you can bet your last dollar all who are in favor have no remorse of 9/11, are fighting thier war with this stealth jihad. these usefull idiots like charlie hall, PMG, il-anon, the communist lefties who would like to bring this country down
why do people act surprised when thy read things like this?
if you can (and i cant) come up with a time a jew did jihad or terrorism, no jew would dare build a shul there.
Where’s the radical leftist liberal named Charlie Hall always standing up to these bums. This stupid mosque isn’t gonna be build and I’m sick of these people they are the ones who damaged relation with the american muslims.
#6 he’s not standing up for them, he’s part of them
“harvey Says:
why do people act surprised when thy read things like this?
if you can (and i cant) come up with a time a jew did jihad or terrorism, no jew would dare build a shul there.”
burach goldstein
I am not even holding out for a shul or chapel in Saudi Arabia, what’s the story of the Greek Church that was destroyed when #2 WTC fell on it? I worked across the street from it and it seemed like a nice little place…why has THAT not been re-built before we start mosque construction?
For me, as a foreigner not living in the United States, the comments on this story are far more interesting than the story itself.
The first three comments (plus #5 ) are reasonable and actually relate to the reported story, but then the yetzer hara takes over.
“Shmerel” (#4) takes it upon himself to offer fortuitous insults to other people who have not even put a single fingertip on their keyboards in relation to the story. “Enough” (#6) then jumps on the bandwagon, slinging mud at “Charlie Hall”, saying – without any foundation, I might add – that the said Mr Hall’s alleged political views are somewhat suspect. And then up pops “Favish” (#6) who has nothing substantial or new to say, but merely rubber stamps his predecessor.
Rabosai, two points arise from all this:
(a) The matter of lashon hara, and
(b) The comments quoted are a wonderful psychological insight into the sinas chinam that makes up so many comments on this otherwise excellent website.
Forgive me,please, for taking two bites of the cherry here, but compare and contrast the comments on this story with the next one that relates to the police chief who advocated shooting your President.
#10 ,
The church has been treated disgracefully. But it is in the area that is subject to the Port Authority control. The site for the proposed Park51 Center is not. Basically, it isn’t at Ground Zero, it isn’t a mosque, and there isn’t your or my business when or if they build.
#4 and #6 ,
I’m not a Communist and I love this country. That is why I’m so adamant about defending its principles against people who would destroy it from within like the mosque haters. If the Park51 Center can be stopped, so can every synagogue and yeshiva anywhere in America.
We’ve already got two Republican bigots running for public office in NY, for governor and the 18th congressional district. (The latter has had his work featured on the web site of none other than David Duke!) I make no apologies for calling them out and for opposing those who put the Republican Party ahead of Jewish values.
I do spend a lot of time defending Israel from abuse in other internet forums. Just this afternoon I was defending Israel against some Hamas apologists on dailykos. I make no apologies for that, either.
Oh, my! While I was writing my earlier comment, the New York Republican Party announced it has disavowed its racist candidate in the 18th Congressional District:
http://www.salon.com/news/politics/2010_elections/?story=/politics/war_room/2010/09/21/ny_gop_distances_from_jim_russell
Kudos to the New York Republicans for doing the right thing in this case.
How sad. Obviously all xians must be antisemitic racists because I have hundreds of hours of footage of so-called “ministers” preaching death to African Americans and Jews.
Obviously that is not true, and obviously it is mere sarcasm.
Some of the arguments being made here are just as ridiculous. Like the comparison to building a shul in Saudi Arabia. If you want to build one there, go build it. Nobody is stopping you… literally nobody. The Saudi government will not stop you from doing it. In fact, the Saudi government has specifically stated that there is no opposition to, nor law against building a shul in Saudi Arabia (there are some laws about non-Muslim prayer in some public areas however). This is another PHONY issue created by the media that the ignorant masses have fallen for, hook-line-&-sinker.
Who cares if this guy loves Hamas? If he came out and said he loves pizza too, would we all stop eating pizza and declare it “terrorist food”? Or rename it “Freeomizza” or something ridiculous like that?
Give me a break. Leave these poor people alone. They have had a community in that neighborhood for decades and they bother NOBODY.
Truth is stranger than fiction. The imam’s surname is Bray which is precisely the language used by jackasses.
What’s up with that Red beard ?
Charlie says : “it isn’t a mosque, and there isn’t your or my business when or if they build”. Oh its A “Cultural center ” ! LOL In you’re twisted logic I don’t think you should vote in any elections , its none of you’re bussiness how the country is run
#16 yes, nebach, leave these ‘poor’ people alone
It’s not because it’s a mosque. It’s because it’s a MOSQUE being built ON ground zero, a building that was destroyed by MUSLIMS, terrorists in the name of ISLAM – those who were taught to hate in and out of a MOSQUE because they were muslim. NOT in spite of. AND, it’s an old islamic “minhag” to build a victory mosque over a site they have conquered.
Hence the outrage. And so – I do not understand what you don’t understand about that CHARLIEHALL, someone who I actually agree with on many of the other issues…
“I have no problem with a mosque at ground zero, as long as a synagogue and a church can be built in Saudi Arabia, preferably In Mecca”
A Shul in Mecca, for how many Jews?! Zero!
Actually for a non-Muslim to go to Mecca is punishable by death.