And Islam does not have a negative image in the USA. Everyone denies it but BARAK HUSSEIN OBAMA won and Lieberman couldn't even get in as VP. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the US and Europe. Does anyone remember that immediately prior to one of the previous Pope's visits, Arab Moslems began to spontaneously erect a mosque in a church's courtyard in Nazareth? Just look at any holy Jewish site and you will see a mosque on it. Straight up, it is obscene to build a mosque on top of the unexcavated bodies of victims of Islamic terror, I don't care if they are "moderate" or any other shade of Islam.

Speaking at Kanal D TV’s Arena program, Turkish PM Erdogan commented on the term “moderate Islam.”, He said: "These descriptions are very ugly, it is offensive and an insult to our religion. There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that’s it.” So who knows Islam best? Muslims in Islamic countries or Western apologists? What are the implications if he is right? I tend to agree there is no "moderate Islam."

Let's build a Constantinople House in Istanbul, on the site of a mosque, that will tell muslims about the Western way of life: equality, democracy, respect for others, freedom to change your religion etc.

i think we have different definitions on what a moderate muslim is. In my opinion, a moderate muslim who moves to a western country would not regularly attend a mosque. similarly to a secular jew who goes to synagogue only for the high holidays. if a muslim is getting brainwashed on a regular basis from a crazy imam then they are not a moderate muslim..no matter what country they live.

and not the group they are a part of. Isn't that called bigotry? Isn't that what democracies are supposed to rise above? If a group of Muslims wants to rent/buy near ground zero or on ground zero- what is the issue? If they espouse violent views, you deal with thier behavior then.

I'd rather spend my time doing something more realistic, like hunting for unicorns, mermaids, & chimeras.

Mark Levin had the head of an American moderate Muslim organization on his radio show yesterday, dealing with the Ground Zero mosque. You can hear it here: http://hotair.com/archives/2010/08/17/audio-mark-levin-interviews-zuhdi-jasser-on-the-ground-zero-mosque/ I think you'll find it very much worth listening to. Also, Muslims in America tend to come from different parts of the globe than Muslims in Britain and Europe - and there are cultural differences. American Muslims have higher average incomes and higher education levels than the average American. Dearborn, Michigan, has a higher concentration of Muslims than any city in the U.S. Dearborn also has a significantly lower crime rate than the national average. From what I read, I think this is the direct opposite of what is found Europe and other places. I’m not saying that there isn’t a growing problem here with “Islamofascism,” but I am saying that the author of the article (and some Talkbackers) paints with too broad a brush.

The rejection of Gov. Patterson's offer is just another bit of evidence indicating that consideration of others has a very minor place on the Islamic agenda.

The Islamist-Jihadists have NO shame or remorse. They attacked America at Ground Zero, destroyed the Twin Towers, and murdered 3000 Americans in cold blood on 9/11. And they have the temerity to build a Mega Mosque there! Americans should tell them to go to Hell! The Leftists who support them know nothing about Islam and the danger it poses to America and the world. They should be ashamed of themselves. They have all fallen for or been mesmerized by the Taqiyya (deceit) spell of the Islamist-Jihadists and been manipulated to do their dirty bidding of setting up a bastion of Islam around Ground Zero. In Islam there is no such thing as 'moderate'. They share the same Koran that teaches violence against non-Islamists. Islam is an intolerant religion or ideology. And the Islamist-Jihadists have the audacity to talk about tolerating their intolerance, and even mentioning the Constitution. They can fool those who do not know Islam. But they can't fool those who know Islam. Whatever it is, 70% of the American people oppose the setting up of a Mega Mosque near Ground Zero. Period. It is time they get it and stop crusading for a Mosque to be built there and whose funding comes from the Wahhabhists.

basement in New York City? I mean really.....who needs Iran? They have infiltrated the City of New York without a shot being fired. The building can be built in Mecca. They have plenty of room with no Christian Churches or Jewish Temples. These are the same people who kill other faiths for preaching on their soil. They won't even give an inch on another faith occupying any of their cities. But they have to have a mosque in the same place where people of their faith killed 3000 innocent people who jumped to their deaths with no other choice? These people jumping were not muslims. They never accepted or asked to be forced to jump from a skyscraper to their deaths. They therefore shouldn't be forced to hang out in a muslim mosque at their burial site. How about the muslims pay for a Church and a Jewish Temple in memory of the ones who were killed because of their religious prejudice. A prejudice which condoned the killing of innocents from other religious faiths.

and the moderate Muslim wants to kill you tomorrow. That said, I have met Muslims that were Muslims in name only. They didn't pray; didn't go to a mosque and weren't much concerned with fast days etc. They weren't really Muslims. The same goes for Christians that are Christians in name only etc. A Muslim that goes to the mosque on a regular basis is almost certainly a radical and if he fasts as well then he most likely is and if he prays five times a day even if it means stopping work in order to do so then he definitely is. Islam wants to establish a world caliphate and introduce Sharia law world-wide and anyone that believes otherwise is living in a fantasy world or is ignorant of the facts. Islam is quite open about this and is to be commended for its honesty. Michael

You make the cardinal sin of granting Islam rights when it would grant you none. It uses democracy to overthrow democracies and thinks that people like you are fools. Most countries in Europe will soon be forced to choose between democracy and Islam. What would you choose? Michael

were not working class, but were upper middle class and well educated. A quick example. The organizer of the London Underground and bus bombings .. "Mohammed was born to a middle-class Muslim family in 1974 in the Comoros Islands, a former French colony in the Indian Ocean 400 miles southeast of Dar es Salaam. He became intensely religious and went to Pakistan when he was 16, where he was recruited by al-Qaida". Michael

Media on Abdul Rauf. His whereabouts, recently, is unknown although he is supposedly travelling in the mideast. There are concerns about his connections to Muslim extremists.

"...forcing Jews and Christians to either convert or go into exile". well,from the above quote,the world should wake up and see who is trying to dominate by tricks.the jew will complain of islam and play victim with christians when it suits them.the writer of this article have forgotten the spanish catholic christian inquisition that massacred the jews.you've forgotten who gave you assylum and embraced you.you've forgotten that you also cry of the christian persecution and forced conversion.shame on you!

First,It is worth noting that a survey taken in NY City showed most city dwellers approved of the Mosque and civic center being built. Second Abdul Rauf (the man who is spearheading the center)has been previously praised by the FBI for his work in condemning radical Islam in all its forms. Third the Massiid Manhattan Mosque is 4 blocks from the World Trade Center site and has been there for 40 years with no community problems.Fourth a NY Dolls strip joint is within shouting distance of the 9/11 cite. Timothy McVey who killed hundreds in the Mura Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City was raised Christian. If a church was to be built within eyeshot of that cite would Mr. Rosenfeld write a condemnation story?This paper has elected to publish two stories on the same nonevent for one purpose, to gin up the troops to condemn Muslims. Al-Qaeda represents less than 1 millionth of 1 % of the Islamic world. If the balance want to build a Mosque anywhere in America, they have not only a constitutional right but a moral right to do so without the judgment of bigots and political opportunists. You will never have peace if you waste precious time fermenting conflict.

How many Muslims do Israelis and Americans have to kill before you open up your eyes and look in the mirror. Who's the real terrorist?

9/11 was an overt attack on western freedoms, including freedom of religion. the islamists cannot now claim the "rights" that they would deny to others. technically, moslems do not need mosques to pray, any more than jews need synagogues. in spite of the violent reaction when a mosque is attacked by non-moslems, moslems routinely bomb mosques and murder other moslems at worship. this mosque is certainly not a religious necessity, and there are already others in manhattan. building a mosque at ground zero is nothing more or less than an attempt to celebrate the attack of 9/11, and to to put a permanent "flag" at the site. for a true test of moslem "tolerance", why don't they build this mosque when jews are allowed to build a synagogue next to al-aqsa. not that manhattan is the equivalent of temple mount, the site of king solomon's temple and over 2,500 years of jewish history, but just to see if moslem "tolerance" is in any way, shape, or form reciprocal. but we all know the answer to that one, don't we?

So, you would judge Natzi's as individuals?

And as I recall, the same was true of the 9/11 hijackers. I intended my second paragraph only as an “aside,” and maybe I should have left it out. It was a completely different subject , it didn’t really deal with the question of whether there are true moderate Muslims. I have no idea what their numbers are, but certainly they exist, I’ve known a couple of them. So I guess I worry about some bigoted comments I hear and read about “all Muslims” (or “all anything”). (Personally, I use the word “Islamofascists.” Often preceded with the word “bloody.”) But again, you are right.

Your article seems to suggest that Islam is the only faith intent on disseminating itself across borders... Why is it when I think of that statement I seem to get this picture of Christian Missionaries making the rounds of Third world countries? Probably because they do just that. It's an Islamic Centre, not a mosque, cordoba was taken back by the Christians many centuries ago (therefore, it is NOT a symbol of conquest), and there are an equal number of non-Muyslim terrorists as there are Muslim terrorists. Or do we forget Timothy McVeigh, the IRA, the Tamil Tigers (the world's LARGEST terrorist group), the LRA and Anti-Abortion movements in the USA? Wake up! This is called Freedom of Religion! It's part of the exact same constitution you hold so dear! It's even before the one where you get to keep your precious gun. If a mosque were to be built right across the street from Ground Zero, why should that matter? It should stand as a symbol of unity, and the resilience of Americans. Please. Stop the hate, and rise above what the terrorists want you to become. Please.

BLIND westerns. Islam is TOXIC to all INFIDELS. It's biggest victims are the muslims themselves, the are codified sociopaths that masquerade as religion. These evil bastards from hell are our payback for stitching up the Israelis, noone is gonna get it more than us Brits! We deserve it!

And 90% of these muslims on Dearborn are on welfare. Well educated.

Some Muslims celebrated in America and in other countries. We will NEVER forget that thousands of Palestinian Authority Muslims celebrated the murders of our 3,000 fellow Americans - dancing in the streets and passing out sweets; and never forget that thousands of PA Muslims celebrate the murders of Israeli Jews whenever a Muslim killer blows up amongst Israelis. Throughout Islamic history, Islam have built mosques at the sites of their military conquests and victories. We must NEVER spit on the graves of our murdered American and Israeli brothers and sisters by allowing a mosque at sacred ground zero or surrendering Free World Jewish land to those who hate us and celebrate our murders.

Go tell the pro-American Iraqi Kurds that there's no moderate Muslims. Go tell the Kosovars who's women strut around in jeans and who's government put up a statue of Bill Clinton in their capital that there are no moderate Muslims. Go tell the Hashemite regime that there are no moderate Muslims. Go tell the Indonesian Imams who came to visit the Jerusalem Yeshiva that there are no moderate Muslims: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3480702,00.html Go tell the Ahmadi sect that there are no moderate Muslims. Go tell the Bedouins who serve in the IDF that there are no moderate Muslims. Go tell the American Muslim families who lost loved ones in 9/11 that there are no moderate Muslims. The Muslim world is not a monolith and any successful Western long term strategy cannot demonize an entire faith. There are friends, bitter enemies, and the masses in the middle who need to be won over to the right path of moderation and tolerance.

with their money!

Nobody is as good at killing Muslims as Muslims. You are your own worst enemy. You kill each other on a regular basis but if a non Muslim lifts a finger against you then you cry like little girls. You can dish it out but you just can't take it whether it's fighting or cartoons.

I'm sorry for not making that clear.