The Sponsors of the Young Men’s Islamic Association proposed for the Holy Mother Coat Factory are seeking a 9/11 Recovery Grant.
My first thought is that an old friend has reappeared on the scene to rescue me from one more column leading with a bunch of sarcastic comments about Cathie Black.
My second thought is to be skeptical of any government support for a facility which contains a House of Worship.
My third thought is to remember that thousand of Muslims work downtown for the same reason thousand of other New Yorkers do, and that many of these folks pray five times a day, and need a House of Worship near their place of work, that the existing facilities for them to do so there are highly overcrowded, and that, in Lower Manhattan, when you find something that suits your needs at an affordable price you hurry up and buy it. There is no doubt that no matter where in Lower Manhattan such a facility was cited, the haters would oppose it in the same manner they do in Sheepshead Bay or Staten Isand.
But, while decency and the First Amendment require that politicians have no business opposing or even opining negatively about this facility being built, some of the seemingly irrelevant questions previously raised, do become relevant to the question of government financing.
For instance, is there really a viable financial plan for this facility?
Other questions also come into relevant play for the first time, such as do the sponsors have a track record which would justify their receipt of such funds?
Mind you, a community center open to all, with facilities the community is currently lacking, would be an excellent way to revitalize Lower Manhattan, which is the stated purpose for these funds. Folks here who want a pool really don't care if the water is from Zim Zam.
This application should be judged like any other applying for government funding, and by that standard I'm not sure it makes the cut. Decency and the Fourteenth Amendment require no less.
Far more vexing is the can of worms entailed by getting from here to there.
Surely, prejudice should not be allowed to enter the picture, and yet, one cannot help but note the poison which is sure to follow.
I know why Muslims need another house of worship in this area, and I support their right to build one, in the same manner my co-religionists would–with their own money. Pam Geller and trash like her should just STFU. This is America–Love our Bill of Rights or Leave!
However, I kind of wish that the application for government funding under this particular program would just go away. Manhattan Islamic Center Seeks 9/11 Recovery Grants www.nytimes.com
One more good reason why government should not, as it does on Britain, fund religious schools.
BTW, can you imagine the ruckus if our government followed suit and then intervened, as the British are, to make sure religiously based schools did not teach that homosexuality was an abomination? In Britain’s Saudi-Backed Islamic Schools, Objectionable Lessons www.nytimes.com
"The civilized world."
Another among the many reasons why I'd wish liberals would stop vesting the UN with talismanic qualities. Not that the UN does not have its uses, but protecting human rights in any meaningful way (against anyone but Zionists) is far down the list of its priorities. UN General Assembly Votes To Allow Gays To Be Executed Without Cause | The New Civil Rights Movement thenewcivilrightsmovement.com
Kinsley offers some well-argued contrarian thinking about the TSA. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45522.html www.politico.com
Goldberg explores the phenomena of "ostensibly pro-Israel Republicans who, in their desire to defeat the Democrats on every front, actually wind up hurting Israel."
Money Quote: "The Netanyahu government understood very well that Fidel Castro's condemnation of Iranian anti-Semitism, and his forceful statement endorsing Israel's right-to-exist, were of great strategic value, especially as the global left lines up in support of a boycott-Israel movement. But Israel's great friend, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the incoming chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, knew better.” Bibi Buckles Before the Cuba Lobby – Jeffrey Goldberg – International – The Atlantic www.theatlantic.com
Ackerman: class clown gets a machete. Democratic lawmaker dares Republicans on healthcare reform repeal thehill.com
American Bridge over troubled waters. Liberal group uses outside money to match GOP – Ben Smith www.politico.com
The little woman stands by her man. Quinn OK with mayor's unconventional choice of media exec for schools chancellor – NYPOST.com www.nypost.com
Wow!
Not like Bloomie to be losing a fixed fight.David Steiner Considering Denying a Waiver to Cathleen Black www.nytimes.com
INTELLECTUAL HONESTY HONOR ROLL: TOM ROBBINS
In his Thanksgiving honor roll, Robbins follows his kudos to Anti-Vito District Leader Lincoln Restler (and his cohort, Matt Cowherd) with praise for Gustin Reichbach, a judge whose entire career on the bench is a result of the sponsorship of one Vito Lopez, and whose daughter was Vito's handpicked candidate for a District Leadership against reformer Jo Anne Simon (in a campaign so bitter that Simon's husband made dersive comments about Hope's "nice legs" and filed a complaint against Judge Reichbach for appearing in a campaign photo with his own daughter, though Reichbach had received permission).
I can personally attest to the fact that Robbins is an unstinting and unrelenting Lopez critic, and yet, he never fails to point out when a criticism leveled at Lopez is unfair, or to explain where the situation is a bit more complicated than it appears to be. Though Lopez would surely not agree, Robbins’ praise of Reichbach is further testament to Robbins' intellectual honesty and fundamental fairness. A Thanksgiving Honor Roll for 2010 – Page 2 – News – New York – Village Voice www.villagevoice.com