The controversial Ground Zero Mosque development has caused controversy throughout America with much vocal opposition to the development. Here are the facts behind the development.
Ground Zero Mosque?
Fact - Technically a Mosque is a place used exclusively for prayer by Muslims.
Fact - 45 Park Place, New York City where the proposed community centre is to be setup will have a basketball court, culinary school, swimming pool and 13 floors with only the top two floors used a Muslim prayer space.
Training Ground for Terrorists?
Fact - Since 9/11 Muslims have been at greater threat of terrorism than non-Muslims within the United States. This was highlighted recently by the bombing of a mosque in Jacksonville Florida May 10th 2010 when a pipe bomb was detonated outside a Mosque while worshippers were offering evening prayers. The 60 Muslim's inside the building were unhurt only because the pipe bomber did not put the device inside of the Mosque.
Fact - Masjid Manhattan which lies four blocks away from Ground Zero at 20 Warren Street has been functional as a basement prayer room since early 1970, months before the now demolished World Trade Centre was even built. The facility is only able to hold 20 per cent of worshippers at any one time. It has functioned without controversy, links to terrorism or illegal activities since its inception.
Cordoba- Muslim subjugation of Christians?
The development has courted controversy through the proposed name of "Cordoba House" which was described by House Speaker and Republican Newt Gingrich as 'Muslim dog whistle for triumphalism.'
Newt Gingrich the House Speaker was quoted in the Washington Post 22 July 2010 as saying:
"It refers to Cordoba Spain - The capital of Muslim conquerors who symbolized their victory over the Christian Spainards by transforming a church into the world's third largest Mosque complex. Today some of the Mosque's backers insist this term is being used to symbolize interfaith cooperation when in fact every Islamist in the World recognizes Cordoba as a symbol of Islamic conquest."
Fact - Cordoba under Islamic rule was one of the largest and most diverse cities in the world with over 500,000 inhabitants much like New York is today. Muslims established multicultural non denominational institutions of learning. One is not able to talk about Cordoba's scholars without mentioning the Jewish scholar Moses Maimonides. At the time of Muslim rule Cordoba established itself as a great seat of learning as well as housing the worlds largest library which contained between 400,000 to 1,000,000 volumes.
Fact - As far as triumphalism goes Cordoba was conquered by Christians on 29th June 1236, after a siege of several months.The city fell to King Ferdinand III of Castile, during the Spanish Reconquista and was divided into 14 barrios and numerous new church buildings were added including the conversion of Cordoba's Great Mosque into the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción . This marked the decline for Cordoba as a major seat of power and learning and the city went from being a diverse multicultural habitat under Muslim rule to an an almost exclusive Christian domain as Jews and Muslims were either persecuted or driven out.
Cordoba House
Fact - Despite the unfounded allegations behind the proposed name the development is not to be known as Cordoba House but as 51 Park Place.
Sharif Gamal the project developer was quoted in the Financial Times as saying:
"We are calling it Park 51 because of the backlash to the name Cordoba House... It will be a place open to all New Yorkers and that is a very New York name."
Fact- Much of the source of contention has come from the location of the Islamic Centre as it is described as being two blocks away from hallowed ground. Yet as American show host Keith Olberman pointed out "it is more accurate to say that the centre is at least 4-5 blocks away from proposed site of memorial and not visible as has been claimed from Ground Zero."
Sources
Basharat Peer, Zero Tolerance and Cordoba House, Financial Times, 13th August 2010
Newt Gingrich, No 'megamosque' near Ground Zero, Washington Post 22nd July 2010
Kieth Olberman, Special Comment about the Muslim Community Center in New York, Countdown 16th August 2010
Faisal Hanif - I graduated in 2008 from the University of Leicester with Bachelor Hons in History. I have recently completed a Masters in the History of ...
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