Everyone & their brother is writing or talking about the Ground Zero Mosque. It shouldn't be built on the 9/11 site. It is an insult to the dead Americans. How could one propose such a thing. I agree with those sentiments. Instead of further discussion of the site we should be discussing the who & why of the project. That will give us more insight into the where.
In this case, the where & why are intertwined. So why the ground zero site, really. In short, minimalist. Minimalist or victory over the infidel. That'd be us. Throughout history, Muslims have built mosques over the sacred places of their conquered foes to show the enemy the superiority of Islam. St Sophia's Basilica in Istanbul, Turkey (then Constantinople) was converted to to mosque by the Ottoman Empire. The Al-Aqsa mosque was built on top of the temple mount in Jerusalem. Then there's the Cordoba House. Ring a bell? That's what they wish to call the ground zero mosque. The first Cordoba house originated around 785 AD (date are iffy). The Muslims of North Africa conquered much of Spain. They desecrated Christian church & replaced it with the world's third largest mosque until the Spanish recaptured it around 1236 AD. It was great fun then as it still is now being a non-muslim under the Cordoba Caliphate. You can accept a second-class citizenship & pay the tax accordingly. You may convert to Islam, or you may die. Sounds just like America. I knew we had a lot in common.
Well, you say. That's all ancient history. The reason it hasn't happened in modern times is that Muslim nations have been controlled too inept to conquer anyone with an army.
Now, what about the who? The who would be the Imam Feisel Abdul Rauf. Who is this guy? The great peacemaker who just wants to bridge the gap between Islam & everyone else? I rather doubt it. I've been asked and refuses to classify Hamas, Hezbollah & the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorists. Heck, even our government has done that. I have also claimed that we are at least partly to blame for 9/11 & that we created Bin Laden. What a guy. He is a big wheel in the Perdana Global Peace Organization. Ah, peace. Sounds nice. Perdana was the largest donor of the Free Gaza movement. Free them from what? They're already controlled by Hamas. And don't say from Hamas. The patsies & the rogue countries would rather them then under the control of Israel... Always remember, you can't side with Israel (on anything) & still be enlightened. Anyway, They sponsored the recent flotilla. Recall the little spat between them & the Israelis. That was a total setup from the start. It was always to force Israel into a public relations fight Israel couldn't win. That's a very abbreviated background of Rauf. There's much more, but maybe another time. In my opinion, this is not a good guy. Oh, by the way, Rauf wrote a book in 2004. It had 2 names. One titled in English & the other in Arabic. The English version was Titled, "What's right with America is what's right with Islam." That sounds nice. The Arabic version was titled, "The call from the WTC (World Trade Center) Rubble: Islamic Da'wah from the heart of America post-9/11." Da'wah in conjunction with Islam means "Inviting to the way of submission and surrender to Allah, or sharing the message of Islam."
We've covered the who & why. What about the how? That's simple.
Political Correctness. Although most Americans are decent right thinking people, it seems most of our political leaders are chumps. They'll bend over backwards to please a small portion of our society, leaving the rest of us hung out to dry. See, that was easy.
Now for a little wrinkle. (I can't help myself). Rauf has an Obama connection. Can't be, you say! (I can already here the wailing). Well, that connection has a name. Eboo Patel. He is one of Obama's religious advisors. In short, Patel is more than just a passing acquaintance. I've been to Rauf's home where they discussed the renewal of Islam in America as have recounts is his own 2007 book.
Last but not least, to theory. Bait & Switch. Here's how it goes. The Imam insists the building site be at ground zero. There's the expected uproar against it. Some people (useful idiots) defend the proposal. Most reversal it. The typical back & forth ensues. Someone suggests an alternative site. That's rejected. After more outrage from the general public some other politician says we'll even give you the property & maybe even finance the building if you'll just consider relocating. finally Rauf comes out as says, "For the good of America & the Muslims we have agreed to relocate." Everyone cheers him & they get the thing built. No one pays any mind to what will go on there cares or thereafter. Crisis averted!