Across the US, Mosque Projects Meet Opposition

[drl2]

My opinion on this issue can be summed up as follows:

Attack their ideas, not their real estate choices.

[maiforpeace]

Ground Zero Muslim center may get public financing

NEW YORK | Sat Aug 28, 2010 1:08pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Muslim center planned near the site of the World Trade Center attack could qualify for tax-free financing, a spokesman for City Comptroller John Liu said on Friday, and Liu is willing to consider approving the public subsidy.

The Democratic comptroller's spokesman, Scott Sieber, said Liu supported the project. The center has sparked an intense debate over U.S. religious freedoms and the sanctity of the Trade Center site, where nearly 3,000 perished in the September 11, 2001 attack.

"If it turns out to be financially feasible and if they can demonstrate an ability to pay off the bonds and comply with the laws concerning tax-exempt financing, we'd certainly consider it," Sieber told Reuters.

Spokesmen for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor David Paterson and the Islamic center and were not immediately available.

The proposed center, two blocks from the Trade Center site in lower Manhattan, has caused a split between people who lost relatives and friends in the attack, as well as conservative politicians, and those who support the project. Among those who support it are the mayor, civic and religious groups, and some families of victims.

The mosque's backers hope to raise a total of $70 million in tax-exempt debt to build the center, according to the New York Times. Tax laws allow such funding for religiously affiliated non-profits if they can prove the facility will benefit the general public and their religious activities are funded separately.

The bonds could be issued through a local development corporation created for this purpose, experts said.

The Islamic center would have to repay the bonds, which likely would be less expensive than taxable debt.

New York City's Industrial Development Authority could not issue debt for the center because the state civic facilities law, which governed this type of financing for non-profits, was allowed to expire about two years ago.

[JimC]

OK, so the US taxpayer will be paying for a building planned by a group that clearly gloats over the murder of 3000 US civilians...

Bin Laden must be having a right old chuckle...

[Robert_S]

OK, so the US taxpayer will be paying for a building planned by a group that clearly gloats over the murder of 3000 US civilians...

Bin Laden must be having a right old chuckle...

It's all well and good to have faith based organizations get a bit of government money... until it's the wrong faith.

[Warren Dew]

It's all well and good to have faith based organizations get a bit of government money... until it's the wrong faith.

Has anyone in the thread supported giving government money to any religious organization?

Me, I oppose building any church or mosque as long as they are exempt from property taxes.

[Rum]

Rationally, atheists should simply oppose the building of any building meant for religious purposes, whatever the religion.

[sandinista]

Rationally, atheists should simply oppose the building of any building meant for religious purposes, whatever the religion.

I agree. These religious people try to shove that shit in everyone's face at all possible time. I was thinking of this the other day driving on the highway and seeing a cross in the ditch. I wanted to go flip it upside down or throw it into the field but never did because it was obviously a memorial. But thats the point isn't it. These religions have put their symbolism into aspects of life where they figure people won't oppose them or destroy them. Married at church, funerals at church, crosses for markers, religious schools, churches fucking everywhere. It's insidious.

[kiki5711]

Trying to get rid of religion would be like trying to get rid of Wall St. There's too much money to be made.

[sandinista]

Doesn't mean "we" can't try...In both cases.

[Rum]

Trying to get rid of religion would be like trying to get rid of Wall St. There's too much money to be made.

Not so much in Europe - of the same order as the USA at least, though the Roman Catholic church is stupendously rich due to capital and capital investments of course.

R.E. the previous posts, memorials at the road side here are now nearly always bunches of flowers, interestingly..or not.

[Robert_S]

It's all well and good to have faith based organizations get a bit of government money... until it's the wrong faith.

Has anyone in the thread supported giving government money to any religious organization?

Me, I oppose building any church or mosque as long as they are exempt from property taxes.

No, nobody in this thread has advocated giving any money from any source to any religious organization, but plenty of people in the US have thought it was a good idea to give money to faith based organizations.

[sandinista]

Trying to get rid of religion would be like trying to get rid of Wall St. There's too much money to be made.

Not so much in Europe - of the same order as the USA at least, though the Roman Catholic church is stupendously rich due to capital and capital investments of course.

R.E. the previous posts, memorials at the road side here are now nearly always bunches of flowers, interestingly..or not.

That's good to hear, around here religious people will use everything at their disposal to spread their disease, including monuments. It's kind of like a propaganda war. Same with billboards along the road on the highway, sometimes just jesus billboards, but usually anti-abortion type stuff.

[kiki5711]

Doesn't mean "we" can't try...In both cases.

of course we can try. but what I've noticed a lot is that it's become one large motivational semenar. look at all the different inspirational talkers, what's that guys name with a big mouth?,,, people idolize him, they think he can solve their problems and they'll pay for whatever he sells.

they're doing the same in many large churches.

[Coito ergo sum]

“It’s a community center, if you call it a community center, we would talk,” El-Gamal said. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/08/30/ ... ro-mosque/

Great - it's not a Mosque, it's a "community center." Thus, can we assume that this "community center" will be open to the community on a non-discriminatory basis? No discrimination between men and women? No discrimination against the visually disabled and their leader dogs?

If it's a community center open to the public, then like any other business open to the public it will have to not fall back on the discriminatory nature of Mosques.

[maiforpeace]

“It’s a community center, if you call it a community center, we would talk,” El-Gamal said. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/08/30/ ... ro-mosque/

Great - it's not a Mosque, it's a "community center." Thus, can we assume that this "community center" will be open to the community on a non-discriminatory basis? No discrimination between men and women? No discrimination against the visually disabled and their leader dogs?

If it's a community center open to the public, then like any other business open to the public it will have to not fall back on the discriminatory nature of Mosques.

What a yucky character. 7 arrests and a $227K tax bill?