A friend sent this to me via email today: I am appalled at all my friends who are so opposed to the mosque near ground zero. To show our tolerance, we should let them build. Then right across the street, someone should put a topless bar, called "You Mecca Me Hot". Next to that should be a gay bar, "The Turban Cowboy". And next door to the mosque should be a pork rib restaurant, maybe " Iraq o' Ribs"? Then the Muslims could be allowed to show their tolerance. Problem solved.
Just what we need. Another thread about the NON-issue of the NOT A mosque NOT AT Ground Zero. It's always important to demonize and terrorize people who had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11 in any way shape or form except for daring to call their god, Allah. Yes, just what we need.
It's not a mosque. So why keep calling it one? For what purpose? Why? What has this to do with anything related to a cultural center? Show who our tolerance? Why these people? Once again, why? Why these people in New York? Why would this be necessary? What have they done that requires such a disrespectful response? "The Muslims" Like it's one big giant entity out to destroy humanity. Which muslims? Sunnis? Shiites? Sufis? They're NOT all alike even though you'd like to portray them that way. This cultural center is meant to promote understanding and harmony among different faiths. It's not terrorist a training camp. It's not a terrorist stronghold. It's just a cultural center. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. You keep talking about what needs to happen near ground zero to people that suffered along with the rest of New York and lost loved ones on that day. Why? What did they do to deserve such treatment?
Lol, calling it a mosque is demonizing? That's a stretch my friend. Is there going to be a mosque inside the cultural center? Yes. SOOOOOOO then the fact is that there IS a mosque being built in this location. Is it strictly a mosque? No. Is that important to context? Yes. However you can't go around saying that there is NOT a mosque being built there. That's about as ignorant as the people who think it is ONLY a mosque.
The intent of the post was to demonize Muslims. Thought it doesn't call them "terrorist" or anything of the such the tone is very much aggressive. Let's do this to them and that to them and then this! Then let's just see how tolerant they really are. It shows a complete lack of tolerance for an entire religious body. The implied point is that Muslims would react explosively in some way thus proving that all Muslims "hate America." The email is confrontational, irrational and unjustified.
To put it in the words of my favorite morning radio DJ Pussyfication of America Aggressive? Intentionally? The post was meant to be funny. You guys remember the title of the thread is "made me lol" right?
Some interesting responses here. I haven't really given much thought to this particular issue, but since this was sent to me by a more anti-muslim friend, I wanted to see what people had to say on it. What exactly is the plan for this so called 'cultural center' being built...what is it going to include?
*sigh* Because the controversy (or non-controversy) is about the mosque inside the community center. No one cares about the community center. Why call it a community center, if a community center is not what you're opposing? The denotation of the word community center does not include a prayer room inside of it. Stop feigning curiosity. It's part of a joke, and it's really that simple. What do you mean? For someone who protects their right to build there, you sure dont respect someone elses right to make a joke out of it. Also, I think that would bring in a lot of business, if not only because of the laughs one would get from seeing it. So.. do you? Or do you not support capitalism/property rights/freedom of speech? Obviously the muslims that are in the community center. Come on, I read that and instantly knew what muslims he was talking about. What? Sorry, I didn't catch the part where he kept talking about what needs to happen to anything. You're just pulling words out of your ass and what did they do to deserve such treatment? What treatment? And now we get to the part where you wouldn't want "You Mecca me Hot" to open near it, because that would be 'disrespectful'. Now, 'newbienewton' are we, or are we not, going to protect property rights for all citizens near Ground Zero? Make a choice, you can't pick and choose what type of businesses or structures that will open up near mosques. (or community centers) The intent of the post was not to demonize Muslims, at all. It was to show a joke his friend sent him.. Haha, I would like for you to explain how the email is confrontational at all. You're stretching, man, stretching.
Thanks for coming in an affirming my belief that there are some rational people here, i was starting to lose faith for a minute there.
that shit is funny, i don't care who you are....except maybe a muslim. you ever notice how the uber religious types have no sense of humor??? like haven't even heard of the thing, let alone have one.
I suppose that the joke was doomed to fail with me when it first made the assumption that the community center being built should require not only our permission but our tolerance rather than just adhering to the Constitution. There is already a strip club down the street from the proposed community center. However, although I can see perhaps where some would find the nicknames of these fictional companies amusing (not really but I am trying to be tolerant) it is kind of hard to say that it would be intolerant of Muslims to not tolerate deliberate intolerance. Perhaps if they had left out the cutesy yet offensive names to the establishment it could have arguably presented a point. Instead the humor fell flat for me because it did nothing to prove a point and instead depended on offensive racial slurs to get the cheap laugh. To each their own I guess.