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Ground Zero Mosque – Will Political Correctness Trump Private Property Rights?

by | 7:49 am, August 7, 2010 | 12 Comments

As far as I can tell (and if I am mistaken, please let me know), here are the facts about the Ground Zero mosque:
(1) It is being built on private, not public, land;
(2) It is being built using private, not public, money;
(3) Its planned use is not one of an illegal purpose;
(4) Its ownership is not proscribed by the State Department as a group linked to terrorism; and
(5) The place of its construction, while culturally and symbollically sensitive, is not the place of a planned future road, subway, or of national security importance

As such, the mosque is being built well within our system of private property rights.  To curtail its construction because we don’t like it as a symbol would instead stand as a symbol of another disturbing liberal tendancy our society has embarked on – that political correctness (regardless of the reason) stands above freedom.

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Category: Philosophy, Political Commentary, Rule of Law
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Comments

  1.   Laura Victoria
      August 7th, 2010 @ 8:23 am

    I’ve argued that as far as I can tell, the mosque can legally be constructed. But not everything legal is wise. Thus I support those who use the bully pulpit of free speech to persuade the mosque developers that the insensitivity of the move will hurt their cause. If those persuasive efforts fail, let the mosque go up.

    Then make sure the spokesmen for tolerance for Islam (but not anybody else) ST#U when the inevitable, legal protests come. The place will probably be the site of 24/7 demonstrations.

  2.   NancyR
      August 7th, 2010 @ 8:24 am

    The planets must have lined up perfectly today as I am in agreement w/Elliott!!

    On a personal and emotional level I do not like the idea of a mosque at ground zero.

    What I like even less is setting the precedent for the government to decide what is in good taste, what is appropriate, what is right.

    The mosque is not a monument – it is a place of worship for muslims. It seems we want to paint all muslims as terrorists who are evil. This is simply not true.

    Preserving Liberty & Freedom is done not just for those you agree with but more importantly for those you disagree with.

  3.   Val
      August 7th, 2010 @ 10:26 am

    (3) It’s planned use is not one of an illegal purpose.

    Is advocacy for female genital mutilation against the law?
    Is advocating for spousal abuse against the law?
    Is teaching how to kill the infidels against the law?

    Just askin’.

  4.   Brian Wilson
      August 7th, 2010 @ 11:00 am

    So Elliot, would you support the construction of a neo-Nazi center at Auschwitz if it was on private property?

  5.   Rebel
      August 7th, 2010 @ 11:09 am

    I have heard an interesting idea. We should have a law, stating that each new mosque in America may only be built after a new church or synagogue is built in Saudi Arabia. We should start with the ground zero mosque.

  6.   Elliot
      August 7th, 2010 @ 11:15 am

    Brian – if the Nazis were marching through Skokie, I’d be one of the attorneys defending their rights to do so – although they’d probably be no fan of me as I’m the son of orthodox jews and the brother of ultra-orthodox rabbis.

    We are americans – we don’t violate the rights of others just because they believe in despicable things, unless such beliefs cross over to the advocation of imminent fraud, murder, and violence. From what I can tell, the Cordoba House has not crossed that line.

  7.   Ben
      August 7th, 2010 @ 4:16 pm

    I agree with Laura on this one. Call it what you will, though, the opposition to the mosque at Ground Zero is anything but politically correct.

  8.   Alex
      August 7th, 2010 @ 4:42 pm

    I agree with you Elliot. People can protest it all they want but a zoning or planning board should have no power to block any kind of private construction in the constraints you’ve listed.

    I think it’s stupid for muslims to build a mosque there because it perpetuates negative perceptions of them in the broader culture. This confirms people’s biases that muslims are aggressive bullies. But it’s they’re right to be stupid and wield their property as they think best.

  9.   Mike
      August 7th, 2010 @ 5:23 pm

    Wow, a law dictating how many mosques can be built in the U.S. based on the building of synagogues and churches in Saudi Arabia might be the most statist idea I have heard in…well, sadly, in at least the last day or so. Since when do we run to the nearest central authority to interfere in the exercise of both religious freedom and property rights? It is blather like that that differentiates between advocates for liberty and advocates for big government conservatism.

  10.   Rebel
      August 8th, 2010 @ 1:55 am

    Mike,

    I agree, we do not need any laws telling us how many mosques to build – we should simply outlaw any building of mosques in our country. Only ignorant and you are one of them, would seriously regard Islam as a religion. Islam is barbaric and bloodthirsty criminal cult. Just as with any other criminal organization, if you violate their rules, you will be murdered. If you decide to leave the organization, you will be murdered. If you openly criticize the organization, you will be murdered and the list goes on. It is idiotic to reduce this argument to Big government vs. Small government; however, if that is the only way that you are looking at things, then you should understand that the totalitarian nature of Islam as political philosophy will inevitably lead to a society suffering from a very Big and oppressive government.

  11.   Rona Wronker
      August 8th, 2010 @ 10:16 am

    Mosques built with wahabist funding preach wahabist doctrine, i.e. violent jihad and hatred of infidels. Just look at this footage about the U.K.’s showcase moderate tolerant mosque:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc7PqjD_S3s
    We don’t need a Hamburg or Finsbury Park mosque in the U.S., where terrorists are incited, recruited and groomed.
    Religious institutions of all faiths should only be built using domestic funding. Period.
    The developers of Park 51, a.k.a. Cordoba House, a.k.a. Ground Zero mosque (and, by the way, a building hit by the engine of one of the planes is definitely Ground Zero, even if it is 600 feet away from the footprint of one of the Twin Towers) refuse to divulge their funding, even though they are required by law, as a nonprofit, to do so.
    Bloomberg’s insane statement comparing the over $100 million for this project to quarters in the collection plate aside, I don’t think a law preventing foreign funds to build religious sites in the U.S. would be unconstitutional. I’m not a lawyer though.

  12.   Alix
      August 8th, 2010 @ 11:39 am

    Part of me thinks that hey it’s private property and they can do what they want.

    The other part asks these questions:
    1. Why there, why not any other place in new York? – It feels like they are kind of poking us with a sick.
    2. Why try to name it after another Mosque that commemerated the Muslim conquest of Spain? Is this a way of showing they have “comquered” us. If not what is the reasoning?
    3. Why deny letting people see where your funding is coming from?
    4. Why is the Iman that is leading this such a shady character?

    There are too many questions for me to support the mosque. Sure they can build it, but we don;t have to like it, support it or condone it. Freedom works both ways.

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