Free Republic

The embarrassing flap occurred Friday night, when Det. Martin Brown, who is assigned to the Police Commissioner’s Liaison Unit, showed up at Mosque No. 7, at 106 West 127th Street after (phony, no doubt) allegations that local youths were roughed up by cops from the 32nd Precinct, sources said. When Brown showed up at the mosque — the scene of a horrific 1972 cop killing— the official who had invited him, Abdul Kareem Muhammad, the head of the Harlem Clergy and Community Leaders Coalition, did not let him enter because of his gun and shield, sources said. Those items are...

After Pearl Harbor was attacked, the United States declared war on Japan within hours. The enemy was demonized and vilified; it served to channel this nation’s collective anger in the most productive direction. Ultimately, it paid off in victory. Another enemy similarly attacked us on September 11th, 2001 but instead of a Declaration of War against an enemy, Americans themselves were issued a Declaration or Warn – Islam is peaceful and should not be examined – while being told to direct their anger at a tactic used by the real enemy. The true enemy of America that hit us on...

This went way under the radar three weeks ago, but Rudy Giuliani made what, as best as I can tell, were his first public comments about the planned mosque near Ground Zero on the Jeff Katz show on radio (someone will I'm sure correct me if I'm wrong). He takes a very hard line, including saying that "decent Muslims" will not be offended by the opposition because they want peace as much as others do. I had been struck by how non-visible Giuliani, who is generally known as the face of Ground Zero, had been on this issue. Here are...

Contributors discuss Sarah Palin's comments about the Ground Zero mosque in light of her divergence from elite opinion. Brian Katulis, senior fellow, Center for American Progress It’s unfortunate, though unsurprising, that the attention-seeking former half-term governor is carelessly exploiting the Sept. 11 attacks in this way. Suggesting, as Sarah Palin did, that the presence of a mosque near ground zero is a “stab in the heart” of America is insulting to core values that make our country great: tolerance and pluralism. Tom Korologos, former ambassador, Republican strategist Whether the number of Palin supporters is 16 percent of Washington’s elite —...

Earlier today, Mayor Bloomberg responded to my comments about the planned mosque at Ground Zero by suggesting that a decision not to allow the building of a mosque at that sacred place would somehow violate American principles of tolerance and openness. No one is disputing that America stands for – and should stand for – religious tolerance. It is a foundation of our republic. This is not an issue of religious tolerance but of common moral sense. To build a mosque at Ground Zero is a stab in the heart of the families of the innocent victims of those horrific...

Earlier today, Mayor Bloomberg responded to my comments about the planned mosque at Ground Zero by suggesting that a decision not to allow the building of a mosque at that sacred place would somehow violate American principles of tolerance and openness. No one is disputing that America stands for – and should stand for – religious tolerance. It is a foundation of our republic. This is not an issue of religious tolerance but of common moral sense. To build a mosque at Ground Zero is a stab in the heart of the families of the innocent victims of those horrific...