Palin: Ground Zero mosque an 'unnecessary provocation'
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/07/19/art.palin.0515r4.gi.jpg caption ="Sarah Palin said Sunday that plans to build a mosque at Ground Zero are an ‘unnecessary provocation.’"] (CNN) - Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the proposed construction of a mosque and community center near "Ground Zero," the site of the 9/11 terror attack in New York City, calling it an "unnecessary provocation."
"Peace-seeking Muslims, pls understand, Ground Zero mosque is UNNECESSARY provocation; it stabs hearts," Palin wrote in a Twitter post Sunday. "Pls reject it in interest of healing."
The former Republican vice presidential nominee also posted a plea to "peaceful New Yorkers," asking them to "pls refute the Ground Zero mosque plan if you believe catastrophic pain caused @ Twin Towers site is too raw, too real."
Plans to build a $100 million, 13-story center - focused on what backers describe as Islamic, interfaith and secular programming - has sparked an emotional debate.
New York's Landmarks Preservation Commission is scheduled to hold a key vote in August on whether an 1850s structure currently on the site of the proposed center should be granted landmark status. Even if landmark status is approved, however, it may not necessarily halt construction of the center.
Voices opposing the mosque dominated a hearing on the subject last week.
"It would be a terrible mistake to destroy a 154-year-old building in order to build a monument to terrorism," one woman said.
The heckling and intense nature of the hearing got to be too much for some participants.
"I'm ashamed to be an American today," said Rakif Gathwari, a Muslim-American, who reminded the crowd that people from many countries and religions died in the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
"I want to prove to this hall that I am a citizen," Gathwari said, holding up his passport.
Some Muslim community leaders say the mosque could provide an opportunity for improving interfaith relations.
The project, according to a Muslim outreach group called the Cordoba Initiative, calls for the construction of a mosque, a performing arts center, a gym, a swimming pool and other public spaces.
- CNN's Deb Feyerick, Julian Cummings, Ed Payne and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report
Who cares what this idiot thinks?
I thought that this lady could not get any worse, but these comments take the cake. The best thing I can call her is a moronic degenerate. She is not capable of higher thought. By her logic, we should ban churches and synagogues near wall street since most of the bankers and execs who destroyed our economy are christian and jewish... Let's equate the 1 billion peace loving muslims in existence with the estimated 80,000 radical muslims.
I am a new yorker and i dont care if a mosque is being built here as long as it is not on ground zero site this mosque is 2 blocks off ground zero. I am american and a muslim and i have the right of my religious practice regardless of media polluting it or politicians using it as their ticket to talk. We as Americans muslims have given up enough right. Quit creating people like Faisal shahzad by pushing us in the corner and blameing us for everything. 450,000 americans die a year due to preventable Heart disease why do i dont see any politcians fight for more money for research. less than 1000 Americans die due to terroist attacks a year yet 200x amount of money is spend on that.
John McCain should lose his senate seat for subjecting americans to this insufferable woman! God, please make her go away!!!!!
palin has stated she will build the world's largest mosque in A laska for all Muslims to attend. She believes that the open tundra is the only place for Muslims to be able to 'workship' their diety in peace. She will finance the whole project herself with her own money that she makes from being a shill for anyone stupid enough to pay her. She is going to dedicate her life to being up there in A laska until her the job is completed, regardless how long it takes. She will be in hard hat and rubber boots for years to come, you betcha she will.
Does Palin realize that many muslims died that day too in the Towers?! Does she realize that many muslims are American born and registered voters? Probably not... If Bloomberg and the city council allowed the permit – let it go!!!! People should be more up in arms that they want to "rebuild" the towers. There should be no buildings put up to "replace" the towers. What businesses or individuals will want to work in the new towers?! Just fill in the holes and make a serenity park of the site. It wouid be another way to heal the wounds without all the screaming and shouting!!!!!
The Ground Zero Mosque is an attempt to plant the Islamic flag at the site of its first victory over the American infidels. There is no other reason for its location. If the liberal US government truly wants separation of church and state, it should buy up the property to keep the Mosque or any other religious building from being erected at the site.
It is scary that for the first time in my life I actually agree with Sarah Palin.
THE QUITTER ON TWITTER strikes again putting her two cents in on things she has no clue about this woman really should be in the entertainment section until she declares if she is running for office again. I am not on her twitter list and don't want to hear from her via twitter or CNN stop the madness please.
Several prominent people have expressed their displeasure of having a mosque built at ground zero, including a majority of New Yorker's polled who disagree with the idea, so why are we singling out Sarah Palin's opposition?
Supporters of the mosque being built cannot claim that they want it done to showcase the diversity of opinion and culture in not only New York but in the United States as a whole, while at the same time bashing Sarah Palin for expressing her opinion. If you support the right for Muslim's to worship at ground zero, you should support the right for Sarah Palin (and any other American for that matter) to express her opposition.
Will this wack job woman ever go away?
Yeah, yeah, yeah: if Palin is "for it", then I am agin' it".
Those of you on hard left & hard right who would cut off your nose to spite your face, you do the rest of us a disservice.
Sarah who??? Oh... that lady, the quitter half-governor. I guess she and others don't understand the concept that life isn't all about her or Americans. Is she going to tell people where they can live and build things now?
It takes a real man to agree with one to whom he is so opposed and to that end, I find myself in total agreement with what a ghost writer told Half Gov. Sarah Palin they were going to post under her name.
IS NOT A MOSQUE?
Is only a community center and everybody will have access to it.
Why doesn't the media correct these pseudo politicians when they make wrong statements?
I think it is past time for us to realize that the terrorists who brought down the towers were no more true Muslims than the so-called Christians who spew such hate, bomb clinics and kill people with whom they disagree. I believe the Muslims who want to build at this site want to take back their religion from the terrorists who have corrupted it. We need to open our hearts to them if we ever want peace.
I find it disgusting the way some in the media are spreading around this hatred of Muslims. This is America, land of the free, we cannot pick and choose which religions are ok and which are not., regardless of the actions of a small minority of extremists. This hatred and islamophobia hearkens back to the days of McCarthyism. I am jewish and I live in New York City. I work near the WTC in lower Manhattan. Let's maintain a level head here and not let Glenn Beck or Bill O'Reilly tell us what can and cannot be built where. Freedom of Religion is in the Constitution.
We were attacked at Ground Zero and now we are going to be occupied.
Peaceful Christians should not be afraid of peaceful Muslims. This is to be a cultural center, not much different than the Jewish 92 Street Y. And besides, Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in America. In another generation it is said that there will be more Muslims than Jews. We all have to learn to accept each other in peace. "All we are saying, is give peace a chance."
The Christians should remind themselves of their sordid, violent recent past. It was the Christians who slaughtered the Native Americans in the Americas, all in the name of Christianity. This self-righteousness is delusional. We need to stop blaming large groups for the actions of a few and learn from our past mistakes. This center can help begin a new dialogue.
Another Unnecessary Provocation:
Sarah Palin Tweets!!
I think we can all form our own opinions about these issues without looking to see what the 'darling of the GOP' thinks about it.
I reserve the right to NOT have Sarah palin tell me what to think.....why should I stoop down to that level?
Wait a minute Whako..........The Governing Council in NYC voted to issue a permit to allow this to be built.....Are you now saying that the Federal Govt should overrule what the people want........what a hypocrite........I guess you belive in Religious Freedom as long as it is YOUR religion!!!!!!!!!!!
As a New Yorker I find it more offensive to hear from Sarah Palin on this issue than even having Osama Bin Laden him self break ground on the site of the new mosque
Actually, the Palin Tweet read "Peaceful Muslims, please refudiate" But CNN is in the business of editing Sarah Palin's Twitter account now I guess.
Sounds like little brain Sarah wants to rewrite the Constitution so only christians are citizens and all else need not apply.Stick to bashing baby seals Sarah and wearing their fur.
"Peace-seeking Muslims, pls understand, Ground Zero mosque is UNNECESSARY provocation; it stabs hearts," Palin wrote in a Twitter post Sunday. "Pls reject it in interest of healing."
Sure thing Sarah. Was our invading Iraq was an unncessary provocation too?
You were born too late...the Crusades would be a much better fit for your thinking.