Muslim leaders to abandon plans for Ground Zero community center
Insiders say Muslim spiritual leaders behind the controversial initiative are considering giving up on the former World Trade Center location, in a gesture of appeasement.
By Shlomo Shamir
Tags: Israel news

After weeks of heated debate over plans for an Islamic community center near Ground Zero – the site of the 9/11 attacks on New York – it seems Muslim leaders will soon back down, agreeing to move to a new site.

The decision follows a high-profile campaign against the project that included advertisements on New York buses showing images of the burning Twin Towers, an iconic landmark razed when al-Qaida terrorists flew packed passenger planes into them in 2001. The New York Republican party is also said to be planning a hostile television campaign.

Sources in New York said on Monday that Muslim religious and business leaders will announce plans to abandon the project in the next few days.

But several people familiar with the debate among New York’s Islamic activists now claim that the leaders are convinced abandoning the site is preferable to unleashing a wave of bitterness towards Muslims.

They also hope the move will be seen as a show of sensitivity to families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks, and to the American public generally.

Another factor in the apparent climbdown is a lack of funds to pay for construction of the center, estimated to cost a hundred million dollars. Backers hope moving it will lead to a wave of support, accompanied by cash donations.

It is also possible that the decision was also influenced by comments made by U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday, in which he appeared to reverse an earlier show of support. Obama said that when he went on record backing the center, he meant only that it was the right of every religious group to establish its own places of worship – but he did not intend to justify building the center specifically at Ground Zero.

And whom can we thank for this change in plans?

We can thank you. And me.

Even Harry Reid, who sees his political life disappearing before his eyes, disagrees with our Great Mr President.

Sometimes our voices can be heard, ladies and gentlemen.

If we are unified and committed and strident.

BZ

I have had a long briefing from a contact at home. Look for war breaking out at the end of the month.

Evidence is building that shows things are marching toward a major war.

1. Hizbullah has dug tunnels into northern Israel.
2. Hizbullah has 60,000 rockets many with chemical war heads.
3. USA aircraft carrier was supposed to head back to USA and is waiting at Malta
4. Israeli satellite captured photos of submarine off loading weapons to Hizbullah in Northern Lebanon intelligence later showed weapons were special chemical weapons
engineered to eat through protective equipment. This agent may now be loaded on Hizbullah rockets.
5. Israel Air Force training in long range missions, jets, helicopters which would suggest commando raids a long way from home.
6. IDF reserves called up and trained at an abnormal pace.
7. Israel delivers letter to UN, Lebanon and USA showing where Hizbullah has hidden rocket in civilian areas. Israel tell Hizbullah to move the weapons or we will hit them where they are.
8. Israeli subs sitting off Iran
9. IAF has airbase in Saudi Arabia
10. Israeli intelligence has captured data showing Hizbullah will preemptively attack Israel at months end, objective to take out IAF bases so our planes cannot hit Iran.