The origin of the mosque story

[Nancy Waterman]

http://www.salon.com/news/ground_zero_mosque/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2010/08/16/ground_zero_mosque_origins

A group of progressive Muslim-Americans plans to build an Islamic community center two and a half blocks from ground zero in lower Manhattan. They have had a mosque in the same neighborhood for many years. There's another mosque two blocks away from the site. City officials support the project. Muslims have been praying at the Pentagon, the other building hit on Sept. 11, for many years.

In short, there is no good reason that the Cordoba House project should have been a major national news story, let alone controversy. And yet it has become just that, dominating the political conversation for weeks and prompting such a backlash that, according to a new poll, nearly 7 in 10 Americans now say they oppose the project. How did the Cordoba House become so toxic, so fast?

In a story last week, the New York Times, which framed the project in a largely positive, noncontroversial light last December, argued that it was cursed from the start by "public relations missteps." But this isn't accurate. To a remarkable extent, a Salon review of the origins of the story found, the controversy was kicked up and driven by Pamela Geller, a right-wing, viciously anti-Muslim, conspiracy-mongering blogger, whose sinister portrayal of the project was embraced by Rupert Murdoch's New York Post.

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[ellenfl]

1. why am i not surprised to see murdoch's name associated with this? eom

[Qutzupalotl]

2. Good find, thanks!

I thought something was fishy about the level of outrage relative to the actual facts.

[Exilednight]

3. For anyone who actually lives in New York, they will know that this debate has ............

been going on for several months. Upstate GOPers fired the first salvo, and Bloomberg attempted to calm tempers. To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised that Bloomberg took such a firm stance and threw his weight behind the mosque. I am no fan of Bloomberg's, but in this case he is spot on.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

4. People need to phone the media

[LittleBlue]

5. Good to see moronic Harry dancing to a right-wing lunatic's tune

But really, when have Democrats not danced to the right-wing fringe's tune? We are eternally the weaklings who cannot stand up to the puppetmaster manipulating the peanut gallery.

[Blue Owl]

6. Rupert Fucking Turddock

What a bottom-feeding, scum-sucking, mouth-breathing piece of shit that miserable fuck is.