Republican wants the US to be more like Saudi Arabia

[dre]

And I would have hoped you'd be able to explain your point, but, I should have known better. If you can't explain it, you likely either don't have one or .......

So, are you saying "Cordoba" has no religious meaning? They changed it simply to pacify the idiots?

You cant really blame them. For whatever reason the islamophic community has fixated on this contruction of this non-mosque thats not at ground zero. They dont wanna give these nuts any extra ammunition.

[Smallc]

You cant really blame them. For whatever reason the islamophic community has fixated on this contruction of this non-mosque thats not at ground zero. They dont wanna give these nuts any extra ammunition.

Exactly. I don't think it was that hard to understand...nor do I think it's difficult to understand that the place is now a site of peace a unity, with a mosque and cathedral existing as one. That meaning of the word, of course, is not focused on...and apparently is too difficult to understand.

[bloodyminded]

Exactly. I don't think it was that hard to understand...nor do I think it's difficult to understand that the place is now a site of peace a unity, with a mosque and cathedral existing as one. That meaning of the word, of course, is not focused on...and apparently is too difficult to understand.

It's not even about ignorance; it's a disingenuous argument.

I suspect most or all the people who pretend to shiver at the word "Cordoba" are quite aware of their own dishonesty.

[kimmy]

Exactly. I don't think it was that hard to understand...nor do I think it's difficult to understand that the place is now a site of peace a unity, with a mosque and cathedral existing as one. That meaning of the word, of course, is not focused on...and apparently is too difficult to understand.

It's not "a mosque and a cathedral existing as one". It's a Catholic diocese. It's not a mosque. It used to be a mosque, until it was taken from the Muslims with deadly force. Warm; fuzzy.

The claim that Cordoba is now a symbol of unity is post-hoc rationalization.

The claim I'd heard made earlier is that the name "Cordoba" was chosen because it represented a high point for the Muslim world, in terms of academics and knowledge and architecture and commerce and trade and pluralism. I actually believe that, because it makes sense.

It's not even about ignorance; it's a disingenuous argument.

I suspect most or all the people who pretend to shiver at the word "Cordoba" are quite aware of their own dishonesty.

Disingenuous? Your attempt to spin the criticism of the name as fear is disingenuous, as is the effort to argue that since the average New Yorker isn't up in arms about the former name, the objections to it are faux outrage.

I again state the obvious: naming your Islamic bridge-building project after a name that is strongly associated with Muslim conquest of Europeans was an incredibly bad idea.

Specifically: you and I, and Smallc, and probably everybody except dre knows that as soon as this thing is built, some Islamist is going to proclaim "We smashed down their towers and built a mosque there!" Imam Rauf knows that as well, and it's probably something that's very upsetting to him. And yet he picked a name that perfectly fits that Islamist narrative. How can you even begin to rationalize something that stupid??

-k

[M.Dancer]

Someone should build a cultural centre in Syria and call it Constantinople.

[bloodyminded]

Someone should build a cultural centre in Syria and call it Constantinople.

Yup, because we should hold ourselves to the same standards as Syria--or (per your coy attempt at plagiarism of Gingrich) Saudi Arabia.

[punked]

Yup, because we should hold ourselves to the same standards as Syria--or (per your coy attempt at plagiarism of Gingrich) Saudi Arabia.

This is the crazy thing about right wingers they say "Look at how much better we are then those people......WHAT DO YOU MEAN those people are doing that we should do it to, to show THEM how it feels." Seriously if you just want to act like the people you say are stuipd for acting that way then you are an idiot to. End of story.