Tuesday, June 08, 2010

More bullshit uproar over the “Ground Zero mosque”

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Protesters at Ground Zero
Protesters at Ground Zero
Standard teabagger “Hitler” rhetoric included

Here’s a decidedly telling scenario showing just how fucking ridiculous all this outrage over the so-called “Ground Zero mosque”, in reality an Islamic cultural center that includes a mosque and that’s to be built a whole two blocks north of Ground Zero, has become. A large angry protest was organized last Sunday at Ground Zero (itself, not the site of the proposed Islamic center two blocks away) – because what better way to commemorate the victims of 9/11 than to organize a huge stupidity- and hate-filled rally right where they died? – and two of those damned brown people showed up. Watch the predictable trainwreck ensue:

At one point, a portion of the crowd menacingly surrounded two Egyptian men who were speaking Arabic and were thought to be Muslims.

"Go home," several shouted from the crowd.

"Get out," others shouted.

In fact, the two men – Joseph Nassralla and Karam El Masry — were not Muslims at all. They turned out to be Egyptian Coptic Christians who work for a California-based Christian satellite TV station called "The Way." Both said they had come to protest the mosque.

"I'm a Christian," Nassralla shouted to the crowd, his eyes bulging and beads of sweat rolling down his face.

But it was no use. The protesters had become so angry at what they thought were Muslims that New York City police officers had to rush in and pull Nassralla and El Masry to safety.

"I flew nine hours in an airplane to come here," a frustrated Nassralla said afterward.

The incident underscores how contentious — and, perhaps, how irrational — the debate over the mosque has become.

It’s sad that they were singled out out of pure raging bigotry, but then, one ought to remember that they were also there to spout idiocy along with the rest of those Neanderthals.

Just another sign that most people need to remember to screw their heads on straight in the morning before going outside.

(via The Agitator)