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The proposed mosque at Ground Zero has sparked a heated debate in recent weeks. And Wednesday morning on WPIX New York I weighed in on the issue. I explained why I feel that no religious institution should establish a presence this close to the final resting place of so many 9/11 victims. My brother was never laid to rest in the same traditional burial process that most people have the privilege of exercising.
He went to work on the morning of 9-11-01 and his body literally vanished off the face of the earth. My top priority from 9-11 until now has been making his spirit live on. This was one of his final requests that he left behind in a letter titled: If anything was ever to happen to me.
I believe that Ground Zero is the final resting place of thousands, a true universal resting place. I also believe it is a universal house of worship and all are welcome to visit the site and pray.
Who has the right to define Ground Zero? I keep hearing people say that the Mosque is not on Ground Zero, it is two blocks away. In response to that, I feel the need to define what Ground Zero means to me and 71 percent of our nation as of today.
To me, Ground Zero is: The final resting place where human remains and debris from the 9-11 attacks were covered. Debris and human remains were not contained to parameters or one block. When those building came down, debris was scattered for several blocks. Debris that contained human remains as well. Human remains were floating through the air in the same place as the smoke was. That is what I define as Ground Zero AMERICA!
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My brother, FF Nicholas Rossomando is still there too Joe… he was also never found.
Thanks,
Chris Rossomando
I like the idea of the area being free and available to people of all beliefs. That includes people of the Muslim faith. I seem to recall that a delegation of about thirty Iranians were present in one of the Towers when the first plane struck. Apparently, they were collateral damage for Osama bin Ladin.
I had three family members working there on that day. Fortunately, they were among the survivors.
My brother, Robert J. Shay, Jr. also went to work on Sept. 11, 2001 and never came home. He too vanished into thin air, never to be recovered! The Burlington Building was damaged by the landing gear of one of the planes so that IS Ground Zero! That building was chosen by this Imam for a reason…this was not a coincidence. It’s been 9 years and there’s still no memorial yet they want to start construction of a mosque on the 10th Anniversary our loved ones were murdered in the name of Islam. I will not let them desecrate my brother again!
I believe in Freedom of all faiths and to worship that faith, but this has nothing to do with the right to worship the faith itself. This has to do with sacred ground. You would not let anyone build a church on top of the graves in your cemetery would you? That is the same as here, it is a cemetery for all those families whose loved ones are buried. To build a mosque within a mile of that place would be a sacrilege. Especially since this horrific event was caused by Muslims. So put your Mosque a mile away or better yet, put it where the old one is and leave this part of the city alone.
I don’t think there should be a mosque there, either. If it’s a symbol of rapprochement as is claimed, then let there be a multifaith center there with a bar for atheists, not just a symbol of ONE faith.
Besides, how we see it isn’t the only factor here. It’s how the extremists see it — they WILL see this as a finger in the face, a symbol of their victory, and it will encourage them to do it more. I wonder how many smoking craters filled with our loved ones there will have to be — each mysteriously sprouting a mosque a couple years later — before Americans get wise to what’s up. Building this mosque will only encourage the nutcases to blow up more stuff. Period. No, I’m not saying all muslims are nutcases, but it only takes a couple with bombs, doesn’t it?
No mosque at GZ.
Am no American neither am i a Muslim but i want Americans to know that allowing such a project to take place is actually unforgiving and sacrilege as some has already said.Being too tolerant and forgetting what matters as Americans does not mean you guys are a tolerant people and that is what the world should be like.People should be respected in their countries and boundaries should be set.If Americans say they are against it,that is final!A stranger will always remain a strange,it doesn’t matter how many Americans are Muslim but it sure is not what America was founded on so why don’t they just enjoy the freedom they have and respect what is suppose to be respected?It amazes me how Muslims always want to be tolerated while they never tolerate anyone themselves.Can you imagine a church being built two blocks away from Mecca?Please!do unto others as you will have them do unto you.I just want Muslims to respect the feelings and reservation of Americans.Ground Zero is sacred to them and that is that.
Please, please, follow through here and go and protest the Ground Zero Strip Club and the Ground Zero Sleazy Lingerie Shop! They are much closer than the proposed community center. And please, please, stop Old Navy from building in the 500,000 square feet of retail space planned for the sacred ground.
Just a bit of consistency, not filled with hate, is all I’m asking here.
Let’s be real here, none of those sleazy shops flew airplanes into buildings, Radical Isamic terrorists excercising the HOLY doctrine of JIHAD provided by the Quran carried out those attacks. Second, the funding behind your metioned businesses, did not donate to HLF, known as the Holy Land Foundation, a codemned terror group that those behind the mosque project did. If you donate to terror, you are a terrorist! Just facts, Thats why they are not welcomed on hallowed ground!