The Monument to Muslim Terrorism

There is an old Islamic tradition to build at strategic points of conquest. Just to name two examples: Sancta Sophia, the Orthodox patriarchal basilica in Constantinople for over 1,000 years, was turned into a mosque when the Muslims conquered the city in 1453 and renamed it Istanbul. The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, Muslims’ second holiest place after Mecca was erected over the ruins of the second Jewish temple when Muslims conquered the city in 637. Today, the vast campaign of constructing mosques around the world celebrates cultural conquest rather than military campaigns. But the principle remains the same.

And now let’s remember the images of rejoicing Muslims all over the world. Men, women, children dancing in the streets, showing the sign of victory on September 11, 2001. And if you forgot, you can refresh your memory by googling “Muslims dancing on 9/11” and see the CNN footage for yourself.

And what does political Islam have to celebrate next to ground zero? Perhaps the only victory it has so far achieved on American soil — the destruction of the World Trade Center?

Of course, there is much talk about this building as a symbol of peace. The Islamic center will be called Cordoba House. That’s no coincidence. Cordoba is the city where the first mosque was built during the Muslim conquest of Spain.

The imam behind the project is Feisal Abdul Rauf, chairman of the Cordoba Initiative. The purpose of his organization, ostensibly, is to “build a bridge of peace between Americans and Islam.” But by now, from the overwhelming majority of Americans opposed to the project and the demonstrations and the protests it has caused, it is clear that the “bridge of peace” has turned into another divide. It brings back all the worst memories of Muslim attacks on Western lives, properties, and values. It highlights Imam Feisal’s advocacy for Sharia law on his website. It raises questions about the origin of the project’s funding — cost is estimated to be about $100 million. Because there is no doubt that this, like most Islamic colonization projects in the world, is financed by one of the rich Gulf countries who want to push their stature around the world. Just for comparison: The opponents of Proposition 8 in California, with all the effort and all the support of LGBT people across the U.S., scraped together about $40 million.