69 million page views

Ground 0 mosque

Reader comment on item: Reflections on an Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan

Submitted by AS (India), Sep 1, 2010 at 00:38

Muslim groups are proposing a 13-story $100 million mosque in the most prominent spot in America – the heart of downtown New York City near the World Trade Center site.

Is this mosque a sign of America's tolerance, or is it a sign of Muslim conquest?

The past may hold answers:

In 630, Muhammad led 10,000 Muslim soldiers into Mecca and turned the pagans' most prominent spot, the Ka'aba, into the Masjid al-Haram Mosque.

In 634, Rightly Guided Caliph Umar conquered Syria and turned the Christians' most prominent spot, the Church of Job, famous for being visited by Saint Silva in the fourth century, into the Mosque of Job.

In 637, Caliph Umar conquered Hebron and turned the second-most prominent spot in Judaism, the Cave of the Patriarchs, into the Ibrahimi Mosque. (This was repeated by Saladin in 1188.)

In 638, Muslim generals Amr ibn al-As and Khalid ibn al-Walid conquered Gaza and turned the prominent fifth-century Byzantine church into the Great Mosque of Gaza.

In 638, Caliph Umar conquered Jerusalem. In 691, Caliph Al-Malik ordered the Dome of the Rock built on the most prominent spot in Judaism, the Temple Mount, followed by Caliph Al-Walid building the Al-Aqsa Mosque there in 705.

In 651, Muslims conquered Persia and turned Zoroastrian temples in Bukhara and Istakhr into mosques.

In 706, after Muslims took Damascus from the Byzantine Empire, Caliph Al-Walid turned the prominent Orthodox Church of St. John the Baptist into the Umayyad Mosque.

In 710, Gen. Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Pakistan, defiled the prominent Sun Temple in Multan, which house the great idol "sanam," and erected a mosque.

In 784, after the conquest of Spain, Emir Abd ar-Rahman turned the prominent Visigothic Christian Church of Saint Vincent into the Great Aljama Mosque of Cordoba.

After the conquest of Egypt, Caliphs al-Mamun (813-833) and al-Hakim (996–1021) turned prominent Coptic Christian churches and Jewish synagogues in Cairo into mosques.

In 831, Muslims conquered Palermo, Sicily, and Asad ibn al-Furat turned the prominent Church of Saint Mary of the Assumption into the Great Mosque of Bal'harm.

In 1193, Muslims conquered Delhi, India, and Qutbuddin Aibak turned the Red Citadel in Dhillika, the most prominent spot of the last Hindu rulers, into the Qutb Minar Mosque.

From 1250-1517, Mamluk Muslims controlled the Golan Heights and used the ancient Synagogue of Katzrin as a mosque.

In 1387, Turkish Muslims conquered Thessaloniki and turned the Katholikon Monastery and the Church of Aghia Sophia, which housed the relics of Saint Gregorios Palamas, into mosques, as Symeon of Thessaloniki recorded:

"The greatest number of the buildings of the churches fell to them, of which the first was the Holy Church of the Savior. … These were trampled underfoot and the infidels rejoiced in them. … Most of the religious buildings in the city were despoiled, while altars were demolished and sacred things profaned."

On May 29, 1453, Sultan Mehmet II conquered Constantinople and turned the great Byzantine church, Hagia Sophia, into the Ayasofya Mosque. The largest church in Christendom for a thousand years, the church's four acres of gold mosaics were covered with whitewash and Quran verses.

In 1458, Sultan Mehmet II conquered Athens and turned the Greeks' most prominent spot, the Parthenon on Acropolis hill, into a mosque. When Venetian Gen. Francesco Morosini drove the Muslims out in 1687, a cannonball hit the gunpowder stored in the mosque, blowing it up.

In the 15th century, Ottoman invaders turned Saint Clement's Macedonian Orthodox Monastery in Plaosnik, Balkans, into the Imater Mosque.

From 1519-1858, Muslim Mughal rulers gained control of India and turned over 2,000 Hindu temples into mosques, including demolishing the Temple of Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Rama, and replacing it with the Babri Mosque.

India's Mughal Muslim ruler, Jahangir (1605-1627), wrote in Tujuk-i-Jahangiri:

"At the city of Banaras [was] a temple. … I made it my plea for throwing down the temple … and on the spot, with the very same materials, I erected the great mosque."

In 1543, Hayreddin Barbarossa's 30,000 Muslim troops wintered in Toulon, France, and turned the prominent Toulon Cathedral into a mosque.

In 1570, under Sultan Selim II Khan, Muslims conquered Paphos, Cyprus, and Gov. Mehmet Bey Ebubkir turned the prominent Christian church into the Great Mosque of Paphos.

In 1571, Muslims invaded Famagusta, Cyprus, and turned Saint Nicolas Cathedral, a rare Gothic church, into the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, and Saint Sophia Cathedral in Nicosia, constructed in 1228, into the Selimiye Mosque.

In 1588, Sultan Murat III turned the Eastern Orthodox Church of Saint John the Forerunner in Constantinople into the Hirami Ahmet Pasha Mosque.

In 1781, after having conquered the Old City of Acre, Ottoman Muslims turned the Roman Catholic church built by Crusaders into the Jezzar Ahmet Pasha Mosque, where a hair from Muhammad's beard is preserved.

In 1923, Muslims expelled Greeks from Turkey and turned Orthodox churches into mosques.

In World War II, Nazis allied with Bosnians and turned the prominent Artists' Gallery Museum in Zagreb, Croatia, into a mosque.

In the 1950s, Muslims expelled Jews from Arab lands and turned synagogues into mosques.

Algerian Muslims warred against French colonial rule till France pulled out in 1962, after which the Cathedral of St. Philippe was turned into the Ketchaoua Mosque. Violence against Jews caused 30,000 to flee and the Great Synagogue of Oran was turned into the Mosque Abdellah Ben Salem.

In 1974, Turkish Muslims invaded northern Cyprus, and prominent Greek Orthodox churches were turned into mosques.

In 1981, Muslim immigrants to the Netherlands converted Amsterdam's historic Catholic Sint-Ignatiuskerk into the Fatih Mosque, and a synagogue in The Hague into the Aksa Mosque.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Muslim terrorists attacked the most prominent spot in America, the World Trade Center. In less than 10 years, the number of mosques in New York City has skyrocketed to over 140.

In light of history, reasonable citizens have a right to question if the mosque proposed at Ground Zero is a sign of America's tolerance, or a sign of Muslim conquest?

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (165) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
5Daisy Khan watch and I'm not kidding you: Falafel is Muslim food! I can see the Copts of Egypt saying is she out of her mind? [366 words]dhimmi no moreNov 25, 2010 15:27180464
Its falafel time [58 words]SimonNov 26, 2010 18:24180464
1Falafel revisited [138 words]dhimmi no moreNov 28, 2010 08:27180464
Thanks dhimmi.... [139 words]SimonNov 29, 2010 01:18180464
2Arabic and Syriac [153 words]dhimmi no moreDec 1, 2010 07:14180464
2what happened??? [66 words]mariahNov 14, 2010 15:02180141
1Alaskan Muslims officially call their First Mosque (Masjid) "The Islamic Community Center Anchorage Alaska" [56 words]scottOct 23, 2010 23:20179586
5I am offended by islam, I am offended by muslims. [106 words]SolidspineOct 17, 2010 15:25179358
2Daisy Khan watch and the theater of the absurd [177 words]dhimmi no moreOct 5, 2010 07:09178977
1Daisy Khan watch and Marie Antoinette [143 words]dhimmi no moreSep 30, 2010 07:29178826
1Right Response To Mosque [28 words]Clifford IshiiSep 18, 2010 22:56178400
Reflections of an Islamic Ctr. NYC [431 words]VigilantSep 14, 2010 10:32178243
3Still Fighting September 11, 2001 - the Never Ending Day [427 words]M. ToveySep 13, 2010 15:55178214
Fiasco! [479 words]KanaanSep 13, 2010 13:23178204
I don't object to the proposed mosque near the former World Trade Center [285 words]Avi MorrisSep 12, 2010 22:09178157
1sheer provocation [115 words]debora derlagenSep 11, 2010 08:50178051
3Defending fundamental American rights and values [214 words]There is NO Santa ClausSep 10, 2010 11:32177998
2lack of definitions from moderate Muslims belie any "Moderate Islam" [662 words]Charles StevensSep 8, 2010 22:44177919
1Moslems' behavior hurts them [388 words]NuritGSep 8, 2010 19:54177907
mosque at WTC [52 words]brad bucherSep 8, 2010 08:35177862
Idea Of The Ground Zero Troublesome Mosque Does Uphold An American Principle We See [179 words]D.K. Milgrim-HeathSep 10, 2010 13:17177862
1Americans wake up....... [127 words]Russell GaddinSep 7, 2010 12:18177793
Something good out of this mess. [229 words]batya daganSep 7, 2010 00:04177760
2What about St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church? [79 words]Peter HerzSep 4, 2010 22:07177691
The Greek Orthodox Church [76 words]There is NO Santa ClausSep 10, 2010 11:38177691
2Totally Offbase [201 words]ProudMuslimAmericanSep 4, 2010 19:52177684
to proudmuslimamerican [79 words]ASFeb 16, 2011 05:30177684
2Daisy Khan watch and the on being a slum landlord and other sordid matters [545 words]dhimmi no moreSep 4, 2010 07:29177670
1Exposure Of The Real Crooked Ones At Last [171 words]D.K.Milgrim-HeathSep 5, 2010 22:50177670
Ms Con I mean Khan exposed [23 words]dhimmi no moreApr 14, 2011 06:21177670
Ground Zero [56 words]SimonaeSep 2, 2010 13:39177598
Personal Reflections Of Lower Manhattan-9/11 Revisted 2010 [271 words]D.K.Milgrim-HeathSep 12, 2010 12:21177598
4the silent terror [342 words]vladutzSep 1, 2010 19:02177566
2Ground 0 mosque [1004 words]ASSep 1, 2010 00:38177521
1Victory mosques built by Muslims all over invaded lands since seventh centuru!!! Ground Zero mosque won't be the last!!! [118 words]JaladhiSep 3, 2010 15:19177521
I would have liked a hyperlink for the fourth bullet [31 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
AmesAug 31, 2010 02:17177486
Not legal [54 words]meleagerAug 30, 2010 19:46177475
2Gathering storm... [147 words]donvanAug 28, 2010 10:18177397
1Islam/Muslims at war with us!!! [94 words]JaladhiAug 29, 2010 21:15177397
A possible solution [226 words]David SAug 28, 2010 02:40177386
Great idea! Zero chance of it happening though... [140 words]saraSep 19, 2010 17:46177386
3More about Islam and the construction of a mosque inthe Groud Zero [2056 words]Manu RodríguezAug 27, 2010 01:34177342
Why let the facts get in the way [46 words]Amin RiazSep 3, 2010 10:42177342
A rather glaring fact [89 words]Mr SanityNov 10, 2010 06:08177342
Sadly some people do not see this as a victory mosque, for that is what it is. [168 words]Phil GreendAug 26, 2010 16:30177313
1A Mosque is a victory mosque when built over hallowed grounds of the invaded people!!! [161 words]JaladhiAug 26, 2010 21:23177313
9Some more info on Islam [634 words]ASAug 26, 2010 07:14177299
1Good Info on Islam!!! [23 words]JaladhiAug 26, 2010 21:29177299
1Economy by 2017 is gone [29 words]firozali A. Mulla DBAAug 27, 2010 21:42177299
7Imam Rauf is connected to Muslim Brotherhood and IIIT- The Wahabbi corridor in VA [114 words]saraAug 25, 2010 18:43177276
why? [100 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
helenAug 25, 2010 15:51177272
2Islam in denial [45 words]Sam the hereticAug 24, 2010 23:03177241
2GET OVER IT! [22 words]burt kwoukAug 24, 2010 15:05177206
1Dear Burt... [95 words]donvanAug 30, 2010 21:29177206
1Legal can still be offensive [116 words]JeffAug 24, 2010 14:51177204
2The Victory Mosque [42 words]donvanAug 24, 2010 06:55177190
1La construcción de una mezquita en la Zona Cero [698 words]Manu RodríguezAug 23, 2010 12:07177148
2Razzin' Reuters [911 words]Denis AhearnAug 23, 2010 07:29177130
Terrorist ties [28 words]Trestin MeachamAug 23, 2010 06:49177129
Fight to save the Netherlands from future Dutch dictator... [419 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
eslaporteAug 22, 2010 13:44177096
2Ground zero mosque [16 words]M.A.SASTRYAug 22, 2010 01:53177072
SHARIA INDEX [80 words]SusanAug 21, 2010 16:56177050
6Thank you Dr Pipes [266 words]dhimmi no moreAug 20, 2010 19:01177026
2Cordoba thingy [65 words]Rob Ala kaffirAug 20, 2010 12:04177014
2Garnering Respect [31 words]Yuval Brandstetter MDAug 20, 2010 08:54177008
1By way of perspective [6 words]Dave BonesAug 19, 2010 20:02176996
1Birds of a Feather? [93 words]Jules PostenAug 19, 2010 19:43176994
2The mosque is a symbol of victory. ..just like the mosque on the Temple Mount. [115 words]Phil GreendAug 19, 2010 01:06176949
3Muslims have erected vicory mosques in all the invaded countries - India, israel, Turkey, Spain...!! And now in USA!!! [275 words]JaladhiAug 24, 2010 20:23176949
1So Dear World Hear Our Battle Cry [133 words]D.K. Milgrim-HeathAug 30, 2010 20:50176949
Powerful... [22 words]JaladhiSep 1, 2010 19:10176949
Don't Lose Your Freedoms Them In The First Place Yes-Powerfully I do write-thank you so much Jaladhi! [133 words]D.K.Milgrim-HeathSep 3, 2010 23:01176949
History repeats itself [33 words]gloria lindaJan 3, 2013 12:32176949
3Ground Zero Mosque - A Poke in the eye of every American [134 words]Victor LipshutzAug 19, 2010 00:11176945
1Mosque near ground zero [88 words]ed marguliesAug 18, 2010 22:55176943
dubious background [13 words]elishebaAug 18, 2010 20:15176936
freedom of religions [30 words]b soetoroAug 18, 2010 18:04176923
Hypocrisy thy name is Islam!!! [50 words]JaladhiAug 22, 2010 20:28176923
Whats going on is evolutional [48 words]Arilf Jayish al AmirikiAug 18, 2010 16:12176912
You have a good nose Dr Pipes [22 words]NCHAug 18, 2010 11:24176893
3Reflections On a Killing Machine [337 words]Arlinda DeAngelisAug 18, 2010 09:26176890
4It is Islamist's hobby to make their buildings around places sacred to other religions [237 words]RajeevAug 17, 2010 23:18176875
1Failure to learn from history of Muslims!!! [479 words]JaladhiAug 25, 2010 20:24176875
the protest indicates the public wants another strategy towards the islamists [84 words]mythAug 17, 2010 20:09176859
Freedom Of Religion [41 words]Clifford IshiiAug 17, 2010 19:05176852
Dubious Associations? You mean, like Reverend Wright? [148 words]David KoralAug 17, 2010 18:15176848
Heads Still in the Sand [104 words]Jules PostenAug 17, 2010 14:29176835
2Failure to learn from history of Muslims!!! [187 words]JaladhiAug 22, 2010 20:58176835
1Reflections on an Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan. Islam always demands Respect. Now Show respect for Others! [66 words]DebbieAug 17, 2010 11:28176830
1We have nothing to fear. Openness will destroy Islamism [45 words]Jeremy KarekenAug 17, 2010 11:13176828
4Shades of Tariq Ramadan [87 words]DavidAug 17, 2010 10:39176825
2The hypocrite Tariq Ramadan and and the so called Sheikh Feisal Abdul Rauf have much in common [629 words]dhimmi no moreSep 4, 2010 08:06176825
5Israel must win /Barack Obama [66 words]Dr Gianpaolo BernasconiAug 17, 2010 04:51176801
1Islam [182 words]David H. PartingtonAug 17, 2010 03:31176800
Ground Zero Mosque [27 words]JugglerAug 17, 2010 03:05176799
1Cordoba House [67 words]Shirl in OzAug 17, 2010 02:09176797
1Reflections on an Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan [109 words]Fazal Habib CurmallyAug 17, 2010 02:02176796
2Contradictions in Curmally's threat [91 words]VijayAug 18, 2010 20:01176796
3Where is Allah when you need him [516 words]dhimmi no moreAug 21, 2010 18:16176796
Reflections on an Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan [34 words]Fazal Habib CurmallyAug 21, 2010 22:21176796
Reflections on an Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan [118 words]Fazal Habib CurmallyAug 21, 2010 22:35176796
2Our dear Fazal and the floods in Pakistan and he really has no answer [90 words]dhimmi no moreAug 22, 2010 17:43176796
2Respect for other faiths [61 words]RajeevAug 22, 2010 23:35176796
1lack of proportion [142 words]VijayAug 23, 2010 16:05176796
Asymmetrical warfare [127 words]VijayAug 23, 2010 17:49176796
1Reflections on an Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan [697 words]Fazal Habib CurmallyAug 24, 2010 00:44176796
Reflections on an Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan [72 words]Fazal Habib CurmallyAug 24, 2010 03:24176796
1Where is Allah when you need him part deux [347 words]dhimmi no moreAug 24, 2010 07:07176796
Reply to Curmally [546 words]VijayAug 24, 2010 21:15176796
3Two sides to the picture [667 words]JeffAug 25, 2010 15:19176796
1Reflections on an Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan [265 words]Fazal Habib CurmallyAug 26, 2010 00:12176796
Reflections on an Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan [425 words]Fazal Habib CurmallyAug 26, 2010 00:44176796
Don't look now, Fazal [6 words]JeffAug 27, 2010 09:31176796
1Reflections on an Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan [318 words]Fazal Habib CurmallyAug 28, 2010 00:22176796
2Where is Allah when you need him part trois [52 words]dhimmi no moreAug 28, 2010 09:13176796
Respect and Exceptional [178 words]Jay1Aug 16, 2010 22:44176791
Religious freedom or religious superiority? [108 words]Rebecca MouldsAug 16, 2010 21:23176784
1Every legal right ....? [190 words]Ron ThompsonAug 16, 2010 20:20176783
Why, Why Here? [41 words]Nate RosenblattAug 16, 2010 20:02176782
Agreed! [107 words]NoraAug 16, 2010 19:41176780
Imam Faisal Rauf [118 words]NoraAug 18, 2010 07:06176780
Imam Faisal Rauf [190 words]A.K BasakSep 18, 2010 17:35176780
1has bloomberg gone mad [196 words]jerome henenAug 16, 2010 19:30176778
Why Islam is Allowed to Demonstrate Its Disregard for the American Way [314 words]M. ToveyAug 16, 2010 19:19176775
what Obama does not seem to understand, what democracy is about [84 words]mythAug 16, 2010 19:10176774
The American majority is the only hero here. [164 words]batya daganAug 16, 2010 18:48176773
"I'd rather focus, say, on Islamist penetration of security services." .... + 9 more items, by Geert Wilders [18 words]Rochelle MichaelsAug 16, 2010 18:11176771
3Islamists celebration of the 9-11-2001 attack [151 words]Ralph C. Whaley MDAug 16, 2010 17:47176769
4Daniel Pipes RIGHT AGAIN! Islamic triumphalism is rampant . [371 words]Carmen WaggonerAug 16, 2010 17:01176768
1Mosques: Military Outposts behind prayer [53 words]JenTAug 16, 2010 16:37176767
1Simple solution [310 words]Bob SullivanAug 16, 2010 16:05176765
re the mosque on holy ground [53 words]edith m. cordAug 16, 2010 15:42176764
1What is a "relogion" [163 words]martin kesslerAug 16, 2010 15:33176763
1Is Obama Muslim? [222 words]firozali A. Mulla DBAAug 26, 2010 01:40176763
islamic center in New York [75 words]concernedAug 16, 2010 15:24176762
All for One [95 words]John BAug 17, 2010 07:10176762
1Freedoms For All and Nothing Built On Hollow Ground [265 words]D.K.Milgrim-HeathAug 16, 2010 15:22176761
6Good-bye Mr. Bloomberg [209 words]Maurice LeonAug 16, 2010 15:15176760
Reflections on an Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan. Goodbye Mr. Bloomberg- Idiots show lack of respect. response to Maurice Leon [245 words]Anne-USAAug 17, 2010 11:03176760
Fair, Non-hysterical, and Helpful [86 words]john w mcginleyAug 16, 2010 14:31176759
references? [370 words]gingersnapAug 16, 2010 21:27176759
1A mosque at Ground Zero [54 words]Russell GaddinAug 16, 2010 13:43176758
1Legal? Yes. Sensitive? No. [162 words]Vazir MukhtarAug 16, 2010 13:29176757
No Golden Rule in the Qur'an [173 words]Kim BruceAug 16, 2010 22:34176757
1Reflections on an Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan [309 words]Kim BruceAug 16, 2010 13:26176756
Marginalizing the moderates and proving al Qaeda right [144 words]David LAug 16, 2010 13:23176755
Understanding Islam [474 words]gingersnapAug 16, 2010 22:18176755
Reply to David L. re. moderate Muslims [133 words]Kim BruceAug 16, 2010 22:56176755
disagree...? [200 words]David LAug 17, 2010 20:31176755
The Wrong Question [372 words]Art M.Aug 16, 2010 13:19176752
The Wrong Question by Art M. [268 words]Kim BruceAug 16, 2010 23:24176752
1the symbolic question: what is the future symbol of religious freedom [146 words]mythAug 16, 2010 13:08176751
1GZM [117 words]jhstuartAug 16, 2010 12:34176750
Ground Zero Musoleum [59 words]Kim BruceAug 16, 2010 23:34176750
6Dr. Pipes, I disagree about the Cordoba House - Park 51 [60 words]Mark PrestonAug 16, 2010 12:33176749
2Rights and responsibilities of religious minorities in US and trhe world [794 words]RaoAug 16, 2010 17:51176749
GZM [47 words]jhstuartAug 16, 2010 19:34176749
3What are the real aims? [273 words]VinodguptAug 16, 2010 12:31176748
2When Will Our Leaders Get It [55 words]Ilbert PhillipsAug 16, 2010 12:18176746
reflection on an islamic center in lower manhattan [21 words]bileAug 19, 2010 09:44176746
Religous Freedom [241 words]Ilbert PhillipsAug 22, 2010 02:51176746
1Obama: Wrong on Mosque Issue [351 words]Jerrold L. SobelAug 16, 2010 12:15176745
1Response to "Obama: Wrong on Mosque Issue by Jerrold L. Sobel [155 words]Ilbert PhillipsAug 22, 2010 03:01176745
3Public figures that are speaking out for the First Amendment where the mosque is involved have an ax to grind. [133 words]PRockyAug 16, 2010 12:09176744
yes! [2 words]NoraAug 16, 2010 19:47176744

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)