The Inevitable 'Ground Zero Mosque Is A "Zionist Conspiracy"--And How The Mosque Could Backfire

I suppose this should have been expected, but still...

Raymond Ibrahim writes that the Egyptian newspaper Al Masry Al Youm reports that the charge comes from Al Azhar — one of Sunni Islam’s most authoritative institutions:

A number of Al Azhar ulema expressed their opposition to building a mosque near [where] the events of September 11 [occurred], convinced that it is “a conspiracy to confirm a clear connection between the strikes of September [11] and Islam.”
Dr. ‘Abd al-Mu‘ti Bayumi, a member of the Islamic Research Academy [of Al Azhar] told Al Masry Al Youm that he rejects the building of any mosque in this area [Ground Zero], because the “devious mentality” desires to connect these events [of 9/11] with Islam, though he maintains that Islam is innocent of this accusation. Instead, it is a “Zionist conspiracy,” which many are making use of to harm the religion. Likewise, Dr. Amna Nazir, professor of doctrine and philosophy at Al Azhar, expressed her rejection that a mosque be built near the World Trade Center, saying: “Building a mosque on this rubble indicates bad intention — even if we wished to shut our eyes, close our minds, and insist on good will. I hope it is a sincere step, and not a new conspiracy against Islam and Muslims.” [emphasis added]

So how could there be such a stark difference between Muslims in Egypt who are wary of the ramifications of a mosque so close to Ground Zero and Rauf who is going full speed ahead, spurning Governor Paterson's offer of finding another location? Unlike Middle Eastern Muslims--who cannot believe the West would give them such a victory--

Westernized Muslims, on the other hand, have learned that they can get away with almost anything — so long as they slap the words “tolerance,” “pluralism,” “dialogue,” or “bridge-building” to their endeavors, as the 9/11 mosque supporters do regularly.

Ibrahim concludes that the concerns of the Middle Eastern Muslims may bear out:

[S]hould the mosque be built, it will be an Islamist triumph. However, at the rate things are going — the 9/11 mosque is set to be a hot topic for upcoming elections — time may well reveal that the victory of erecting a mega-mosque near Ground Zero was as much symbolic as it was pyrrhic, not just for Islamists, but their political supporters as well.

Pundits write about this or that building as being a "monument to waste"--could the Ground Zero Mosque (if built) become a perpetual monument to every fear and suspicion of Islam that the mosque supporters have raised in 70% of Americans?

Technorati Tag: Ground Zero Mosque.