Question for the anti-mosque activists in the GOP and the conservative movement: how close is too close?
The reason I ask is that there's already a mosque within a few blocks of Ground Zero; it's called Manhattan Masjid and it is four short blocks away from the site of the former World Trade Center.
Here's a map showing the existing Manhattan Masjid and the proposed Cordoba House:
It's only a few hundred feet from the current proposal, and just like the building in the current proposal, the street in front of this building was filled with dust and debris from the tragic events of 9/11, so it is physically connected to the attack.
Wyatt Cenac of The Daily Show visited the site earlier this month and Jon Stewart pointed out that it's been around since before the World Trade Center was built.
So here's the question for anti-mosquers:
- If the currently existing mosque is too close to Ground Zero, by what method should the congregants be removed? Arrest? Angry mob? Or maybe the building should be crushed to rubble by a wrecking ball? What would make you feel good?
- If it's not too close, where is the line of demarcation? How wide should the mosque exclusion zone be? 3 blocks? 2.2 blocks? 3.8 blocks? And on what basis is that line of demarcation drawn?
I guess I have one last question for them: how many of you anti-mosque yokels even knew there already was a mosque in the same general area?