Despite warnings that the action might endanger US troops and inflame Muslims around the world, Mayor Bloomberg yesterday defended the right of a Florida pastor to burn copies of the Koran on 9/11.
“In a strange way, I’m here to defend his right to do that,” the mayor said during a press conference overlooking Ground Zero on the rebuilding effort.
“I happen to think it is distasteful. I don’t think he would like it if somebody burned a book that in his religion he thinks is holy.”
When he made his comments, Bloomberg indicated he was aware that Gen. David Petraeus had called the public torching of the sacred Islamic text a danger to the troops he commands in Afghanistan, where angry protesters gathered yesterday to burn an American flag.
The mayor said minister Terry Jones, of the evangelical Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, is protected by the First Amendment.
“You can’t say you’re going to apply the First Amendment in only those cases where we are in agreement,” Bloomberg explained. “If you want to be able to say what you want . . . you have to defend others no matter how much you disagree with them.”
Authorities in Gainesville were preparing special security measures on Saturday after a number a number of death threats were made against Jones, including one reported to be from a known “terrorist organization.”
Jones said he was seriously considering the possible fallout from his actions, but he remained defiant. “When do we stop backing down . . . when does America stand for truth?” he said in an interview broadcast on CNN.
“Instead of us being blamed for what other people will do or might do, why don’t we send a warning to them?”
Jones’ church has a membership of only 50 families. Law-enforcement sources said several billboards on its property are adorned with proclamations that “Islam is of the devil.”
In August 2009, two children who belong to the church, ages 10 and 15, went to school with T-shirts bearing the slogan. School officials barred the shirts.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department said yesterday it is investigating a handful of apparently anti-Muslim incidents in four states, including the stabbing of a Muslim cabdriver in Midtown.
Michael Enright of Brewster has been indicted on state hate-crime charges in the attack and could also face assault and attempted murder charges.
(Source: NY Post)
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4 Responses
Bloomberg is only saying this because, if he wouldnt he would be an open hypocrite, he just came out saying the mulims have a right under the 1st amendment to build a ground zero mosque, so now he has to defend this guys right, really he doesnt give 2 hoots about the constitution and only uses it when its politically expedient. Mr. Bloomberg whats the amendment after the 1st? does it go straight to the 3rd? or is there a 2nd one in there. Obviously the mayor’s hypocrisy is very obvious because if he would really respect the constitution he wouldnt be such a virulent anti 2nd amendment. Shana Tova to all
Thank You Mr. Bloomberg.
This is why he defended the mosque. it is not a contradiction. it is all rooted in the line,“You can’t say you’re going to apply the First Amendment in only those cases where we are in agreement,” Bloomberg explained. “If you want to be able to say what you want . . . you have to defend others no matter how much you disagree with them.”
Mr. Bloomberg IS a hypocrite. No one said that building the mosque is against the law. All they were saying is that it is distasteful, and it is. So is the Koran burning.
#2 nobody was ever arguing if they have a right to build the mosque everyone agrees they do, the argument is should they. Bloomberg tried to make it into a 1st A issue when it never was in the 1st place