Rick Lazio Labels "Ground Zero Mosque" Imam Terrorist Sympathizer

New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio is appearing in a new ad in which the he labels the imam behind the so-called "Ground Zero mosque" a terrorist sympathizer and asks, "who is really behind it?"

According to the National Review, the spot was put out today by the New York State Conservative party.

"New Yorkers have been through enough," Lazio says in the spot. "Now a terrorist-sympathizing imam wants to build a $100 million mosque near ground zero. Where is this money coming from? Who's really behind it?"

The only evidence Lazio offers that the imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf, is "terrorist-sympathizing" is the imam's comment that U.S. foreign policy was an "accessory" to the Sept. 11 attacks in a 2001 "60 Minutes" interview.

"I wouldn't say that the United States deserved what happened, but the United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened," Rauf told CBS' Ed Bradley in that interview. Pressed to explain the "accessory" comment, he replied: "Because we've been accessory to a lot of innocent lives dying in the world. In fact, in the most direct sense, Osama bin Laden is made in the U.S.A."

The imam said in the same interview that "Fanaticism and terrorism have no place in Islam." He is currently on a U.S State Department sponsored trip to the Mideast to foster religious understanding, and made similar trips under the Bush administration.

Lazio's suggestion in the ad that there is already money behind the project is misleading. The Cordoba Initiative, which is backing it, has reportedly yet to begin fundraising for the building, which is actually an Islamic cultural center two blocks from the former site of the World Trade Center.

Lazio, one of the first politicians to come out against the project, criticizes likely Democratic nominee Andrew Cuomo in the ad for defending efforts to build the mosque. He trails Cuomo 60 percent-28 percent among registered New York voters, according to a Sienna poll.

Lazio's ad is not the first to spotlight the issue. Earlier this week businessman Rick Scott, a Republican running for Florida governor, released an ad in which he said President Obama is "wrong" for suggesting that the project is about tolerance.

[AmericanMichelle]

A political candidate centering his campaign on attacking a particular religion?? I don't know what's more frightening, Rick Lazio or the people who support him.

Whether you agree with the building of the mosque or not, electing a political official to represent you that has no quams about completely standing against a group of AMERICANS based on their religious affliation is a horrifying idea. If a poilitician whose not even in office yet can't follow the simple rule of "For the People, By the People"....well, thats a red flag if I've ever seen one.

[kastner64]

The Imam in charge of the Mosque advertises for U.S. policy in a paid-for tour for the State Department, so I would say Mr. Lazio is a poltical arsonist, whereas the Imam is trying to be a conciliator.

[brnfream]

NO Islam in America! No Muslims in America! No Mosques in America!

[flamingRedDingo]

How anti first amendment of you.

Ergo, how un-American of you.

Go take a civics course.

[safium]

To brnfream:

FYI, Islam came to America centuries before Columbus imported Christianity from Euorope. Even some Native American tribes worshipped the Father and not the Son for centuries even before Islam. Muslims are part of America and here to stay. If you don't like it you are free to go back to where your ancestors came from. Either you are a Palinite [idiot] or a Newt-wit [nit-wit]. Take your pick.

[safium]

Exploiting people?s emotions of fear, pain, and anger is a con art perfected by political opportunists. Right after the nation?s grave tragedy of 9/11/01 terrorist attacks, the war mongers of the GOP conned the fearful masses in to Iraq War under the false pretenses of national security. President George W. Bush claimed that he didn?t need ?permission slip? from the United Nations to order ?Shock & Awe? bombing of Baghdad to protect the country from another terrorist attack, no matter how may Iraqi innocent lives were to be sacrificed as ?collateral damage?. Since then, thousands of our brave soldiers have given [and continue to give] the ultimate sacrifice with their lives, while tens of thousands of those who have returned from the war front will continue to pay with the loss of their limbs and/or minds for the rest of their lives, and our grand children and great grand children will bear the additional burden of one trillion dollars [and counting] of national debt. It is an interesting aside that the strongest proponents of this war never sent any of their own loved ones to serve in this war, even when ?The Surge? in troops was ordered. They were just too busy running to the banks, with tears in their eyes, to deposit millions of dollars of profits from their participation in the military-industrial-political alliance. Whether this war goes down in history as a misguided military adventure of the US foreign policy or a deliberate proxy war on behalf of a friendly nation in the Middle East must be left to the professional historians. However, those responsible for getting us in to this costly war do not appear to have learned any lessons. They have now embarked on a crusade against the Muslim communities here at home as if US Muslims were responsible for the Al-Qaida terrorist attacks of 9/11/01.

[AmericanMichelle]

agreed.

[abbe91]

Another interesting article ...

"If He Could, Bin Laden Would Bomb the Cordoba Initiative"
by Jeffrey Goldberg

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/08/if-he-could-bin-laden-would-bomb-the-cordoba-initiative/60833/

"He [Feisal Abdul Rauf] represents what Bin Laden fears most: a Muslim who believes that it is possible to remain true to the values of Islam and, at the same time, to be a loyal citizen of a Western, non-Muslim country. Bin Laden wants a clash of civilizations; the opponents of the mosque project are giving him what he wants."

[abbe91]

"Obama's mosque duty" by Michael Gerson (former Bush adviser).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/15/AR2010081502151.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

"There are many reasons to criticize Obama's late, vacillating response to the Manhattan mosque, and perhaps even to criticize this particular mosque. But those who want a president to assert that any mosque would defile the neighborhood near Ground Zero are asking him to undermine the war on terrorism. A war on Islam would make a war on terrorism impossible."

[abbe91]

by antoniososa August 21, 2010 2:41 PM EDT
"The imam behind the Ground Zero mosque, Feisal Abdul Rauf, is much more dangerous than the muslims who killed themselves to kill 3000 of us."

Rauf was sent by the State Department on several speaking tours in the Middle East under President George W. Bush. Do you mean that Bush was an idiot ?

[infantryman1968]

Rick Lazio Labels "Ground Zero Mosque" Imam Terrorist Sympathizer

LOL!

So is Obama and his followers!

[antoniososa]

Congratulations to Lazio for his courage! Like packs of wild dogs, progressives will no doubt demonize Lazio for telling the truth.

The imam behind the Ground Zero mosque, Feisal Abdul Rauf, is much more dangerous than the muslims who killed themselves to kill 3000 of us. Those muslims who died killing were actually victims, much like the other 3000 who were killed. They were fools, PUPPETS.

The real culprits are the PUPPETEERS, the imams who planned the attacks, and brainwashed and manipulated the foolish puppets to KILL.

We must defend ourselves from those clerics, and imam Rauf in particular, who want to build that mosque no matter how much pain they inflict.

Rauf blames the U.S. for 9/11, is connected to Hamas, and has not revealed where the money for the mosque is coming from (it probably comes from U.S. enemies).

Rather than investigating Rauf, Obama is paying (WITH OUT TAX DOLLARS) for Rauf's multi-country trip to the Middle East, probably to get funds and advise on how to further harm us and spread Islam in the U.S.

No mosque at Ground Zero!

[safium]

In this staunch opposition of the project in New York by the leaders of the Republican Party, there is a lesson to be learned here for the US Muslims that, while they are welcome in the ?Tent of Abraham? of the Democratic Party, there is no room for them in the ?Tent of Grinch? of the GOP. They must remember this as they vote this November and succeeding Novembers.

[abbe91]

by antoniososa August 21, 2010 2:41 PM EDT
"The imam behind the Ground Zero mosque, Feisal Abdul Rauf, is much more dangerous than the muslims who killed themselves to kill 3000 of us."

Rauf was sent by the State Department on several speaking tours in the Middle East under President George W. Bush. Do you mean that Bush was an idiot ?

[PatriotMike2]

The libs that support this monument to Mohammed Atta should consider all of the Muslims who laughed and cheered as innocent civilians were murdered by their fellow Muslim thugs. Add that to an imam who says that Hamas is not a terrorist organization and says that the U.S. brought 9/11 on itself and its clear that this "mosque" will be nothing more than a high-tech terrorist training site.

Of course one should also consider the likelihood of a Timothy McVeigh-style attack on this mosque/terrorist camp if it is built.

[kes25-2009]

So you're implying terrorist acts from those that resemble T. McVeigh is ok? M. Atta couldn't be more thankful for your support in making his a worthy cause. By the way how many of those cheering were American or from allied countries? NONE!

[PatriotMike2]

kes25, I was implying nothing of the sort. I was pointing out a safety concern that a person might put an ANFO bomb in a truck outside that mosque and put many innocent lives at risk. Terrorism by anyone, no matter what they look like, is not ok.

And there were muslim college students in Wisconsin who clapped and cheered on 9/11. And there was the New Mexico professor who said "anyone who can take down the Pentagon gets my vote." Surely you recall the photos of the Palestinian boy in a Chicago Bears jersey parading around with others, laughing and cheering on 9/11.

I suggest you improve your reading comprehension.