My hometown newspaper, The Augusta Chronicle, published an
editorial which claimed that opposition to the
Park51 project was not based on prejudice against Muslims.
The results from the TIME survey to which this editorial refers and which reports widespread opposition to the Park51 community center belies the claim that fear of Muslims/prejudice is not a major motivation behind this opposition.
Here is a link to the published results from the survey company TIME employed:
http://bit.ly/cX1Pf7
71% responded that building the "mosque" near the WTC site would be an insult to those who died on September 11, 2001.
61% opposed the construction of the Park51 community center.
When asked: WHAT IF THE FOLLOWING RELIGIOUS GROUPS PROPOSED BUILDING A COMMUNITY CENTER AND PLACE OF WORSHIP TWO BLOCKS FROM YOUR HOME. WOULD YOU FAVOR OR OPPOSE IT?
Results: Catholics 14% oppose, Jewish 18% oppose, Muslim 34% oppose, Mormons 24% oppose
Assuming that everyone who opposed the Muslim-directed community center near their home also opposed the Park51 center, it would mean that over half of the opponents of Park51 in the survey did not care about location and instead were only motivated by their opinions of Muslims.
Other tidbits from the survey:
DO YOU THINK THAT A MUSLIM SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO...?
B) SERVE ON THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
ALL
RESPONDENTS
===========
YES 65%
NO 28%
NO ANSWER/ DON'T KNOW 7%
The editorial is being disingenuous in not revealing the full results of this survey.
Regarding the people who are opposed to Park51 solely for its location, they may not know all the facts about the project because many media outlets have not reported them properly and many media outlets have reported slanders regarding the directors of Park51.
The craziest thing is this idea that it would be some kind of planting of the flag of conquest of New York. Assuming there were 10 delusional people in caves in Pakistan and Afghanistan who actually thought this, why should that affect a community center which would serve millions of people in NYC and its surroundings?
The results from the TIME survey to which this editorial refers and which reports widespread opposition to the Park51 community center belies the claim that fear of Muslims/prejudice is not a major motivation behind this opposition.
Here is a link to the published results from the survey company TIME employed: http://bit.ly/cX1Pf7
71% responded that building the "mosque" near the WTC site would be an insult to those who died on September 11, 2001.
61% opposed the construction of the Park51 community center.
When asked: WHAT IF THE FOLLOWING RELIGIOUS GROUPS PROPOSED BUILDING A COMMUNITY CENTER AND PLACE OF WORSHIP TWO BLOCKS FROM YOUR HOME. WOULD YOU FAVOR OR OPPOSE IT?
Results: Catholics 14% oppose, Jewish 18% oppose, Muslim 34% oppose, Mormons 24% oppose
Assuming that everyone who opposed the Muslim-directed community center near their home also opposed the Park51 center, it would mean that over half of the opponents of Park51 in the survey did not care about location and instead were only motivated by their opinions of Muslims.
Other tidbits from the survey:
DO YOU THINK THAT A MUSLIM SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO...?
B) SERVE ON THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
ALL
RESPONDENTS
===========
YES 65%
NO 28%
NO ANSWER/ DON'T KNOW 7%
The editorial is being disingenuous in not revealing the full results of this survey.
Regarding the people who are opposed to Park51 solely for its location, they may not know all the facts about the project because many media outlets have not reported them properly and many media outlets have reported slanders regarding the directors of Park51.
The craziest thing is this idea that it would be some kind of planting of the flag of conquest of New York. Assuming there were 10 delusional people in caves in Pakistan and Afghanistan who actually thought this, why should that affect a community center which would serve millions of people in NYC and its surroundings?