Howard Dean’s push for New York “mosque” to relocate bothers some progressives [video]
</div>”I think another site would be a good idea…. I believe that the people who are trying to build the mosque are trying to do something that’s good. But there’s no point in starting off trying to do something good if it’s going to meet with an enormous resistance from a lot of folks. This is a very delicate, difficult religious and cultural issue.”
Howard Dean speaking with WABC Radio in New York. Dean was the Governor of Vermont who famously ran for US President in 2004. Later, he served as Chairman for the Democratic National Committee. Here he is discussing a proposed Islamic Center that is to be built in New York City, near the site of the Twin Towers that collapsed after a terrorist attack nine years ago. The latter part of Dean’s quote is not sitting well with politically progressive activists (a group which often supports gay rights issues). (77 WABC)
”In an issue with this kind of sensitivity. I think we’ve got to stop the polarization. I did an interview with this guy this afternoon who was just push, push, pushing that anybody that opposed this for the wrong reasons just shouldn’t be listened to.
”You know, I’ve been through this war before. We went through this with civil unions in this state. We were the first people to do it. And it was really, really ugly. We got our way through it. And it was hard to do, but we did it. … We’re going to have to start healing this country and stop this polarization.”
Keith Olbermann of MSNBC questioned Howard Dean about his earlier radio interview, and asked him, “What if this were a gay rights center near a school?” (Countdown/MSNBC)
Dean, as governor of Vermont in 2000, helped pass through civil unions in that state. In 2009, Vermont made marriage legal for same-sex couples. Dean is calling for a dialog between parties, and is suggesting that the Islamic Center should compromise by moving to a less controversial location.
Many progressives, including some gay rights supporters, are defending the absolute right of the Center to be built wherever it is legally permissible. Yet some are finding this an odd position to be in, since many progressives also consider particular aspects of Islam to be restrictive (ie. a suppression of homosexuality and gay rights). Opponents of the Center are calling it a “mosque,” and they are drawing a connection between the plane hijackers of September 11, 2001 and an expansion of “Islamic extremism” in America.
”This has nothing to do with the right to build, and unlike same-sex marriage or the civil rights movement, it is not about equal protection under the law. The rights of the builders are not in dispute. This is about ending the poisonous atmosphere engendered by fear and hate, and in order to do that there has to be genuine listening, hearing and willingness to compromise on both sides.
Howard Dean following up on his earlier comments by writing an opinion piece for Salon.com (Salon.com)
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