Pamela Geller and I defeated the Ground Zero Mosque, holding several massive public rallies in New York City that showed the magnitude of the opposition to that revolting exercise in Islamic triumphalism. Meanwhile, Menendez and other leftist politicians were grandstanding about how building a mosque on the site of the largest jihad attack ever on American soil (akin to the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount, that is, a symbol of a jihad victory) was a matter of Constitutional freedom. Were Menendez and others being remunerated, and remunerated handsomely, for their supposedly principled stand? I’d be stunned if they weren’t.
An update on this story. “Embattled Sen. Bob Menendez spent years helping developer and imam behind controversial ground zero mosque,” by Isabel Vincent, New York Post, September 23, 2023:
Sen. Robert Menendez spent years helping the Egyptian-American imam behind the controversial ground zero mosque — a plan the embattled Democrat later championed.
Menendez, 69, was indicted on federal bribery charges Friday, along with his wife, for schemes that allegedly benefited the government of Egypt and three New Jersey businessmen.
Starting in 1989, when the senator was the mayor of Union City, NJ, Menendez reportedly secured more than $2 million in public cash and loans for Egyptian-American imam Feisal Abdul Rauf.
The funding was meant to renovate three low-income apartment buildings Rauf owned there, according to reports — buildings that, tenants complained, remained dilapidated for years after the money was received.
At the same time, Rauf was in business with developer Fred Daibes — the Menendez political benefactor who allegedly bribed him with gold bars and cash, and who was named as a Menendez co-defendant Friday.
Rauf is not named in the federal indictment against Menendez and has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
In 2010, when controversy erupted over Rauf’s plans to build an Islamic center and mosque two blocks from the site of the World Trade Center, Menendez cheered the proposed 13-story structure.
“With the passions that are involved and the attempts by the Republicans to politicize it, there would never have been a good moment,” Menendez said in defense of his former ally’s project. “Sometimes leading is reminding our fellow citizens about what the Constitution is all about.”…
somehistory says
“Sometimes leading is reminding our fellow citizens about what the Constitution is all about.”…”
That’s right. “Leading” by example….and in his case, a bad one; pointing out just how far from the Constitution his actions are.
Public trust….when one is elected, the public trusts that one to set a good example of law-abiding citizen. A high position comes with a responsibility more than the person who has nothing.
On a main street where I live, there is some major road work going on with several blocks partially blocked off; before the barriers, there are signs telling drivers to move over to a lane that normally has traffic in the opposite direction.
One day last week, I was at the intersection last in line and opportunity to move over. The light was red and while I waited, a public transportation truck pulled up beside me. Notices on the truck about safety, laws, etc. were clearly evident.
When the light changed, the driver did not turn …he pulled in front of me so that I had to brake so as not to hit him. He had waited until past the last minute to move over to the only lane available, while I had gotten over as soon as the signs dictated.
He knew better but thought he was *better.*
Just as politicians think they are above the laws they write. And mozlums believe they are above all of the rest of us.
Walter Sieruk says
Back in the year of 2010 and during the month of August I attended a lecture at a church, about the subject of Islam. One of the speakers was a former Muslim, a Hezbollah member and an Iranian citizen. Now he’s a Christian and an American citizen.
After the lecture and during the question and answer part, he was asked about the Ground Zero Mosque which is that construction of that specific mosque at that specific place.
The speaker answered that the G.Z.M. would have a symbolic meaning with a message in the Islamic world, in the G.Z.M. will be in the Muslim world as a “victory monument” of Islam and Islam’s jihad over the West.
In other words the message to all jihad-minded Muslims is “Look what we have done for the cause of Islam, we have killed and have been victorious.”
commonsense says
Important post, Walter, validating what Robert has been saying for years.
OLD GUY says
Totally agree.