ADL 'Stunned' By Zakaria's Decision to Return Prize
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Hugh Collins Contributor
(Aug. 7) -- The Anti-Defamation League said it is "stunned" that Newsweek columnist and CNN host Fareed Zakaria is returning an award from the group in protest of its stance over the planned mosque near ground zero in New York City.

Zakaria returned the award, saying that the ADL's calls for the project to be relocated compromised its mission to fight discrimination.

"I am not only saddened but stunned and somewhat speechless by your decision," ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman said in a letter on the group's website. "I would have expected you to reach out to me before coming to judgment."

The planned expansion of an Islamic community center, including a mosque, a few blocks from the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks has led to bitter debate. Families of the victims say the center would be an insult to the memory of the dead, while figures such as Mayor Michael Bloomberg stated that forcing its relocation would be an un-American act of intolerance.

The ADL took a more nuanced position. It said that the project's leaders had the right to go ahead with the project as they saw fit. Still, the ADL argued that the center should be moved out of sensitivity towards the raw feelings of those affected by the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, which killed more than 2,700 people.

"We are ever mindful of the tragedy which befell our nation there, the pain we all still feel," the ADL said last month. "We believe the City of New York would be better served if an alternative location could be found."

Zakaria said this stance betrayed the ADL's principles. He applauded the Islamic center as an example of moderate Islam that is compatible with American ideals.

The 46-year-old returned the Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Freedoms Prize that the ADL awarded him in 2005, along with the $10,000 prize that went with it.

For more:
http://www.aolnews.com/article/adl-stunned-by-zakarias-decision-to-return-prize/19585042

Good for him.
Stand for what is right and eventually people will see.

Wow, a journalist with some integrity!

Surprise surprise surprise!


Bout time someone got a clue.


This is a tenant of Islam, Burn down the dwellings of the infidel and put a mosque on the ashes. That is their MO and a fact of how they do business. They burned down the WTC, now they want to build a mosque on it. And those ***** in New York went along with it. I am glad most of the local NYers see this as the insult it really is. Of all the p[laces to put a frikken Mosque! All the city council seen was money being waved in their faces and a chance to garner votes. I hope this puts them out of a job!

Appeasement does no good! it only encourages bad people to do more bad!

un-american act of intolerance... when did Americans become such wimps?
did i miss something somewhere? i guess i know i'll never vote for bloomberg for anything.

It is good for people to see someone stand for what is right.

Americans need to see it.

I am proud of him.

He is a real American.

he stood up for what he believes is right. more power to him.
i didn't here you praise anyone that stood up against it tho.

I can't praise those who are intolerant of all who are Americans.

Intolerant of all who lost loved ones in the disaster which includes Muslims.

thats hypocritical of you. the 10's of thousands of family members think they are right to. you're more right than they are? did you lose anyone there? just because you think you are right, doesn't make it true. it is always good to see someone stand up for what they think is right. but not caring for the family's rights and wishes is just plain inconsiderate.

And I suppose you cannot see this as the insult to America it is? They could have built elsewhere. This is the same as Israel colonizing Jerusalem and the occupied territories.

This isn't about hatred, this is about bad taste!

Hatred would be me firebombing Mosques just becasue. Hatred would be me singling out Islamics and victimizing them just because they are Islamic. Hatred would be me saying all of Islam should burn.

Thankfully I don't do these things.

I have no objection to them building a Mosque but where they chose was in TERRIBLE taste!

Nuff said!

I lost a friend in those attacks, and the mosque doesn't bother me at all. It's not on ground zero, it's a few blocks away. How far away does it have to be in order to be "tolerated?" Let go of your hate, and maybe some day in the future, others will do the same.


What I can't believe, is that he gave back the money!

There were American Muslims who lost their lives in that terrorist attack too.

They are just as important as all the others who lost their lives and their family who are left.

who said they are not?

I think if it was possible they would build this mosque right at the base of where the twin towers stood.Perhaps we should put a strip club,and liquor store as neighbors to this mosque.

Anyone who supports this mosque is a heartless person.The worst attack on America was done in the name of Islam.There is no getting around that.Terrorism around the world is being conducted in the name or Islam.Islam peaceful people or not is a danger and threat to America until they either make peace with us or they all blow themselves up.There has been very little said from the Muslim community helping us with this war.There has been nothing said at all from the Muslims showing any sort of dialog between letting Jews and Christians live in peace around the world.They only call for death and elimination.


If the Muslim people truly wanted to help us heal they would show a little respect,a little honor,and a little dignity by building this mosque some other place.It is their religion and their people who were directly responsible for that attack.

This isn't about hate.It's about compassion and respect.People who have lost loved ones and family members to those who killed them do not need to be reminded of them on a daily basis.There are people who just want to forget everything that happened that day including Islam and those who follow it.

Ask any psychiatrist about patients who has been a victim of crime.What do they tell them?"Stay away from people and places that remind you of that day".What kind of stupid logic would it be if psychiatrist started telling people "I think it would be a good idea if you moved back into your old house where your children were murdered".How about asking the guy who beat and raped your wife to move next door to you so she can have him cover over for milk and cookies.Perhaps the Jewish churches can have a meet and greet a terrorist day once a month.

I just can't believe how f**cked up this country is getting.

I like Zakaria and respect his decision but it is the wrong decision.

The ADL did not compromise their integrity. They recognize that it is
distasteful to insist on a large Islamic complex at the foot of the
worst massacre in recent U.S. history perpetrated in the name of Islam.
They did not advocate banning the construction of the Islamic center
there but merely suggested that planners consider moving the site
under the circumstances. A reasonable and moderate approach.

It is a mistake by him not to discuss his feelings with the ADL but
instead to make a big public splash out of it. It shows an uncharacteristic
and unwarranted disregard for the organization who has fought on many
occasions for tolerance towards Muslims and all other religions.

Suppose that some radical Islamist blew up a famous cathedral during mass
at Notre Dame in Paris. Then after the clean up, a moderate Islamic
society petitioned to used the reclaimed site as a location for a
large Islamic center and mosque. Would this not be somewhat offensive?
I think it would at the very least be questionable and disrespectful
of those who lost loved ones in the blast at the church...Same difference.

There seems to be a misconception that this mosque is going up at ground zero. It's not. To my knowledge there are still going to be a large hole at ground zero. The mosque is going to be built where a brownstone sits now, not where the terrorist attack occurred. I'm sure there are at least eight different ways a person could go to the old twin towers without going by that mosque.




So I'll ask again: "How far away does it have to be built before it's not considered offensive?"




Believe me when I say it, the last thing this country needs is another church of any kind. But as long as we have a First Amendment, they have the right to build where they want. If you want to put a measure out to repeal it, go ahead, I'll support you. Then we can tax these institutions like we should have been doing all along, maybe reduce some burden on the rest of us.

I think you all have lived in fear for too long. It's called growing a pair, or manning up. Lose the yellow streak and show some common sense. If you think building one mosque is going to destroy the fabric of our nation, then I suggest you are part of the problem, and should crawl back into whatever closet you like to hide in. There are plenty of real Americans who can stand up to terrorism without having to subjugate a part of society as a second class citizens. You are living in the type of fear that Al Qaeda wanted you too, and are actually helping their cause. So if you want to help the terrorists, grab a gun and shoot a soldier. If you want to help America, stand tall and show the world we believe in the freedoms our forefathers gave us. This is why America has an open border policy, this is why America should repeal the (un)Patriot(ic) Act, and this is why a century ago we were a shining beacon of the world, instead of the bully on the block we are today.

everyone has a right to what they wanna think. in the world today, it's either be a bully or get bullied. i see where you stand, some people like to get bullied. thats ok, because there are other people around that will defend you when the time comes.

It is adjacent to the site. How far away is certainly only a matter
of personal opinion but I'd think a mile or two would be sufficient
that most people would no longer be offended. Certainly if it was not in Manhattan.

Right now everyone refers to it as "The Ground Zero Mosque" for a
reason - because it is within a couple of blocks.



If it were a couple miles away then I don't think there would be quite the same level of outrage.

You think I'm unable to defend myself? Well, you show me someone that's actually threatening me, or my way of life, and I'll be more than happy to put them in a shallow grave. The attack by Al Qaeda was nothing more than mass murder, not an act of war. You're a fool if you think it threatened America or our way of life. I mean other than the government spending trillions of our hard earned tax dollars on another large scale unwinnable war (on terrorism).

I say your a chickensh**. No worse than the kid on the playground who cries for his mommy instead of standing his ground and taking his lumps. You take those lumps, you learn your opponents weakness, and you make him look like the chump he is on another day. It seems you have plenty of time to make snide remarks, but I'm sure the Army or Marine recruiting office would be more than happy to have you go take a stand in Afghanistan.

I see this so called war as a waste of time and American lives. We've lost more trying to find a man in a country he isn't even in than we did on that one day. European nations have been standing up to this kind of foolishness for years, and doing a much more effective job, without large scale invasions. You cannot destroy one small group of fanatics, without creating another to take it's place. It took Britain over 800 years to come to peace with the IRA, that's the kind of "war" we are looking at. It's as wasteful as the war on drugs (95 years) or the war on poverty (45 years) and will be just as successful, but with more cost and casualties.

I say the best way to defend my country is with a resolute resolve and keeping my troops in the U.S., not blow it all up and ask if they were there later. This is not a war of Islamic aggression, it is a handful of radicals trying to up their finances and recruitment. By showing the world we know how to over-react, we played right into their hands.

Don't think for a second I'm a peace monger, I believe in the concept of total war. I believe that if, and its a strong word if, a war is necessary, then not a man, woman or child should be left alive that would be able to bear arms against you. That the will of the enemy to wage war must be broken. That even partisans on native soil would no longer wish to fight. To do this at least 80% of the native population should be destroyed, civilians and soldiers alike. Hospitals, orphanages, schools and churches should not be spared from the bombs, missiles and rockets. This is how to fight a war, are you ready for that? Because if you aren't, then you shouldn't be willing to fight in the first place. Oh, and none of this rebuilding and giving it back.

Still think I'm a p**sy?

no, i was just playing with ya...

but i do disagree, we may be playing into there games like you said,
but i still feel that the only way to make them understand is not by not caring, but a show of force. scare them for a while. let them think we wont hesitate to level off a few of there countries.
they do the things they do because our country acts like a bunch of pu$$ies. they respect force, they don't respect whimps.

For muslims, this is about marking the site of a MILITARY VICTORY. They did the same thing in Israel when they destroyed the Second Temple and then built the Al Aqsa mosque on the site. This is NO different. It is an INSULT to the 'infidel' America and its 'dhimmi' citizens. Put up with it at your own risk.