Seven out of every 10 Americans now oppose the mosque to be located inside an Islamic center two blocks from the World Trade Center site in Manhattan. A few months ago, nobody cared. But what's come to be called "the Mosque at Ground Zero" is this month's angriest political issue. Last Friday, President Obama said Muslims have a right to include a mosque in their new community center. On Saturday, he said he did not mean to comment on the "wisdom" of the project, which many interpreted as a retreat from his first remarks. How did that happen? Was it a creation of right-wing Islamophobes? Are politicians now exploiting fears of a highly diverse religion? Have the mainstream media played a paradoxical role by downplaying Islamic extremism?
How an Uncontested Mosque Became the 'Ground Zero Mosque'
Credits
Guests:
- Justin Elliott - ProPublica - @justinelliott
- Clifford D. May - Foundation for the Defense of Democracies - @CliffordDMay
- Brian Levin - director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino - @proflevin
- Haris Tarin - Director, Muslim Public Affairs Council's Washington Office