Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Stephen Walt on the “Ground Zero Mosque”*

Stephen Walt, Harvard IR professor and regular blogger @ Foreign Policy provides a trenchant analysis and critique of the positions taken over the so-called "ground zero mosque". Those who oppose it go against the grain of religious freedom and toleration that we should cherish, but many of those who don't oppose it show a degree of excessive—and disheartening—political expediency.

* I use the term "ground zero mosque" or "mosque at ground zero" even though, as Walt points out, it is neither a mosque nor is at ground zero. We have here a prime example of how a label can define reality, instead of reality requiring the label.

Peter Beinart on the Democrats & the “Ground Zero Mosque”

Peter Beinart criticizes Democrats and New Yorkers on the principles involved in this controversy. He provides all concerned with some serious reflection.