It's not very often that I agree with anything that Rep. Ron Paul says, but this is one of those times. He has come out and scolded neoconservatives and other right-wingers for making the proposed muslim community center in New York City an issue. He says they "never miss a chance to use hatred toward muslims to rally support for the ill conceived preventive wars." He goes on to say:
"Many fellow conservatives say they understand the property rights and 1st Amendment issues and don’t want a legal ban on building the mosque.They just want everybody to be “sensitive” and force, through public pressure, cancellation of the mosque construction.
This sentiment seems to confirm that Islam itself is to be made the issue, and radical religious Islamic views were the only reasons for 9/11. If it became known that 9/11 resulted in part from a desire to retaliate against what many Muslims saw as American aggression and occupation, the need to demonize Islam would be difficult if not impossible. [...]
It is repeatedly said that 64% of the people, after listening to the political demagogues, don’t want the mosque to be built. What would we do if 75% of the people insist that no more Catholic churches be built in New York City?The point being is that majorities can become oppressors of minority rights as well as individual dictators. Statistics of support is irrelevant when it comes to the purpose of government in a free society—protecting liberty. [...]
This is all about hate and Islamaphobia."
The other obvious reason, of course, is that it's election season, and they need to have something to rile up the electorate. Gay marriage obviously ain't doing it anymore...
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