World

Holy Ground

Jewish positions on Ground Zero
mosque reveal ambivalence.

Protestors last month showed their feelings about the mosque.

Ron Kampeas
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Washington

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August 12 • 2010

M

ore often than not, Jewish and
Muslim groups come down
on the same side of battles
over religious liberties.
Jewish organizations often file amic-
us briefs supporting Muslim religious
rights in cases where zoning boards try
to block the construction of houses of
worship or bar the right of a Muslim to
grow his beard.
"There are a lot of commonalities of
interest;' said Nathan Diament, direc-
tor of the Washington office of the
Orthodox Union.
That made last week's announce-
ment by the Anti-Defamation League
opposing the construction of a planned
mosque near the Ground Zero site in
New York City all the more remark-
able. It was a rare instance of a Jewish
establishment organization explicitly
opposing a Muslim project or distanc-
ing itself from the role of upholding
liberties for all.
The $100 million mosque center was
proposed by the Cordoba Initiative, a
group that promotes interfaith dialogue.

Despite their common interests,
however, Jews and Muslims have
forged few formal alliances, mostly due
to their deep differences on Middle
East policy and Jewish concerns over
Muslim organizations' ties to radical
groups. This has made Jewish groups
ambivalent, supporting Muslim rights
in principle, but reticent in practice to
endorse specific Muslim organizations
or programs.
This ambivalence was reflected in an
American Jewish Committee statement
supporting the Ground Zero mosque
— with caveats and demands.
The AJC "urged the leaders of the
proposed center to fully reveal their
sources of funding and to uncondition-
ally condemn terrorism inspired by
Islamist ideology. If these concerns can
be addressed, we will join in welcoming
the Cordoba Center to New York.
"In doing so, we would wish to reaf-
firm the noble values for which our
country stands — the very values so
detested by the perpetrators of the Sept.
11th attacks:'
Defenders of the proposed Ground
Zero mosque suggested that such calls
are insulting, noting that the Cordoba
Initiative and its directors, Feisal Abdul
Rauf and his wife, Daisy Kahn, have a