Nine years ago, on September 11, 2001, radical Islamic terrorists hijacked four airplanes and murdered nearly 3,000 innocent people, marking the worst terrorist attack on US soil in our nation’s history. The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center rapidly transformed into an inferno, with trapped fathers and mothers calling their children in tears to say their last goodbyes — others leaping to their deaths in desperation. The towers would collapse later that morning, leaving behind an aftermath of blinding smoke and scattered debris. The charred and broken bodies of many murdered civilians were never identified, and America awoke to the horrific destruction caused by the enemies of freedom.
Regrettably, a vast majority of my generation voted for Barack Obama. Families of the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks can now thank these voters for electing a man who shares common ground with the radical Islamic terrorist group Hamas. At a White House dinner speech on August 13, President Obama announced his support for the construction of the Cordoba House mosque, the Islamic center whose planned location neighbors Ground Zero. His statement that Muslims have “the right to build a place of worship” in the shadow of Ground Zero indicates clearly to Americans that his state of oblivion persists. Moreover, his refusal to suggest that the mosque be moved elsewhere directly equates him with Hamas co-founder Mahmoud al-Zahar, a strong advocate for the mosque’s proposed placement near Ground Zero. “We have to build the mosque,” al-Zahar said in a radio interview two days after President Obama’s endorsement. “We have to build everywhere.”
While the President of the United States is charged with the duty to uphold the Constitution and the freedoms protected therein, also vested in him is the duty to defend the American families whose lives were forever changed on 9/11. Those affected by this atrocity are stripped of their dignity when even our nation’s leader fails to respect that sacred ground.
Advocates for the mosque’s construction are equally naïve, but considerably more foolish for thinking that a constitutional debate can overshadow this slap in the face to the families of the 9/11 victims. Dense proponents overlook the crucial fact that throughout Islamic history, Muslims have built symbols of victory and triumph on the grounds that they conquer. The current project in lower Manhattan is deliberately named after “The Great Mosque” in Cordoba, Spain, which was built in the early 8th century after Islamic warriors tore down the Christian Church of Saint Vincent. To Muslims, the Cordoba Mosque signified the Muslim conquest of Southern Spain and proclaimed Islam’s supremacy over Christianity.
Now, in the wake of the ninth anniversary of 9/11, radical Muslim leaders will declare symbolic victory over the United States by constructing a mosque just steps from where the World Trade Center once stood.
Outraged Americans are questioning the credibility given to Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the Islamic leader behind the mosque’s construction. Rauf claims that the center will be a place for all faiths to peaceably join together for understanding, but his radical record proves otherwise. Following the September 11th attacks, in an interview with Ed Bradley on CBS, Rauf claimed that he believed that the United States was “an accessory to the [September 11th terrorist attacks].” Additionally, Rauf has repeatedly refused to denounce Hamas as a terrorist organization, even though the group has trained a number of suicide bombers and is listed on the U.S. State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Yet, President Obama, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and other senseless elected officials remain stubborn in their support of the mosque, ignoring the two-thirds of Americans who oppose it.
Proceeding with the building of the Ground Zero mosque only confirms for radical Islamic terrorists that they have achieved what they sought to accomplish on 9/11: the defeat of America and all that she stands for. As President Obama declares an end to the War on Terror, the duty to rise up and defend our country from all enemies, foreign and domestic, is left to Americans. We must take back our nation from those who refuse to protect us, and whose failure to act makes them enemies of freedom.
Today, on Patriot Day, we will reflect upon the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and pay tribute to those murdered by cowards in the most savage form of human hatred. In a day when blind appeasement outweighs the conscience of our nation’s leader, let us honor those who have fought to secure our safety, and who guard the respect for the innocent lives lost.
“Freedom,” as President Ronald Reagan said, “is never more than one generation away from extinction.” Let us remain strong and hold steadfast to our founding principles, as we recognize that our very way of life is under attack. My fellow citizens, now is the time to stand for what is right, and for all that is good and just. Now is the time to stand for America.
Chris Garcia is a political commentator and strategist in Southern California. Chris most recently appeared as a guest commentator on Fox News’s morning show Fox and Friends, and has been a frequent guest on several talk radio shows, including The John Phillips Show on AM 790 KABC in Los Angeles, The Dr. Gina Loudon Show on AM 630 KJSL in St. Louis, and The Tony Katz Radio Spectacular on All Patriots Media. He is a Bill Gates Scholar studying economics at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA.