SIOA Condemns Obama's Blessing of Ground Zero Mega-Mosque; Bolton, Wilders, Gingrich to Speak At 9/11 Rally

NEW YORK, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The human rights organization Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) strongly condemns Barack Obama's blessing of the Islamic supremacist mega-mosque to be built at the hallowed ground of the September 11, 2001 jihad terror attack.

SIOA founder and executive director Pamela Geller said in a statement that Obama "has, in effect, sided with the Islamic jihadists and told the ummah (at an Iftar dinner on the third night of Ramadan) that he believes in and supports what will be understood in the Islamic world as a triumphal mosque on a site of Islamic conquest."

Geller noted that in coming out in favor of the mosque, Obama confused the issue by framing it as one of religious liberty, when no opponent of the mosque is calling for restrictions on anyone's religious freedom; ignored the historical record showing that thousands of mosques have been built over the cherished sites of conquered peoples (notably the Dome of the Rock on the site of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem); and also ignored the clear evidence of the mosque backers' duplicity and refusal to condemn the jihad terrorist group Hamas.

"Obama must know," said Geller, "that this is not about religious liberty. No one has suggested abridging the First Amendment to stop the mosque, and to oppose the Ground Zero mosque is not to oppose the First Amendment. There are hundreds of mosques in New York, thousands in America. This is not a religious issue. This is an issue of national dignity and respect for those who were murdered at that site in the name of Islam. Mutual respect is a two way street."

"We, in the West," Geller continued, "are constantly being told to be sensitive to Islamic sensibilities regarding images of Muhammad and so-called 'blasphemy.' We are told that criticism of jihad violence is 'hate speech.' But where is the reciprocity? Where is the Muslim compassion for the grief and the pain of not just the 9/11 families but of all Americans? Every American was a target that day; the 9/11 families took the hit for us."

The Freedom Defense Initiative (FDI) and SIOA will be hosting a rally against the Ground Zero mega-mosque on September 11 at 2pm at Park Place, between Church Street and West Broadway.

The confirmed list of speakers includes 9/11 family members; former U. S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton; former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich; the Dutch Parliamentarian and freedom fighter Geert Wilders; Gary Berntsen, a candidate for the U.S. Senate from New York; Jordan Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice, which has filed suit to stop the Ground Zero mega-mosque; Ginny Thomas, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's wife; Michael Grimm, a candidate for Congress from New York's 13th district and a 9/11 first responder; and journalist Andrew Breitbart.

Hosting the rally are Geller, the popular blogger and columnist who publishes the acclaimed AtlasShrugs.com blog; and SIOA associate director Robert Spencer, the bestselling author and director of JihadWatch.org. Geller is the author (with Spencer) of The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration's War on America (foreword by Ambassador John Bolton), published by Simon & Schuster.

Free citizens are coming from all over the U.S. to attend the rally. Join the largest Caravan in America coming cross-country to the 9/11 Rally.

SIOA is one of America's foremost organizations defending human rights, religious liberty, and the freedom of speech against Islamic supremacist intimidation and attempts to bring elements of Sharia to the United States.

Join SIOA's Facebook page.

For more information, contact Pamela Geller at [email protected].

SOURCE Stop Islamization of America