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“Ground Zero Mosque” Leader’s Homophobic Comments Outrage Gay Community

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Homophobic comments by a new religious leader at the proposed Park 51 community center in lower Manhattan — also known as the “Ground Zero Mosque” by its detractors and as “Cordoba House” by its supporters — have angered the gay community and its supporters, and added fuel to the already extreme outrage exhibited by some conservatives and the Tea Party. (Remember who they’re really angry at.)

Via NY1 (who has a video, too,):

“In a lecture Imam Abdallah Adhami sells on the Internet, he offers the following explanation for the existence of homosexuality:

“An enormously, overwhelming percentage of people struggle with homosexual feeling because of some form of violent emotional or sexual abuse at some point in their life. Again, not necessarily in their childhood….A small, tiny percentage of people are born with a natural inclination they cannot explain. You find this in the animal kingdom on some level as well.”

“For gay rights advocates, the words are unacceptable.

“They are destructive. They play into old, worn-out stereotypes that somehow there is an illness to being gay,” said Gay City News Editor Paul Schindler.”

“Schindler says that unless Imam Adhami is willing to clarify or change his views, Park51’s ability to welcome everyone will be compromised beyond repair.

“It’s a hostile message and one that I think attacks the dignity of gay people,” Schindler said.

“Some prominent gay New Yorkers say even though they find the remarks made by the Park51 imam offensive, it’s nothing they haven’t heard before.

“It’s not a new statement, it’s been made repeatedly by people who practice homophobia as a way of life. It’s also unfortunately not limited to one religion,” said Gay Rights Activist David Mixner.”

Park 51 has been embroiled in a cultural war (leading to craziness like this,) ever since Fox News decided, after first supporting it, that it could get better ratings by opposing it. (Or, as Rachel Maddow calls it, “Scaring White People For Fun And Profit.”)

This is an extremely disappointing development. Not only are the words and point of view behind them entirely unacceptable, but they damage the reputation of the Park 51 project among its supporters, (liker the 9/11 mom who lost her daughter but has supported the project,) and now give right-wing conservatives and Tea Party crazies more fuel.

Pamela Geller, an extremist even by Tea Party standards, runs a little blog called Atlas Shrugged. In it she writes,

“The new Ground Zero imam who advocates Islamic law and jail for apostates, and calls unindicted co-conspirator in the WTC bombing, Siraj Wahhaj, his “beloved imam,” is a homophobe. Adhami’s repulsion of gays is consistent with the oppression, and in many Muslim countries, the execution of gays.

“Mayor Doomberg is in a real fix now. Which special interest will he satisfy? He has no spine. I bet he’ll dhimmi down and throw the gay community under the bus.

“Interesting that the gay Muslim interviewed in this video said that Adhami’s anti-gay remarks represented progress. Perhaps he hasn’t installed a gallows at Ground Zero ….. yet.”

While Geller’s juvenile delinquent rant (it’s Mayor Bloomberg, for those who aren’t familiar with the thrice-elected public servant,) is asinine, it’s a good depiction of what right-wing hate looks like. (And consider all the religious liberties issues this brings up. Surprised Geller doesn’t mention them…)

Trust me, Geller’s fans aren’t upset about the homophobic comments. In fact, they’re probably thrilled.

Oh, and they have planned a protest in front of Park 51 on February 3. Evidently, they want a Wal-Mart there instead. They give sign ideas here. Like,

Build It or Incite Retailers All Over The World!

Death To Those Who Defame Walmart

Walmart! Not In My Mosque’s Backyard!

Falling Skyscrapers – Yes!!! Falling Prices – No!!! (Isn’t that backwards?)

We Roll Back The Prices, You Roll Back Civilization

Price Cutter or Box Cutter?

A week later, at CPAC, they’ll be showing the “world premiere” of The Ground Zero Mosque: The Second Wave of the 911 Attacks.

Ok…

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‘Lied Through His Teeth’: Senator Warns RFK Jr. Undermining Vaccine Will ‘Kill’ Kids

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May 16, 2025

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U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) is accusing Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of lying during his Senate testimony this week, and warning that the HHS chief’s efforts to destroy faith in the measles vaccine will lead to children dying.

“It’s not a small thing that Trump’s Cabinet thinks Congress and the American people are so dumb that they can tell brazen lies over and over. We can’t normalize this,” Senator Murphy urged.

“The way in which Trump and Trump’s cabinet lie through their teeth, unapologetically and brazenly, to Congress and the American people, is outrageous,” Murphy said in video (below) he posted online Friday. “And I really worry that we risk normalizing it by not calling it out when it happens.”

He called the exchange he had with RFK Jr. “maddening” and “heartbreaking,” and said the HHS Secretary “essentially says that he’s no longer recommending that families get the measles vaccine. That’s going to kill hundreds, if not thousands of kids in this country.”

Murphy then played a clip from Kennedy’s testimony (which NCRM covered earlier this week), and, he said, caught Kennedy in a lie.

RELATED: ‘None of That Is True’: RFK Jr. Fact-Checked Repeatedly in Heated Senate Hearing

“By the way,” Kennedy told Murphy, “I said at the [House] hearing this morning that I was recommending the measles vaccine,” and told him to “look at the transcript.”

“So guess what I did?” Murphy says. “I went and checked the House transcript. It’s hours of testimony. I and my staff watched all of it, and guess what? Nowhere, nowhere in that transcript does he say he recommends the measles vaccine.”

“He lied through his teeth, and he did it because all of these MAGA sycophants have gotten used to lying. Donald Trump does it all the time, so they think they can do it as well. But we can’t normalize this because you can’t run a country if your leaders are lying to you every single day,” the Connecticut Democrat warned.

“RFK Jr. doesn’t support the measles vaccine, and he shouldn’t pretend that he does. He undermines the vaccine on a daily basis and whether we like his conspiracy theory positions or not, he should just be honest with the American people. They should all be honest with the American people, and none of us should normalize or get used to this amount of lying.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘It Meant Assassination’: Trump Blasts ‘Dirty Cop’ Comey for ‘8647’

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‘It Meant Assassination’: Trump Blasts ‘Dirty Cop’ Comey for ‘8647’

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May 16, 2025

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President Donald Trump is attacking the FBI Director he fired, Jim Comey, who is reportedly under investigation  over a photo of sea shells formed into the numbers 8647. Top Trump law enforcement and intelligence officials claim it is a call for the assassination of the 47th President, although “86” is generally understood to mean “reject” or “eject,” and, since the 1930s, in restaurant parlance, has meant a menu item is unavailable.

“He knew exactly what that meant,” President Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview that will air Friday evening. “A child knows what that meant.”

“If you’re the FBI Director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant ‘assassination.’ And it says it loud and clear,” Trump alleged.

READ MORE: GOP Plan Redefines Dependent Child as ‘Under 7’—But Adds Loophole for Married Couples

“Now, he wasn’t very competent, but he was competent enough to know what that meant, and he did it for a reason, and he was hit so hard because people like me, and they like what’s happening with our country. Our country’s become respected again,” the President claimed. “And he’s calling for the assassination of the president.”

Baier interjected, saying: “Obviously, he apologized and said he —”

“Well, he apologized because he was hit,” Trump also claimed. “Look, he’s a very bad —”

When asked what he wants to see happen to the former Director of the FBI, Trump said he did not want to weigh in, and would let his Attorney General handle it.

“I don’t want to take a position on it because that’s gonna be up to Pam [Bondi] and all of the great people, but I will say this. I think it’s a terrible thing. And when you add his history to that, if he had a clean history, he doesn’t.”

“He’s a dirty cop. He’s a dirty cop. And if he had a clean history, I could understand if there was a leniency. But I’m going to let them make that decision.”

READ MORE: ‘Mad King’: Trump Teases ‘Fourth’ Term to U.S. Troops Overseas

Trump Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told Fox News on Thursday night she thinks Comey should go to prison for posting the “8647” photo.

Asked, “Do you believe Comey should be in jail?” Gabbard replied, “I do.”

“Any other person with the position of influence that he has,” she added, “people who take very seriously what what a guy of his stature, his experience, and what the propaganda media has built him up to be?”

“I’m very concerned for the president’s life. We’ve already seen assassination attempts,” she continued. “I’m very concerned for his life, and James Comey, in my view, should be held accountable and put behind bars for this.”

But others commenting via social media were quick to point to a number of “86” posts apparently made by right wing influencers and even a former member of Congress, as well as T-shirts for sale during the Biden years.

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Significant Damage’: Walmart’s ‘Magnitude’ Warning to Consumers Spurs Trump Tariff Critics

 

Image via Reuters

 

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‘Mad King’: Trump Teases ‘Fourth’ Term to U.S. Troops Overseas

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May 15, 2025

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During a rally-style appearance before uniformed U.S. troops in Qatar on Thursday, President Donald Trump—serving as their Commander-in-Chief—floated the idea of a “fourth” term and falsely claimed victory in the 2020 election he lost. The appearance drew swift criticism for blurring the line between military service and political theater.

“As you know, we won three elections, okay?” Trump told the largely silent troops (video below). “And some people want us to do a fourth. I don’t know—I’ll have to think about that.”

“You saw the new, the new hat. The hottest hat is, it says, ‘Trump 2028: We’re driving the left crazy.'”

“When you see that. We didn’t need that hat, but, uh, it was it’s been an amazing period of time,” he concluded.

READ MORE: ‘Significant Damage’: Walmart’s ‘Magnitude’ Warning to Consumers Spurs Trump Tariff Critics

Noting that Trump was speaking “at the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East,” CNN reported that the President “thanked the U.S. troops for political support.”

“There’s – nobody been stronger than the military in terms of backing us, nobody,” Trump said. “So, I just want to thank you all very much. Great honor. Thank you very much.”

CBS News national security coordinating producer Jim LaPorta, who has reported extensively on the military, wrote: “If this was a rally, the president’s remarks would be fine. But in front of service members who are expected to be apolitical, many Defense Department officials would find these remarks inappropriate.”

READ MORE: ‘Deeply Fascist’: Massive Banner of Trump on Government Building Sparks ‘North Korea’ Vibes

The Bulwark’s Sam Stein observed: “Treating the troops like they’re at a campaign rally and sowing doubt about the past and future of American elections — all in one soundbite.”

Democratic pollster and strategist Luke Martin called it “especially jarring to see Trump flirting with blowing a hole in the Constitution in front of an entire crowd of people who literally swore an oath to protect it with their life.”

Independent journalist Mike Rothschild noted: “Making a statement like this in front of active duty troops would have generated months of scandal, hearings, and resignations in years gone by. Now it’s just another Thursday with the Mad King.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: GOP Plan Redefines Dependent Child as ‘Under 7’—But Adds Loophole for Married Couples

 

Image via Reuters

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