Well, folks, after two years of lurking and commenting on this wonderful site, I'm finally biting the bullet and posting my first diary. We'll see how this rolls!
Hysterical opposition to a mosque and cultural center near ground zero. A rally in Florida to burn copies of the Quran. A Texas mosque looted and burned. And a First Amendment to the Constitution that provides for ones right to practice whatever religion one wishes…..oh, wait. I digress.
The “any religion as long as it’s Christianity” fervor seems to be sweeping the land, and it has now reached the Left Coast.
The City of Temecula is located in Riverside County, inland from the San Diego coastal region, separated by mountains and the Cleveland National Forest. Mirroring the rest of California’s political complexion, the inland area is predominantly red and conservative, made up mostly of bedroom communities that provide the housing for those employed closer to the coast. Temecula has had rapid growth since the 1980s and is now over 100,000 people.
The city of Temecula has a Muslim demographic that has long had a place of worship in the community and they have long taken part in city life. While making do with a warehouse, the Muslim community has finally raised funds to build a proper mosque. The Islamic Center of Temecula Valley is moving ahead with plans to build a 24,943-square-foot mosque on a vacant, four-acre plot in the southeast portion of Temecula. The vacant land lies on one side of a cul-de-sac, with the other side the home of a Baptist Church. And it is the pastor of this church who is fueling virulent opposition to the mosque, The local Tea Party has denied charges that they assisted with organizing the protest.
So far, the opposition has not been widespread, and the fact that the Islamic Center has been a familiar face in the community for the last 6 years has generated support for their proposal as well.
But this issue, and this diary, would not be complete without a classic Christian Taliban quote, taken from the Riverside Press Enterprise. It was spoken by Diane Serafin, of nearby Murrieta, who attended a protest last Friday's protest:
"Islam is a political movement, and Muslims are trying to impose Sharia law on America. I am not a prejudiced person ... (But) don't force your religion on me and don't force your political movement on me."