Not long before Rosh Hashana, I was asked by the NY Jewish Week’s Jim Besser about the anti-Islamic activity that’s been going on. I tried, as he reports, to not mince words:

“The OU was at the forefront, along with other religious groups, in working to get RLUIPA passed,” [he said, referring to the 2000 law making it harder for local authorities to bar the building of synagogues, mosques and churches.]

“We know very well from our own experience how local communities use zoning laws or other devices to oppose the construction of houses of worship.”

“The notion of burning holy texts should not only offend, but send chills down the spine of anybody, especially in the Jewish community, which has seen its own holy texts burned over the centuries,” Diament said. “This has no place in the United States.”

Over at the Washington Post, I expressed my reservations about the wisdom of building the Cordoba Center near “ground zero” – but the statements of late are too much and must be rejected.

Posted by Nathan Diament