Full Text of HR1385 96th General Assembly
HR1385 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, September 11, 2010 marks the 9th anniversary of | 3 | | the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, where | 4 | | almost 3,000 people were killed in suicide attacks by Islamic | 5 | | terrorists linked to al-Qaeda; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, The events of September 11th served as a catalyst | 7 | | for the "war on terror", which has become one of the largest | 8 | | scale international conflicts in history; the "war on terror" | 9 | | has involved combat operations in nearly a dozen countries, | 10 | | supported by hundreds of thousands of American troops | 11 | | throughout the last 9 years; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, The lasting physical effects of the attack can | 13 | | still be seen at the former site of the World Trade Center; | 14 | | American sentiment claims this location as hallowed ground, | 15 | | with thousands of people visiting the site every year to pay | 16 | | respects to those who perished in the cowardly attacks and to | 17 | | show support for the ongoing "war on terror"; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, The American Society for Muslim Advancement and | 19 | | the Cordoba Institute have proposed a development plan to build | 20 | | a $100 million mosque and Muslim Community Center at 45 Park | 21 | | Place in Lower Manhattan; this location is a mere 2 blocks from | 22 | | Ground Zero, which has provoked concern among segments of the |
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| 1 | | American public and politicians from both parties alike; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The perpetrators of the September 11th attacks | 3 | | were Muslim extremists; while the proposed mosque and Muslim | 4 | | Community Center would be a place of peace and worship, many | 5 | | Americans question the appropriateness of honoring Islam in | 6 | | such close proximity to Ground Zero, where thousands died and | 7 | | hundreds of victims were never recovered; and | 8 | | WHEREAS, Typically, tragedies of such large scale are | 9 | | honored at the site with monuments to remember and honor the | 10 | | fallen; the proposed building of a mosque and Muslim Religious | 11 | | Center in such close proximity to the site of the attack has | 12 | | been controversial and could negatively impact those visiting | 13 | | the area to pay respects to the thousands of innocent victims; | 14 | | and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Throughout history, the locations of tragic | 16 | | occurrences and monuments have been claimed by the victims and | 17 | | families of victims to memorialize the event and honor its | 18 | | victims; the decision to allow the American Society for Muslim | 19 | | Advancement and the Cordoba Institute to build a mosque and | 20 | | Muslim Religious Center at Ground Zero has energized protests | 21 | | across the U.S., generating negative media attention and | 22 | | jeopardizing the integrity of future memorials; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, While freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and | 2 | | property rights allow for such a structure to be built, | 3 | | sensitivity to the concerns of American citizens should be | 4 | | prioritized by choosing another location for the Muslim | 5 | | Community Center to show respect for the lives lost on | 6 | | September 11, 2001; therefore, be it
| 7 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 8 | | NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 9 | | urge the American Society for Muslim Advancement and the | 10 | | Cordoba Institute to reconsider their plans regarding the | 11 | | building of a mosque and Muslim Community Center in such close | 12 | | proximity to the site of the largest scale tragedy in the | 13 | | United States to date; and be it further
| 14 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 15 | | presented to President Barack Obama, New York City Mayor | 16 | | Michael R. Bloomberg, New York Governor David A. Patterson, and | 17 | | the Manhattan Community Board.
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