A Muslim civil rights advocate says it’s “concerning” that more prominent New York Democrats aren’t speaking up in the debate over new mosque projects in New York City. Ibrahim Ramey, civil rights director for the Muslim American Society in Washington, told me today that it surprises him how few Democratic politicians have spoken up as angry right-wing protesters have taken on mosque projects in Staten Island, Brooklyn and, of course, lower Manhattan.
“It’s been very, very disappointing really,” Ramey said. “To the extent that we’re not hearing from prominent Democrats, it really is a concerning thing. Concerning for Muslims and for the nation as a whole.”
Check out TPM’s roundup on what New York Dems have said — and haven’t said — about the issue here.
Ramey said for him, it’s not about the politics. He just expects more politicians to offer the no-holds-barred statements in support of Muslim rights that he said New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg did in his recent speech endorsing the so-called Ground Zero mosque project.
“This is not an issue of one political faction versus another,” Ramey said. “This is about First Amendment rights.”
Ramey said that prominent Republicans have been more than willing to make hay from the project.
“Some Republicans, like Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin have used it to build up their own public identity with conservatives and and pull money in,” Ramey said.
Other Republicans, Ramey was quick to add, have been vocal in support of Muslim rights.
“Ron Paul has been very good on the issue of affirming universal justice and human rights,” Ramey said. He said that Paul has spoken to Muslim groups when other Republicans haven’t.
But at the epicenter of some of the most heated debate about Muslim rights — New York City — Ramey said that many Democrats have been surprisingly quiet even as Republicans have had no problem speaking up.
“It’s very appropriate to raise the question of where Democratic politicians stand on the issue of the First Amendment and the civil rights of Muslims,” Ramey said. “If they’re not speaking out strongly in support of [those rights], that should concern not just Muslims in America but all Americans.”
Evan McMorris-Santoro
Evan McMorris-Santoro has covered politics for TPM since 2009. Before that, he was a reporter at National Journal’s Hotline covering election 2008. He started his career covering local politics at newspapers in TN and his native NC.
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