The Islamic Center at Ground Zero is a "Rabat"

Fr. Z has an excellent post today that everyone in the country who believes Islam is a "religion of peace" needs to read. In fact, the building at ground zero is not a mosque or "cultural center" (There is no such thing as a cultural center in Islam which a religion practiced by many clutures.) It is, in fact, a "rabat." A rabat is a "point of contact" (one can think of the point of a spear). After each raid, Mohammed ordered the building of a rabat in the heart of the territory which included a place to train future raiders for their next attack. Fr. Z quotes from an article by Amir Taheri:

In fact, the proposed structure is known in Islamic history as a rabat—literally a connector. The first rabat appeared at the time of the Prophet.

The Prophet imposed his rule on parts of Arabia through a series of ghazvas, or razzias (the origin of the English word "raid"). The ghazva was designed to terrorize the infidels, convince them that their civilization was doomed and force them to submit to Islamic rule. Those who participated in the ghazva were known as the ghazis, or raiders.

After each ghazva, the Prophet ordered the creation of a rabat—or a point of contact at the heart of the infidel territory raided. The rabat consisted of an area for prayer, a section for the raiders to eat and rest and facilities to train and prepare for future razzias. [The "athletic" component I alluded to earlier.] Later Muslim rulers used the tactic of ghazva to conquer territory in the Persian and Byzantine empires. After each raid, they built a rabat to prepare for the next razzia.

Fr. Z. ends his post by quoting again from Amir Taheri. who describes the increasing in-you-face activities of Islam including closing down city streets during rush hour for "prayer."

This thirst for visibility is translated into increasingly provocative forms of hijab, notably the niqab (mask) and the burqa. The same quest mobilized hundreds of Muslims in Paris the other day to close a whole street so that they could have a Ramadan prayer in the middle of the rush hour. [These open demonstrations are escalating.]

One of those taking part in the demonstration told French radio that the aim was to "show we are here." "You used to be in our capitals for centuries," he said. "Now, it is our turn to be in the heart of your cities."

Before deciding whether to support or oppose the "Cordoba" project, New Yorkers should consider what it is that they would be buying.

The video below shows the prayer blockade being conducted in Paris every Friday. For an accompanying article go here. There's also an email making the rounds that ostensibly shows such a demonstration every Friday in Manhattan. It shows pictures that actually come from an annual Islamic parade that includes a prayer event.  Can it happen here, however? Absolutely! Islam maintains a low profile until it has the power to make demands. What is happening in Paris and in Great Britain is a warning. So is the reality in Islamic lands. Examine the persecution of Christians in the Sudan, Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait. We ignore the truth at our own peril.