Yup, Sha’ban hits it on the head.
Ramadan says the following in his Washington Post op-ed:
No doubt, it is the legitimate right of Muslims to build a community center near Ground Zero. Yet, I believe it is not a wise decision, considering the collective sensitivities in American society. This is a moment to go beyond rights and reach for the common good: To build it elsewhere, if possible, would be a sensible and symbolic move. Doing so does not mean we must accept the false premise that Islam is responsible for 9/11, and it does not mean sacrificing one’s rights to the populist, neoconservative and religious fundamentalist voices that seek to transform the issue into a new clash of civilizations.
Just why is it unwise, and how does affirming the feeling (never mind the cynical manipulation) that Muslims were in general responsible for the 9/11 attacks not mean that we accept the “false premise that Islam is responsible for 9/11″? Just what symbolism and good sense will Muslims get credit for? If Rauf moves, does that mean he was never a radical imam as has been repeated over and over again? Would it mean that Islam is now a religion and not a political ideology? Would it mean that Muslims are no longer trying to impose Shariah? Does Ramadan think that moving an already existing prayer space will actually change anything?