of americans think that even though there s a rhtig to bud there a center that will include a mosque and ather things, which we ll talk about in a minute, the wisdom of it may not be there. well, here s the is that political or is that just people saying it s sensitivitywise, it s the wrong thing to do? i am extremely concerned with sensitivity. but i also have a responsibility. if we move from that location, the story will be that the radicals have taken over the discourse. the headlines in the muslim world will be that islam is under attack. and i m less concerned about the radicals in america than i m concerned about the radicals in the muslim world. but isn t that also saying you re less concerned about the voices of opposition here?
and i ask, what is the solution? what is the solution to create an advancement of peace? we have to advance a discourse on peace. our politicians get it. isn t that the opposite of peace? two sides yelling at each other with placards two blocks from ground zero? which people i think here in new yorknd around the country would say that is sacred land. that is that s a special place for everyone in america. is tt is that a step toward peace there? well, as clyde haberman and many, many people have said, look at what exists in that neighbor hood. look at what exists around the corner. oh, i believe me, i live downtown so i know the or neighborhood very well. so let s be clear.la calling this particular block sacred ground and what exists there, there s, you know . strip clubs and delis. i ve been there a million times. i think when people call it sacred ground, they re saying something terrible happened on this spot and we can t we ve got to be fair. you can t say
getting to know each other. right now, it s kind of a screaming match in front of a store front. because the radicals on both have taken over the discourse. but do you think gain, when you look at when you ask your average american, 71% say that they think it s a bad ia. that the wisdom is not there in doing this. so are those people radicals? no. are they islamaphobic? no, it s because people are concerned. people want this problem to go away. i have been in this neighborhood for 25 years.
islam today. had moderate which has to be waged and which is being waged and which must be waged. have moderate muslims been vocal enough agast extremists? in the muslim world, there are many people who have been vocal, and we have been very vocal against extremists. but how to win this battle is an ongoing battle. and we must continue to wage the .attle for peace what is the likelihood, do you think, of another 9/11-type attack here? think of that. i hate to think of that. it but you ve said security, national security, is of obviously great concern to you. it is of fundamental importance to us. i mean, look at what 9/11 did to our country. it traumatized the country. it has created a situation where muslims are under even greater suspicious. it is important for us to to change that discourse, to change that perception. and how can we change this perception, soledad, if we don t engage, if we don t dialogue, if we don t get to knowach other? engaging and dialogue a
how we speak about it. and what we do. it is important for us now to raise the bar on our conversation n what s the risk, when you say national security ? what s the risk? as i ments iod, because, if we move, it means the radicals have shaped the discourse.di the radica will shape the discourse on both sides. and those of us who are moderates on both sides, you see, soledad, the battle front is not between muslims and n-muslims. the real battle front is between moderates on all sides of all ad the faith traditions and the radicals on all sides. the radicals actually feed off each other. and in some kind of a existential way, need each other. and the more that the radicals are able to control the discourse on one side, it strengthens the radicals on the other side and vice versa. we have to turn this around. let me play a question from an i-reporter.ka her name is kathy cornsend. she s in fullerton, california. why couldn t you find another place? i just feel like there s an