This is a rush transcript from "Glenn Beck," August 24, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
GLENN BECK, HOST: From Washington, D.C. all this week, welcome to the program.
Yesterday, I showed you the president's favorite website and how they pulled out the under-utilized "liar, liar — pants on fire" argument to make the claim that I was somehow or another being hypocritical on the Ground Zero imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf. It's some of the worst reporting I have ever seen. That is saying something. I mean, have you picked up The Washington Post lately?
Anyway, I never endorsed this imam and I've never condemned this imam. What I've said is there are some highly questionable statements surrounding this man that should be looked into before he is allowed to build a mosque a block away from Ground Zero or for that matter, in Kansas.
It seems like a reasonable request. I just want answers. But no, nobody in the media wants to do that. We're just being told, shut up, even though it doesn't add up.
The administration wants you to believe that this imam, Rauf, is busy being an ambassador for the United States around the globe, on taxpayer money, and that's totally normal. While he is doing that, the wife of this imam is back home in the United States, on national television, saying that all Americans hate Muslims.
Shouldn't we find out if this ambassador — what he thinks about that claim from his wife?
And then we have this — here's the latest — a speech given by Rauf in 2005. It's just been uncovered. And here is what the America-loving ambassador had to say:
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, IMAM: We tend to forget in the West that the United States has more Muslim blood on its hands than Al Qaeda has on its hands of innocent non-Muslims.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BECK: Hmm, I wonder who has more blood on their hands of Muslims, us or Al Qaeda?
Did you see this? America is worse than Al Qaeda. Sounds like he kind of agrees with his wife, doesn't it? So, it should come as no surprise that opposition to the Ground Zero mosque has risen from 54 percent to 62 percent in just the last couple of days.
The opposition isn't growing because Americans hate Muslims. It's because we're using common sense. It's growing because this particular Muslim seems to be connected to people who hate America.
Regular people are looking at this issue with common sense. You get it. You get that Muslims have a right to build a mosque next to Ground Zero or anyplace they want to. You just question the wisdom of it.
But more importantly, you realize that the building of this mosque isn't about location. It is about what this mosque may stand for.
Who's building this mosque? Where are they getting the money? What is their motive for building it by Ground Zero? You get it. But right outside this window is the Capitol. No, they don't get it. Politicians don't get it.
You've got Governor Paterson meeting today to talk about the mosque. He's renewed his offer to give state assistance to the project's developers if they care to move.
Well, let me ask you something: How does changing the location of a mosque that may be dangerous answer any of the concerns raised by this imam's questionable comments? How? Is it better somehow to have the guy who says America is worse than Al Qaeda 15 blocks away — as opposed to four?
The question shouldn't be where to build this mosque? It should be: Do we build it in the first place with these people?
Paterson doesn't get it. Bloomberg doesn't get it.
Bloomberg has green-lit this project at the same time he's out there in the media eloquently defending the right of Muslims to build a mosque, which no one is arguing with. I mean, have they built any mosques since September 11? Have there been any mosque — because I haven't heard anybody screaming and yelling about it. It's this one!
While he's doing that, he's not going to support a Greek Orthodox Church's efforts to rebuild their church. St. Nicholas Church, the only house of worship destroyed in the September 11th attacks — destroyed. The city hasn't been able to get that one done in 10 years, but they have no problem voting nine to zero to support $100 million mosque that no one knows where the money is coming from.
And the imam and his wife have a habit of making anti-American comments. No problem with that. Whoa, whoa, St. Nicholas? Who is this St. Nicholas guy?
Excuse me?
They also don't have a problem supporting a small Christian group called the Bronx Household of Faith. You'd think that the small Christian group that's just been trying to find a meeting place, that's trying to rent out a vacant space in a school building on the weekends, you'd think the city would have no problem saying OK. No, the city says absolutely not.
They are supposed to let anyone use that space so long as the purpose is "pertaining to the welfare of the community" — end quote. They've literally been in and out of court fighting this small group of Christians for 15 years. But the city is going to give money and incentives to build this mosque if they'll move it.
Something is not right.
People opposing the mosque don't need to be investigated like Nancy Pelosi says.
Here's — here's what you're going to find: They're using common sense. Oh, sure, there are a few people who are dummies. But most of Americans are just using their gut and common sense.
It's those in charge that seem to be putting an agenda ahead of common sense. Maybe they should be investigated. Man, I have an idea! If we could just find someone in the media that wasn't compliant.
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