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[MUSIC]
MODERATOR: We're going to end with a video
question, Mr. President.
This is from Anthony in San Diego.
AUDIENCE: Hi, President Clinton.
My name is Anthony.
I wanted to know what your opinion is on the
mosque at Ground Zero?
WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON: First of all, I have an
almost radical view on the First Amendment.
I believe that people should be free to practice their faith.
What the Muslim group wants to do is to build a community
center near Ground Zero.
It's clearly a decision for the city of New York to make.
The mayor supports it, and they've gotten the requisite
approvals, so I think they ought to be able to do it.
I think we should be sensitive to the fact that a lot of
Americans are still really hurting over what happened at
Ground Zero, and that we still have security threats
in the world.
The biggest threat, in my view, remains al-Qaeda and their
affiliates, who are Muslim, and purport to speak in
the name of religion.
They purport to be doing their religious duty.
I think much, maybe even most, of the controversy of this
decision could've been avoided, and perhaps still can be.
If the people who want to build the center would simply say, we
are dedicating this center to all the Muslims who
were killed on 9/11.
I haven't heard anybody talk about that.
We've all forgotten there were a lot of Muslims
killed on 9/11.
If they were to do that, they would be sending several
important signals.
They would be saying, not all Muslims are terrorists.
Most of us are far from it.
We died too.
We share your pain.
We're not insensitive to it.
We recognize that the Muslims who killed them were murderers.
It seems to be that a lot of the objections that have been
raised against it would just wipe away-- if they just said,
we are dedicating this Islamic center to the memory of the
people who were killed on 9/11 who share our faith.
They can give you the names, and tell you how many there
were, and I think it would surprise most Americans.
I think most americans may still not know that there
was a substantial number of Muslims killed on 9/11.
MODERATOR: [? Isn't that ?]
[? the truth. ?]
President Clinton, we're out of time.
I wish we had more.
I really appreciate you answering these questions,
and we've love to do it again sometime.
WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON: I'd like it.
Thank you.
Thanks, Steve.
MODERATOR: Thanks.