Staten Island priest withdraws support for convent sale to MAS

Staten Island priest withdraws support for convent sale to MAS

convent/SI Advance photo

Fr. Keith Fennesy, pastor of St. Margaret Mary Church of Midland Beach, Staten Island recently withdrew support for the sale of the church’s empty convent to the radical Muslim group, MAS.
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SI ADVANCE UPDATE>>> MAS responds to the pastor's withdrawal of support:

photo of Mahdi Bray, executive director of MAS

The MAS response is dated today and bears a Washington dateline.

The text reads as follows:

"In reference to Rev. Keith Fennessy's letter withdrawing his support for the mosque purchase sale in Staten Island, N.Y., we feel strongly that much of what is taking place now is being driven by fear and hysteria, with some of it being stirred up by professional groups that have a history of being prejudiced against Muslims.

We are American citizens and we love our country. We do not operate as an extension of any non-American religious or political organization. What have we done wrong to cause anyone to deny us the right to build a house of worship?

Nevertheless, we believe in the good will of the Catholic community leaders, and that ultimately they will do the right thing and allow this sale to be completed. We know that the Catholic community in the past has endured some of the same prejudice and fear mongering that we, as Muslims, are now facing.

What should we tell our children? That as Muslims we are second class citizens without religious and civil rights? Or that the 1st and 14th Amendments of the United States Constitution become void merely because you are an American Muslim?

We firmly believe that the majority of Catholics in this great nation of ours does not share the view that people should be denied their religious and constitutional rights to build a house of worship simply because their faith tradition is different from the tradition of many of their neighbors.

The call to resist prejudice and bigotry is both a moral and a spiritual imperative shared by all faiths within the Abrahamic tradition. Sometimes it is difficult to face the hysteria of prejudice, yet this is exactly what all people of faith are called to do. And, despite this letter, we remain optimistic that our intention to build a place of worship in this community in Staten Island will be successful.

We believe this, because we believe that the goodness and decency of the American people will ultimately triumph over religious prejudice and fear."

[end of MAS response]

Hopefully, the decent American people will not accept a group that embraces hate & terror, the rejection of MAS is not about religion but a rejection of hate.

If Muslims wish to hide behind religion for protection, while they join groups such as MAS to usurp our constitution shame on them; hopefully the decent American people will not be useful idiots for such nefarious ideology and organizations.

Click here to read more about MAS