A Marine, a Mosque, a Question

Leave it to a Marine to ask the right questions!

A Marine, a Mosque, a Question
By JIM DWYER
Published: June 18, 2010
A few hours after the town hall meeting began, deep into the question-and-answer portion, Bill Finnegan lined up for a turn at the microphone. He had not come with any intention to speak, but as the evening dragged on, he changed his mind.

A Muslim group had made a deal to buy an empty convent from the Catholic parish of St. Margaret Mary in the Midland Beach section of Staten Island and open a mosque. A civic association organized a meeting with representatives of the group, the Muslim American Society, on the evening of June 9. Mr. Finnegan had gone, he said later, to “see what all the hoopla was about.”

Mr. Finnegan, 25, began by introducing himself. “I said, ‘My name is Bill Finnegan, and I’m a United States Marine recently returned from Afghanistan,’ ” he said.


Cheers rang out. He turned to the representatives of the Muslim group, seated at a table in the front.


“My question to you is, will you work to form a cohesive bond with the people of this community?” he asked.


The men said yes.


Mr. Finnegan then faced the audience. “And will you work to form a cohesive bond with these people — your new neighbors?” he asked.


The crowd booed. A voice called out: “No!”

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A Marine a Mosque a Question