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Panel's Reactions to Imam Rauf's Interview on Mosque Controversy; Punk'd Iraqi Style; CNN Political Ticker; Home and Away

Aired September 09, 2010 - 09:59   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It's been a tense few days near downtown Los Angeles. On Sunday, an LAPD officer shot and killed a day laborer. Police say that the Guatemalan man was drunk, had a knife and lunged at a woman and then went after a cop.

People have been protesting in the streets pretty much ever since. Some hurled bottles and rocks at the cops who fired back with foam bullets and flash bangs. Fires, arrests, just an ugly scene outside last night; there was an ugly scene inside, too.

L.A.'s police chief, Charlie Beck, held a meeting last night with the community. He wanted to give people the department's side of the story to calm things down. This will give you an idea of how it went.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLIE BECK, CHIEF, LOS ANGELES POLICE: She referred to the officers as her angels, the descendent from heaven, and she said --

(BOOING)

BECK: And she said that the officers saved her life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know Mr. Jamines should not have had a knife, but cobarde (ph) Hernandez should not have had a gun and should never have one again. Why haven't you even suspended him?

BRANSON (voice-over): A man claiming to be Jamines's relative spoke in Spanish.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The question is, why did they have to shoot him instead of just disarm him?

BECK: We don't teach police officers to take knifes away from people.

BRANSON (voice-over): Jose Larrios claimed the officer was known in the community.

JOSE FELIX LARRIOS, WESTLAKE DISTRICT RESIDENT: I'm very angry. Because the officer that killed Manuel, the people is -- the officer is very bad person. Very bad.

BRANSON (on camera) Why?

LARRIOS: It's every day. He -- every day, he working in the area. Many incidents, him.

BRANSON (voice-over): The past two nights, tensions escalated in the streets. Officers in riot gear kept a rowdy and destructive crowd under control. They hurled bottles, set dumpster fires, and charged LAPD's Rampart Station.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys need to stop portraying my people like we're the ones causing all this ruckus around this community. Because there's a lot of people that are just waiting for an opportunity to erupt so they can start another LA riot.

BECK: I promise you a fair and transparent investigation. While that investigation continues, we have peace in our streets.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Let's bring in a reporter Suraya Fadel from our affiliate KCAL. She's actually in the West Lake area of L.A. where that shooting happened.

Bring us up to date on how the community is respond today, Suraya.

SURAYA FADEL, REPORTER, KCAL-TV: Well, you know, Kyra, emotions are still high. Three days of evening protests. Many folks who live and work here are angry. They want answers. They don't understand why this 37-year-old Guatemalan native was shot and killed.

They do know that right behind us is where there's a makeshift memorial. There have been candles. There have been flowers. This has been the site out here in this West Lake district, not too far from downtown Los Angeles, where these protesters have been out here taking to the streets, really expressing their outrage. They feel the shooting was unjustified, they feel other measures should have been taken. However LAPD has a different story.

Three veteran officers who responded to calls out here say that a man was waving a knife. He had knife in hand - a bloody knife in hand - he was threatening people out here in a crowded street on a Sunday afternoon. There was a pregnant woman with her child who feared for her life, reportedly. And when officers responded and demanded in English and Spanish for that individual Manuel Jimenez, to drop his weapon, he didn't. He reportedly lashed out and went toward the three officers with the weapon in hand and shots were fired.

It has sparked outrage. There's a lot of finger pointing. Police Chief Beck telling us that there is an investigation under way. He is promising a thorough and transparent internal investigation. The police commission is involved. But it will take some time before there are any answers.

PHILLIPS: Suraya, let me ask you about the community, the dynamic of the community, and also these cops that were involved with these shootings. You know, in many of these communities, the cops have grown up in these neighborhoods and they go back and actually serve in communities that they come from. These cops are Hispanic, correct? And this is a heavily Hispanic community. Do we know how long they had been working this beat and if they knew this neighborhood well, if they were even from this neighborhood?

FADEL: Well, from what I understand and from talking to Police Chief Charlie Beck and the residents who live here, these three officers are veteran officers with the Los Angeles Police Department. I am told they are known names and faces. They work this beat. They patrol this area. And on Sunday afternoon, they were patrolling this area. They were on bike patrol, actually on bikes. Many folks here know these men and women who work this beat. They are of Hispanic descent we understand. One of them is 37 years old. They know their names, their names have been released.

And this community, Kyra, you may remember when you were working here years ago, this is a melting pot of sorts. There are Latin Americans here, a lot of Central Americans, South Americans; hard working people who live and work in this community, take pride in this community. And many of them, especially on the weekend, are street vendors out here who really walk up and down these streets. They shop here, they actually eat here. So it's a very crowded, congested area; heavily Hispanic community with Central/South Americans as well as Mexican- Americans who live out here.

PHILLIPS: Yes, yes, I do. I remember that community well and it's a shame to see what's happening among the people, and also what's happening within the LAPD. We'll continue to follow the story, of course.

Suraya, really appreciate it so much.

We want to push this story forward. We've got Ed Reyes. He's an L.A. City councilman who has encouraged people in his district to attend that meeting we talked about last night, that community meeting. We also have Pablo Alvarado, he's the director of the National Laborer Network. We thank you both for being with me today.

Let me just kind of gauge how both of you are feeling right now and where this stands at this point.

Pablo, were these officers, you know, a pretty common part of this community? Did they know the folks well? As you heard Suraya mention, they had been on this beat for quite a long time.

Were there relationships already formed among these cops and the people within the community?

PABLO ALVARADO, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL DAY LABORER NETWORK: Well, you have to understand that this is where Rampart police scandal took place. This is where the police repressed immigrant activists right a few years ago during our immigrant rights rally. This is a place where chess players have been arrested. So there is an intense and aggressive police enforcement in the area and very few examples of police and community collaborations.

So the community has legitimate questions, legitimate concerns, and they want answers. Obviously, my organization is asking the community to come out. They have the right to come out and demonstrate, express their frustrations, their views, while we must do it in a peaceful and respectful way.

PHILLIPS: You bring up a good point, Pablo. I remember the Rampart police scandal and it was outrageous.

Councilman, maybe this is where I can bring you in. You've been living in the city quite a long time, you've been involved in politics. There were a lot of changes that were made after that police scandal, and there has been a lot of history of tension between the police and the community. It's also been a high crime area and they've had to be active in that area.

But changes were implemented to diversify and create better community relations and even Suraya pointed out, the reporter there for KCAL, that these cops were on bikes. And that was part of those changes that went down, was putting more cops on foot to get to know the community.

ED REYES, LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL: Absolutely. And I thank you for bringing that up. I feel very frustrated. I feel angry that we have to be at this place when we have taken such strong efforts to enhance communication, to create trust. And because of this incident, we have to rebuild to a certain degree.

But, you're right. This is 70,000 people per square mile in this very dense pocket of the city. This is a place where many of the folks are enduring real hardships. We have gangs who are trying to take over sidewalks and corners. We have people from the outside coming in, trying to take advantage of the people who live there.

But it's the people who live there last night who I heard who are living in fear, who want to see justice, want to know information, they want to be kept abreast, they want that transparency. And that's what we're going to offer them, that's what we're going to work for.

Last night was our first attempt to have that face-to-face with the Chief of Police, with the commanding staff, with the inspector general, to demonstrate that there will be some independent analysis. We're going to have the report and we're going to keep them close to the process.

But, more importantly, we want to make sure that there is justice. My heart goes out to the family. It is a tragedy. He was a father. A family has been affected in a very emotional and very real way in those 40 seconds. So we have a lot to answer to, but at the same time, we need to preserve a sense of peace, calm. The Guatemalan community is a wonderful community, they're a peaceful community. The consulate general was there last night. We were speaking in their dialect, in Spanish, in English. We got three languages going last night.

Unfortunately there are some folks from the outside world coming in, and are being very abusive, and taking advantage of the local people who live there. So it is a very stressful time. It's a time to need to find ways to heal, at the same time, build upon the progress we've had in the last 10 years.

As a council member, I saw Chief Beck when he was the capital there. We have gone to people's living rooms. We've got to different places. I established First Day Laborer in Los Angeles, 15, 18 years ago. We understand the role of the immigrant, we understand the role of what we contribute to this country. And we want respect, we want dignity.

At the same time, we know that we're in a place where we have an anti- immigrant environment. There's a lot of frustration. There is unemployment. People are struggling to survive, and all this tension is emerging -- and this is the flashpoint. And at this juncture, we need to proceed in a manner that is transparent and that's going to be our objective and that's going to take every day from here on. We're going to take those steps.

ROBERTS: Pablo, let me bring you in on this.

Is it going to be enough for the community, a transparent investigation? Manuel Jimenez did have a knife. There is testimony that he went after this one woman with a knife, and also that he went after the cop with a knife.

If the investigation going forward and proves that he was a threat to these individuals, then we know that the policy, the police department, when there's a threat on someone's life, then they have to respond with deadly force.

So, will that be enough, a transparent investigation, to ease the tensions in the community, or will it take more?

ALVARADO: Well, it is important to not dehumanize Manuel Jimenez. After all, he was a family man and a father. The chief of police has asked not to demonize the officer involved in the shooting. So the community is essentially demanding the same.

Of course, we want to see the investigation and we expect it to be fair and transparent and we expect the police chief to come out and tell the community this is really what happened and not putting together, you know, events for publicity.

This is not going to make it better. I mean -- definitely it's not going to be enough, because, again, this is about police and community relations, and in order to have a good relationship, you need to work a lot. A meeting is not sufficiently enough.

The councilman mentioned the Guatemalan community. Some of those members of the community don't even speak Spanish or English. So how many officers are need to take care of a community like this, to protect and serve a community like this? Of course, it's not going to be enough. And, again, the community has the right to express their frustration but we must do it in a peaceful and orderly manner. We cannot continue to destroy the community and portray our community as a violent people because that's not what it is.

PHILLIPS: We will continue to follow this story, and obviously the investigations that are ongoing. Pablo Alvarado, Councilman Ed Reyes, thanks you both for your time this morning. I appreciate it.

REYES: Thank you very much.

ALVARADO: Thank you so much.

PHILLIPS: The man behind the mosque and Islamic center near Ground Zero says changing plans now could be dangerous, but he never imagined the location would be a problem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, IMAM OF PROPOSED GROUND ZERO MOSQUE: Had I known this would happen, we certainly never would have done this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf opens up to our Soledad O'Brien and we're taking a closer look at the impact of what he said last night.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: I'm just going to say what so many of us are thinking. The attitude and actions of this small-time Florida pastor who is still planning to mark the anniversary of 9/11, with a Koran burning is just beyond explanation. However, the subject matter is not.

Burning the Koran is the ultimate sign of disrespect to the Muslim community in a time like this, when we're involved in two wars trying to build peace with the Middle East, it's just plain wrong and now the president is weighing in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a recruitment bonanza for al Qaeda. You know, you could have serious violence in places like Pakistan or Afghanistan. This could increase the recruitment of individuals who'd be willing to blow themselves up in American cities or European cities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And the president until the only one weighing in. General David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, believes the Koran burning could endanger U.S. troops, saying it will enflame public opinion and insight violence. The Vatican calls the plan an outrageous and grave gesture. And Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls it a disgraceful plan.

The President of the Islamic Society of Central Florida says that he's spoken with Pastor Terry Jones in hopes of talking him out of the Koran burning. Imam Muhammad Musri says that the pastor was attentive and courteous during their meeting but Musri had this warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IMAM MUHAMMAD MUSRI, PRESIDENT, ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA: If one human being is hurt anywhere in the world because of this, I think it will be squarely on Pastor Jones.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Meanwhile, a major Islamic group is planning to pass out 200,000 Korans to replace the 200 copies that Pastor Jones and his congregation plans to burn. It's part of the "Learn, Don't Burn" initiative by the Council on American Islamic Relations. The group will speak out about the flan a few minutes in D.C.

Scanning our "Morning Passport" now, another mayor is dead in Mexico's bloody drug war. This mayor of El Naranjo was gunned down inside his office yesterday. That attack happened in broad daylight. Witnesses say the shooters wore hoods. At least seven Mexican mayors have been killed this year.

Some surprising words about the failure of communism from Cuban leader Fidel Castro. He told a visiting American journalist quote, "Cuban model doesn't even work for us anymore." The "Atlantic's" Jeffrey Goldberg published part of the rare exchange on a blog this week. Castro's introduced Cuba to the communist economic model during his revolution more than 50 years ago. Castro's younger brother and current president Raul has made similar admissions since taking power in 2006.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: A former Gulf War vet was living the dream. He owned own business, in fact, several of them. Then things took a turn for the worst. So he's here to make his 30-second pitch in trying to get back into the job market.

Are we going to the big board? Dow industrial is up 54 points right now. We're monitoring the numbers for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We've got new measures of the economy. Just a couple of hours ago, we learned jobless claims dropped significantly last week. 451,000 Americans filed first-time claims. That's a drop of 27,000 from the week before. The decline is much greater than expected and it's the lowest weekly total in two months.

But still so many people are out of work looking for a job. One of them is Eric Hicklen. He's a small businessman and a family man. He left the Army after serving in the first Gulf War so that he could go to college. And at one time owned more than a dozen franchises but had to close up shop a couple of years ago. Now he's trying to get back into the job market.

He joins me from Philadelphia to make his 30-second pitch.

Eric, good to see you. ERIC HICKLAN, JOB SEEKER: Hello, Kyra, good to hear you.

PHILLIPS: That's right. You can't see me but you can hear me. That's all right. We'll meet one of these days.

Tell me what happened. You were doing well with all these type of franchises. What type of franchises were they and when did it go south for you? When it did get tough?

HICKLEN: Well, I owned some Subway franchises but I also owned some tax and accounting franchises. It really started getting tough for me over the last three or four years. You could kind of see the recession coming towards us around probably early 2007. 2008 is when I started closing up most of my offices. The clientele was going down, we didn't have any money to pay our rent and in some cases, not even enough money to cover our payroll. So we really had to scratch and bite to even keep our offices open.

PHILLIPS: So how have you been getting by day to day? I know you've got two kids in college as well.

HICKLEN: Well, now, I have three kids in college. My son just graduated high school and started college.

PHILLIPS: Oh, you have three now. Oh, so he's on his way. Oh, he did, congratulations.

Now you have three kids in college.

HICKLEN: I have three kids in college. It makes it a little bit more tough on me. I've been getting by. I had a little savings, and, of course, friends and family have been helping me. They know I've been a entrepreneur for 13, 14 years and pretty much I've also won. But we have been dealt this tough hand over the last two years. There's just no way to stay viable in the type of business that I was working in.

PHILLIPS: Well, I tell you what, just listening to your attitude, I'm not surprised that you're a soldier because you never give up and keep pushing forward.

Are you ready for your 30-second pitch?

HICKLEN: Yes, I am. I just want to say most soldiers have a can-do spirit. And I think if a lot of employers take a look at some of these soldiers and look at some of their transferable skills, they're going to get good employees that they'll probably keep for 25, 30 years.

PHILLIPS: You are absolutely right. And there's a lot of vets coming home that are out of work. And I'm glad you made your point.

All right. Let's start the clock. Eric, take it away.

HICKLEN: OK. Well, initially, I was going to do a 30-second pitch about me, but I want to say that for all of the big companies out there with a lot of cash on their balance sheets to look at some of these employees sending these resumes in and give them a chance with their interview or some type of contract position to get us back to work.

I'm creating a web site called wowmii.com which will allow employers to look at resumes and look at video resumes of employees. So we're not just doing a keyword search of resumes. That seems to get us in a pool of maybe 1,000 resumes. And you're not getting the employee that you're actually are looking for.

PHILLIPS: You know what? You had an opportunity to pitch yourself for 30 seconds, and instead, you're pitching not only you, but everybody else you're trying to help.

I want to tell folks one more time, it's wowmii.com.

Eric Hicklen, trying to help him and others get a job. I was also reading, too, what's inspiring you and keeping you less anxious about your future. And you always watch the video "The Pursuit of Happyness."

HICKLEN: "The Pursuit of Happyness" and Chris Gardner, his latest book is titled, "Start Where You Are," and I thought that was very profound.

No matter what you have on your table right now, start where you are and start making a move towards looking for a job or getting back in business.

Now, wowmii.com is spelled W-O-W-M-I-I. We'll be launching that in three weeks, and hopefully we can speak with CNN to do a partnership.

PHILLIPS: Got it. Wowmii.com. We'll fix that and we'll have you on my blog, for sure.

Eric Hicklen, great job and thanks so much for spending some time with me.

HICKLEN: Kyra, good talking to you.

PHILLIPS: Likewise.

If you're out of work and you want to sell yourself to prospective employers, just let us know. Send us your resume and a letter to 30SecondPicth@CNN.com. Also, if you want to hire a 30 second pitcher like Eric, please go to my blog CNN.com/kyra. All of his info - all our 30 second pitchers -- their info and e-mails will be there.

The driving force behind the Islamic center near Ground Zero opens up to CNN. The Imam says that he regrets the project has caused so much pain but he says it may be dangerous to turn back now. We're measuring the impact of his words.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, the founder of the planned Islamic center and mosque at ground zero says that the issue is now a matter of national security. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf told CNN's Soledad O'Brien that he intends to go ahead with the center, located just two blocks from the site of the 9/11 attacks in which nearly 2,800 people died. Imam Rauf says if he doesn't forge ahead with the plans, it could unleash a fury among radicals overseas.

We want to dive a little deeper into the imam's words, taking a look at the claims that moving the center could endanger - or could anger, rather -- radicals. We also want to focus on where exactly we go from here.

Imam Yahya Hendi, Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University and president of Clergy Beyond Borders is joining me live from D.C. Also Reza Aslan, an Islamic scholar and author, joining me live from New York. Also in New York, Mona al Talahi, commentator and public speaker on Arab issues.

Let's go ahead and take a listen to what Imam Rauf told Soledad O'Brien last night about the danger of shifting plans somewhere else. And I want to get you all to respond.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IMAM FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, FOUNDER, THE CORDOBA INITIATIVE: I am extremely concerned about 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 --

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: But isn't that also saying you are less concerned about the voices of opposition here?

RAUF: No, no, no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I meant the danger from the radicals in the Muslim world to our national security, to the national security of our troops. I have a niece who works in the army in (INAUDIBLE) Iraq. The concern for American citizens who live and work and travel overseas will increasingly be compromised if the radicals are strengthened. And if we do move it will strengthen the argument of the radicals to recruit, their ability to recruit, and their increasing aggression and violence against our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Imam Hendi, your thoughts?

IMAM YAHYA HENDI, MUSLIM CHAPLAIN, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: I think he came across to me when I watched him last night, very authentic, very honest, and a loyal American. He cares about the image of the United States of America in the Muslim world. He wants the Muslim world to can't to think of America in a very positive way, and he wants to calculate very well his move and what he will do in the near future. I think he was very wise in terms of how he articulated himself and his love for America, and I think he has to be taken as such, a loyal American citizen who cares about America.

PHILLIPS: Mona, what do you think about what he said that if he backed down now that it would inflame the radicals?

MONA ELTAHAWY, COLUMNIST, ASHARQ AL-AWSAT: You know, over the Labor Day weekend, I joined a group of volunteer sidewalk activists who have been standing outside of Park 51 for the past three weeks now. And together we told our fellow Americans that the main issue here is the Constitution. For me, it's not about what is going to happen overseas. It's about what's happening right here in America.

As an American Muslim, I care about the Constitution, and I think that Park 51 should not move. It should go on with its plans to build right there because the Constitution guarantees religious freedoms for everyone. And I think as Americans that's the kind of conversation we should be having. We should not be concerned about what's happening outside of America. And whenever someone wanted to talk about Muslims there and Muslims here, I told them no, let's talk about Americans and American Muslims right here.

So, I think this is where I disagree with Imam Feisa. I agree that he is genuine, and I think that he is sincere and does not intend to hurt feelings. But I think this is a conversation about the Constitution and the religious freedoms of American Muslims.

PHILLIPS: Reza, your thoughts?

RESA ASLAN, AUTHOR, "NO GOD BUT GOD": Yes, I mean, I agree. On the one hand, I'm with Jon Stewart on this when he said "Who gives a bleep what the radicals in the Muslim world actually think about Park 51?". On the other hand, let's be honest. I mean, we are engaged in two very serious wars in the region. We are engaged in this ideological conflict, this war on terror. And there is no question, as General Petraeus himself said, there are radicals in the region who will use this issue to fuel the propaganda that America is at war against Islam, that Americans are anti-Muslim in some way.

So, there is certainly going to be some global repercussions to the discussion that we have here. But Mona is absolutely right. This isn't about them. This is about us and who we are, and the fact that we don't allow these kinds of, you know, mainstream Islamaphobic notions, these religious bigotries to actually define our laws or to make our decisions for us.

PHILLIPS: Now, the imam said last night that, seeing what has happened, that he would, if he could go back in time, he wouldn't have chosen to build the center near ground zero. Take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Given what you know now, would you have built?

RAUF: As I mentioned it, this story is not new. People knew about it --

O'BRIEN: Right. But given what you know now, would you have said, "Listen, let's not do it there?" Because it sounds like you're saying, in retrospect, wouldn't have done it.

RAUF: Well -- yes.

O'BRIEN: Would you not have done it?

RAUF: Yes. If I knew that this would happen, this would cause this kind of pain, I wouldn't have done it. My life has been devoted to peace making, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: There are so many people are saying, if you're saying it was a mistake, why can't you get out of it and not do it?

RAUF: Because we have to now make sure whatever we do actually results in greater peace, not greater conflict.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Imam Hendi, would you agree with him on that? Knowing what you know now, would you say, we shouldn't have built it there?

HENDI: That was my reaction when I heard the news a few weeks ago. I said, I would not have done it out of sensitivity, and because Islam is a religion of peace, compassion. And Islam cares about all others. Even now, I dare to say -- some of my fellow Muslims may disagree with me -- I wish Imam Feisal Rauf could have last night or could in the very near future, stand out firmly with dignity and honor and say, "Listen, guys, it's my constitutional right to continue to exist. I wanted to build the center for the sake of peace, love and to build the bridges. However, because I care about America, because I'm sensitive to the needs of all people, I do not want to continue with this process, or I want to build an interfaith center that will accomodate all religious communities."

I think that would speak of his courage. It would speak of his character. It will speak of Islam and America as well.

However, what Mona was saying is also important, that it's about here, about the Constitution, about America.

However, on the other hand, I travel to the Muslim world very often, too. What America does is magnified everywhere. People follow what America does. And if religion is not respected in America, if all religions are not respected in America, if Islam is not honored in America, what kind of message are we sending to the Muslim world?

PHILLIPS: No, that's a very good point. And Mona, what do you think? Knowing what you know now and knowing how this has sparked such a huge controversy, would you have changed your mind and said, "Let's not build it near ground zero."?

ELTAHAWY: You know, to be quite honest, Kyra, I didn't care much about Park 51 until I began to see it as part of this kind of growing wave of anti-Muslim rhetoric across the United States that pains me deeply.

And it's not just about Park 51. It is much bigger than Park 51. We're at a very, very interesting moment in American history, and I don't want to set a dangerous precedent for American Muslims. Because it's not just Park 51 that's being told to move out of supposed sensitivity.

There's a mosque in Tennessee that's being planned that was attacked a few days ago, and it's suspected arson. There's a mosque project in Wisconsin, there's a mosque in Florida, there's a mosque in L.A. It's not just about Park 51.

So I urge my fellow Americans and American Muslims to see it within that big context. It's not about Park 51. It's about an anti- Muslim rhetoric. And we must not go down the slippery slope that says, "Oh, move here, please, because you offend us." Where do we draw the line? Where else should we move? As an American Muslim, I have a right to be here.

The pain of the 9/11 families is unfathomable. But we do not set public policy according to people's pain. The Constitution must not be suspended. We must say, we are proud American Muslims but we also proud of the Constitution, and it must stand.

PHILLIPS: Reza, final thoughts.

ASLAN: Yes, I mean, look, there are obviously people who feel very emotionally attached to this location. But let's not kid ourselves here. This entire controversy was ginned up by an organization called "Stop Islamization of America," an anti-Muslim group that is behind the protests across mosques being built all across the country.

So, this is about anti-Muslim sentiment, which is at record levels in the United States, much more so than it is about the sensitivities of people about this site. And Mona's right. In this country, our constitutional rights are not held hostage to people's sensitivities, no matter what they are.

PHILLIPS: Resa and Mona. Imam Hendi. Thank you all three for your time today. I really appreciate all three of you.

ASLAN: My pleasure.

ELTAHAWY: Thank you.

HENDI: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Some things just aren't funny. You would never see a reality show that milks the pain of 9/11 or the tragedy of Katrina for chief laughs. But apparently, that's not a problem in Iraq. A TV show plays on real fear and terror, all for entertainment. It's probably one of the most insensitive programs ever.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: The TV show Punk'd did wonders for Ashton Kutcher's career. The show was such a hit because, let's face it, most of us love to play practical jokes on our closest friends. Here's the episode when Ashton punked his buddy, Justin Timberlake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you Mr. Timberlake?

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, SINGER/PERFORMER: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm Agent Shepard from the U.S. Task Enforcement Agency. This lien is placed against a lot your possessions because you owe back taxes to the tune of $900,000. We tried to contact your people several times and --

TIMBERLAKE: Where did you try to contact someone?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are all registered letters sent to your various production companies and what not that were never returned, and you have an outstanding balance, and you have an outstanding balance of $904,000.

TIMBERLAKE: Can you step inside, please, for a minute?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The house itself has been seized, so it's now property of the government. We can't go inside.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: All right. Well, the American version of Punk'd is pretty funny, but check out this imitation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(PEOPLE SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Believe it or not, this is Punk'd, Iraqi style. Let me tell you what's happening here. It's a real checkpoint in Baghdad. Iraqi soldiers accuse the men in the car of having a bomb and being al Qaeda terrorists. They threaten to kill them.

You can see how freaked out the civilians are, but here's the punk. The bomb's a fake, and the Iraqi soldiers are in on it. The punkee is a comedian, the unwitting star of one of Iraq's most popular shows called "Put Him in Bucca." (ph)

Terrorism, bombs, and the threat of death - oh, yeah, that's real hilarious. Many Iraqis say the show is in horrible taste and should be yanked. I got to say, I saw this, members of my team saw this, and we were pretty horrified.

Why? I can tell you first hand, I've driven through those checkpoints, and you just hope and pray that all you have to do is flash you're I.D. through the window and keep moving. When I was in Baghdad, checkpoints were on almost every main corner.

And let me tell you, they are no joke. They are some of the deadliest targets in Iraq. If you have to stop, you're a sitting duck. Attackers love to bomb those spots. You're easy prey when you have to stop and get out of the car. How many times since the Iraq war started have we reported on our troopers, innocent women and children, even Iraqi police and military being blown up and shot up at those checkpoints?

Sure, Iraqis want to laugh. We get that, but this would be like having candid camera at ground zero. There is just nothing funny about terror and senseless death.

That brings us to today's blog question. We ask if you think the show is insensitive.

Here's what John writes, "I think in Iraq, any sort of game that spreads of fear of terrorism or death is barbaric at best. Granted, Iraqis could use some laughter. However, there are certainly better ways to find. it."

And this comes to us from Sergeant Jimenez. He writes, "I've been to Iraq twice. I've seen it all. But I got to say, sometimes you have to lighten up. I think it's best not to be overly sensitive and take the show at face value."

And this comes from Cream. "Sure, this can appear insensitive, but there is powerful psychology to it. The show is sticking it to the terrorists saying we will not be cowed by your senseless violence. Rather, we will take the sting out of it and make fun of you and your ways. We will mock you, not fear you. Believe me, it works."

We always want to hear from you. Just log onto CNN.com/kyra and share your comments. Sure appreciate you weighing in.

And still ahead, The Best Political Team in Television takes you inside the story with the latest news crossing our ticker. Deputy political director Paul Steinhauser will show us what's going on right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Time now for "CNN Equals Politics" and our update.

Bill Clinton back on the campaign trail and draining crowd - or actually, pulling in a lot of crowds. Now he's stumping for fellow Democrats.

And President Obama is also helping out. He's giving his party millions of dollars from his old campaign funds.

And Newt Gingrich, the polarizing politician, is in Iowa, stirring more speculation that he's considering a White House bid.

Deputy political director Paul Steinhauser, part of The Best Team on Television, joining us from the CNNpolitics.com desk in Washington. So Paul, what's crossing?

PAUL STEINHOUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: You got it, Kyra. Brand new on the ticker this morning, let's start with Bill Clinton. You know what? He's coming your way. He's coming to Atlanta, Georgia, today. He's also going to be in Tennessee, Nashville. He'll be campaigning for the Democrats' gubernatorial nominee in Atlanta. He's going to be helping out the Democrats' Senate nominee down there.

And remember, yesterday, last night he was in Arkansas, his native Arkansas, helping out Blanche Lincoln, the senator there who's facing a very tough re-election.

Kyra, what do all three of these things have in common? These are all conservative, moderate states where maybe President Barack Obama is not so popular, but Bill Clinton seems to be the rock star. You'll see a lot of him on the campaign trail. You'll see a lot more of him.

Talking about Obama, you just mentioned the headline there. Yes, I confirmed earlier this morning that the president is going to transfer $4.5 million from his old Obama for President campaign. He's going to be transferring it to the Democratic Party, to the DNC - Democratic National Committee and to the Senate and House committees, as well. So, he's taking money from the old campaign to help out with this year's mid-terms.

And finally, check this out. Newt Gingrich, it's right here, brand-new on the wire this morning on the political ticker on CNNpolitics.com, Newt Gingrich going to spend the day in Iowa. I spoke with one of his advisers this morning, and he told me the trip is about helping Republican candidates running this year. But Kyra, let's be honest. This is the seventh trip by Newt Gingrich to Iowa this cycle. Iowa, of course, a big, big state in presidential politics. So, this is going to ring a lot of alarm bells, spark a lot of interest as to whether Gingrich wants to run for the White House. He says he'll decide early next year, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll see. We'll follow it with you. Thanks, Paul.

We're going to have our next politcal update is in just about an hour. And a reminder, for all the latest political, just go to our Web site, CNNpolitics.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

PHILLIPS: It's time now for "Home and Away," our daily tribute to our men and women in uniform who have made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Today, we're lifting up Staff Sergeant Steven Henry Bridges of Tracy, California, killed in Iraq in December 2003. Steven's uncle, William Shard, wrote us about him. William says Steven was a soldier who loved his country as much as he loved his own family. William sent in a picture of Steven with his daughter Sarah. In the picture, Steven's helping Sarah put on her Halloween makeup. This was taken just a week before Steven left for Iraq. Sarah was five years old when her dad was killed. She just turned 12.

Every fallen hero has a story, and we want to tell them all. This is how you can help. Go to CNN.com/homeandaway. Type in your service member's name in the upper right-hand search field, pull up the profile, send us your thoughts and your pictures, and we promise to keep the memory of your loved one alive.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: That does it for us. I'll see you back here tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, I'm here.

PHILLIPS: Tony Harris is back!

HARRIS: You better be here!

PHILLIPS: You know why we missed you yesterday?

HARRIS: Why is that?

PHILLIPS: Because we were doing dance moves.

HARRIS: Oh, you know about my moves?

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: I have moves!

PHILLIPS: I know you have moves! Maybe we should do the story tomorrow.

HARRIS: I have so many moves, my moves have moves!

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: You have a great day, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You too, Tony.