by In 1657, Peter Stuyvesant, the Governor of New Netherland (now New York), who had no patience for religious diversity, got wind of the presence of Quakers in the settlement at Flushing. He ordered the town officials in Flushing to hand over the Quakers for arrest. The officials refused. They wrote Stuyvesant a letter, the Flushing Remonstrance, which is now remembered as one of the great early documents articulating the American vision of religious liberty.
In the Remonstrance, the leaders of Flushing emphasized that God’s “law of love, peace and liberty” (that phrase thrills me every time I read it!) extended even to “Jews, Turks and Egyptians, as they are considered sons of Adam.” These folks had almost certainly never met a Jew, or a Muslim. But their breadth of vision was still remarkable. And it was prophetic.
I wonder what the authors of the Remonstrance would think of the objections (not mainly by New Yorkers, incidentally) to building an Islamic Center in lower Manhattan, not far from Ground Zero but also not far from Peter Stuyvesant’s old haunts in what was once Fort Amsterdam. More to the point, I guess, I wonder what it would mean for all of us if we took seriously — really took seriously — their commitment to the “law of love, peace and liberty.”
To Whom It May Concern:
I am glad to see that attention is being brought to the Flushing Remonstrance and Religious Freedom rights once again.
As a descendent of William Thorne and Nicholas Parsell both signers of the 1657 colonial document the “Flushing Remonstrance”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/nyregion/thecity/18ance.html?ex=1175140800&en=6af18e8762c04e0f&ei=5070&emc=eta1,
I have always been an advocate for historical facts and I am a supporter of all religious freedoms. I have not studied all the facts surrounding the building of this mosque at ground zero, so I won’t make any judgment either way right now.
However, I am once again dismayed at the fact that our Mayor, other local, State and Federal politicians are so quick to support the rights of people who want to build a Mosque at ground zero, but they have not yet come forward to support my rights to find my ancestral burial ground on Fort Totten in Flushing, NY.
http://www.nypress.com/article-12802-sounding-the-grounds.html
Since the Flushing Remonstrance document is worthy of being mentioned by these politicians in their speeches, as a corner stone for our religious freedoms and rights to support building this Mosque (regardless of how insensitive we believe it could be). I believe they should also think it worthy to help me find my family burial ground, so we can finally memorialize the graves of these Flushing Remonstrance brave souls descendants ; Thorn(e), Cornell & Wilkins families.
If you would like me to provide you with more supporting evidence feel free to contact me.
Thank you
Thomas Loggia
Flushing Remonstrance descendants search for burial ground and the Mosque at Ground Zero…a double standard?
To Whom It May Concern:
I am glad to see that attention is being brought to the Flushing Remonstrance and Religious Freedom rights once again.
As a descendent of William Thorne and Nicholas Parsell both signers of the 1657 colonial document the “Flushing Remonstrance”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/nyregion/thecity/18ance.html?ex=1175140800&en=6af18e8762c04e0f&ei=5070&emc=eta1
I have always been an advocate for historical facts and I am a supporter of all religious freedoms. I have not studied all the facts surrounding the building of this mosque at ground zero, so I won’t make any judgment either way right now.
However, I am once again dismayed at the fact that our Mayor, other local, State and Federal politicians are so quick to support the rights of people who want to build a Mosque at ground zero, but they have not yet come forward to support my rights to find my ancestral burial ground on Fort Totten in Flushing, NY.
http://www.nypress.com/article-12802-sounding-the-grounds.html
Since the Flushing Remonstrance document is worthy of being mentioned by these politicians in their speeches, as a corner stone for our religious freedoms and rights to support building this Mosque “regardless of how insensitive we believe it could be”.
I believe they should also think it worthy to help me find my family burial ground, so we can finally memorialize the brave souls and descendants of this historical document; Thorn(e), Cornell & Wilkins families.
If you would like me to provide you with more supporting evidence feel free to contact me.
Thank you
Thomas Loggia
tom@avdonline.com