Park51: Difference between revisions
Undid revision 379822382 by Zachary Klaas (talk) Please stick to what the sources say to make your points |
|||
Line 223: | Line 223: | ||
<blockquote>I don't see an enormous number of people. I was at a fundraiser ... maybe 50 ... people who had lost [family] members. 100% in that room kept saying, 'please keep it up, keep it up'.... our relatives would have wanted this country, and this city, to follow and actually practice what we preach.<ref name="nydailynews3"/></blockquote> |
<blockquote>I don't see an enormous number of people. I was at a fundraiser ... maybe 50 ... people who had lost [family] members. 100% in that room kept saying, 'please keep it up, keep it up'.... our relatives would have wanted this country, and this city, to follow and actually practice what we preach.<ref name="nydailynews3"/></blockquote> |
||
Bloomberg was asked if he was satisfied that "he is indeed a man of peace given his background where he's supposedly supported Hamas, blamed the U.S. for 9/11 attacks?" The mayor responded: "My job is not to vet clergy in this city.... Everybody has a right to their opinions. You don't have to worship there.... this country is not built around ... only those ... clergy people that we agree with..... It's built around freedom. That's the wonderful thing about the [[First Amendment]] – you can say anything you want."<ref name="nydailynews3">{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/08/mayor-bloomberg-asking-mosque.html |title=Mayor Bloomberg: Asking Mosque Developers To Move Project "Would Be Handing The Terrorists A Victory" |first=Celeste |last=Katz |newspaper=Daily News |location=New York |date=August 3, 2010 |accessdate=August 4, 2010}}</ref> |
Mayor Bloomberg was asked if he was satisfied that "he is indeed a man of peace given his background where he's supposedly supported Hamas, blamed the U.S. for 9/11 attacks?" The mayor responded: "My job is not to vet clergy in this city.... Everybody has a right to their opinions. You don't have to worship there.... this country is not built around ... only those ... clergy people that we agree with..... It's built around freedom. That's the wonderful thing about the [[First Amendment]] – you can say anything you want."<ref name="nydailynews3">{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/08/mayor-bloomberg-asking-mosque.html |title=Mayor Bloomberg: Asking Mosque Developers To Move Project "Would Be Handing The Terrorists A Victory" |first=Celeste |last=Katz |newspaper=Daily News |location=New York |date=August 3, 2010 |accessdate=August 4, 2010}}</ref> |
||
Community Board 1 Financial Committee Chairman Edward "Ro" Sheffe opined: "it will be a wonderful asset to the community."<ref name="nydailynews2"/><ref name="guardian1"/> New York City Councilwoman [[Margaret Chin]] said: "The center is something the community needs".<ref name="crainsnewyork1"/> |
Community Board 1 Financial Committee Chairman Edward "Ro" Sheffe opined: "it will be a wonderful asset to the community."<ref name="nydailynews2"/><ref name="guardian1"/> New York City Councilwoman [[Margaret Chin]] said: "The center is something the community needs".<ref name="crainsnewyork1"/> |
||
Line 229: | Line 229: | ||
Additional New York politicians supported the proposal. They included [[Manhattan Borough President]] [[Scott Stringer]] ("I'll do everything I can to make sure this mosque does get opened"), U.S. Representative [[Jerrold Nadler]] ("the government has no business deciding"), NY State Senator [[Daniel Squadron]] (NYC Comptroller [[John Liu]] , NYC Council Speaker [[Christine Quinn]], and [[New York City Public Advocate|NYC Public Advocate]] [[Bill de Blasio]].<ref name="nytimes2"/><ref name="boston1"/><ref name="montrealgazette1"/><ref>{{cite web |first=Adam |last=Dickter |url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/short_takes/mosque_wars_hit_new_york_governor's_race |title=Mosque Wars Hit New York Governor’s Race |publisher=The Jewish Week |date=July 13, 2010 |accessdate=August 2, 2010}}</ref><ref name="tribecatrib1"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Reich |first=Robert |url=http://www.salon.com/news/ground_zero_mosque/?story=/politics/war_room/2010/08/05/nadler_defends_the_mosque |title=Nadler: Attacks on mosque "shameful and divisive" – Ground Zero Mosque |publisher=Salon|date=August 5, 2010 |accessdate=August 5, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.observer.com/2010/politics/de-blasio-currently-okay-mosque |title=De Blasio Is Currently Okay With the Mosque |first=Reid |last=Pillifant |newspaper=The New York Observer |date=August 9, 2010 |accessdate=August 10, 2010}}</ref> |
Additional New York politicians supported the proposal. They included [[Manhattan Borough President]] [[Scott Stringer]] ("I'll do everything I can to make sure this mosque does get opened"), U.S. Representative [[Jerrold Nadler]] ("the government has no business deciding"), NY State Senator [[Daniel Squadron]] (NYC Comptroller [[John Liu]] , NYC Council Speaker [[Christine Quinn]], and [[New York City Public Advocate|NYC Public Advocate]] [[Bill de Blasio]].<ref name="nytimes2"/><ref name="boston1"/><ref name="montrealgazette1"/><ref>{{cite web |first=Adam |last=Dickter |url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/short_takes/mosque_wars_hit_new_york_governor's_race |title=Mosque Wars Hit New York Governor’s Race |publisher=The Jewish Week |date=July 13, 2010 |accessdate=August 2, 2010}}</ref><ref name="tribecatrib1"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Reich |first=Robert |url=http://www.salon.com/news/ground_zero_mosque/?story=/politics/war_room/2010/08/05/nadler_defends_the_mosque |title=Nadler: Attacks on mosque "shameful and divisive" – Ground Zero Mosque |publisher=Salon|date=August 5, 2010 |accessdate=August 5, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.observer.com/2010/politics/de-blasio-currently-okay-mosque |title=De Blasio Is Currently Okay With the Mosque |first=Reid |last=Pillifant |newspaper=The New York Observer |date=August 9, 2010 |accessdate=August 10, 2010}}</ref> |
||
Nadler remarked that " |
Nadler remarked that the "mosque" in [[the Pentagon]] hasn’t drawn any criticism, despite the Pentagon also being a target of the 9/11 attacks.<ref name="electionissue">{{cite news |title=Republicans Seek to Make Ground Zero Mosque an Issue in November Elections |first=William |last=McQuillan |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-15/republicans-seek-to-make-ground-zero-mosque-an-issue-in-november-elections.html/ |work=Bloomberg |date=August 15, 2010 |accessdate=August 15, 2010}}</ref> On one occasion, over 100 people observed [[Ramadan]] at religious facilities on site at the Pentagon.<ref name="prayerservice">{{cite news |title=Pentagon observes Muslim holy month |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/oct/3/pentagon-observes32muslim-holy-month/ |work=Washington Times |date=October 3, 2007 |accessdate=August 16, 2010}}</ref> What is referred to as the "Pentagon mosque" is a non-denominational chapel which was built and dedicated in 2002 in honor of Pentagon employees and passengers of American Airlines Flight 77 who died in the terrorist attack on the building on September 11, 2001.<ref name="built">{{cite news |title=Pentagon opens 9-11 Memorial Chapel |url=http://www.militaryinfo.com/news_story.cfm?textnewsid=75|work=militaryinfo |date=September 18, 2002 |accessdate=August 18, 2010}}</ref> Daily Muslim prayer sessions are held weekday afternoons, and regular Muslim services are led by an imam every Friday at the Pentagon facilities. A spokesperson for the Army was not aware of any protests by 9/11 families or others, including conservative activists, concerning use of the facility for Muslim services.<ref name="mosquecontroversy">{{cite news |title=Mosque Controversy Skips Pentagon: Muslims Gather in Daily Prayer at 9/11 Crash Site |url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/mosque-controversy-skips-pentagon-muslims-gather-911-crash/story?id=11417673 |work=ABC News |date=August 17, 2010 |accessdate=August 18, 2010}}</ref> Additionally, according to the same army spokesperson, the imams who conduct services every single Friday at the Pentagon come "from a local mosque".<ref name="imamissue">{{cite news |title=Muslims pray at Pentagon's Sept. 11 crash site |url=http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100818/world/us_pentagon_muslims |work=Associated Press |date=August 18,2010 |accessdate=August 19, 2010}}</ref> |
||
[[File:Rep.K.Ellison.jpg|thumb|right|155px|[[Keith Ellison (politician)|Keith Ellison]]]] |
[[File:Rep.K.Ellison.jpg|thumb|right|155px|[[Keith Ellison (politician)|Keith Ellison]]]] |
Revision as of 18:42, 19 August 2010
Park51 | |
---|---|
An abandoned building now occupying half the site of the proposed Islamic community center | |
Religion | |
Affiliation | Islam |
Leadership | Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf |
Status | Planned; 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) |
Location | |
Location | 45–51 Park Place, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.[1][2][3] |
Geographic coordinates | 40°42′49″N 74°00′36″W / 40.71361°N 74.01000°W |
Architecture | |
General contractor | Soho Properties; Sharif El-Gamal (Chairman & CEO) |
Groundbreaking | Late 2010 (est.) |
Construction cost | $100 million |
Specifications | |
Capacity | Over 9,000[4] |
Height (max) | 13 stories |
Materials | Glass and steel |
Website | |
Official website |
Park51, originally named Cordoba House and sometimes referred to in the media as the "Ground Zero mosque", is a planned $100 million, 13-story, glass and steel Islamic community center and mosque.[5] Plans are for the facility to include a 500-seat auditorium, theater, performing arts center, fitness center, swimming pool, basketball court, childcare area, bookstore, culinary school, food court serving halal dishes, and Islamic prayer space for 1,000–2,000 Muslims.[6] It would replace an existing 1850s Italianate building that was damaged in the September 11 attacks, and is located two blocks (about 600 feet, or 180 meters) from the World Trade Center site in Manhattan, New York City.[6][7]
Though the building is privately-owned and has no affiliation with local or state government, the proposed location of the project triggered an intense nation-wide controversy.[8][9][10] The controversy was sparked from a campaign launched by Pamela Geller, a right-wing, anti-muslim blogger and founder of the group Stop Islamization of America, who has also in the past promoted false claims that President Obama is the "love child" of the black Muslim leader Malcolm X.[8][11] The campaign then gained wide recognition when it was publicized by New York Post columnist Andrea Peyser.[8]
Polls showed that a majority of Americans (a margin of 54%–20%) opposed building a "mosque" on that site, as did most people from New York State (61%–26%) and New York City (52%–31%); in Manhattan, 46% supported the project while 36% were opposed.[12][13][14] A Marist poll dated August 2010 showed 53% support in the borough of Manhattan.[15]
Those who opposed the proposed center cited its proximity to Ground Zero, where members of Al-Qaeda, an Islamic terrorist group, killed 2,750 people on September 11, 2001.[16][17][18][10][19][20] Some opponents also criticized its original name, Cordoba, alleging it to be a reference to the Islamic conquest of the Christian city of Córdoba;[21][22] the project's sponsors explained that the name was meant to invoke 8th–11th century Córdoba, which they call a model of peaceful coexistence between Muslims, Christians, and Jews.[23]
Across the United States, families of 9/11 victims, as well as politicians, Muslims, and organizations, came out both for and against the project being built in the vicinity of Ground Zero.[24][25] Some relatives of 9/11 victims argued that the project's choice of location was insensitive, while others said that the project would be an opportunity for Muslims to demonstrate peaceful Islamic values. Former U.S. Representative Rick Lazio (NY) questioned the project's source of funding, as well as the project leader's views on 9/11 and terrorism,[24] whereas New York City Mayor Bloomberg welcomed Cordoba House as an expression of freedom of religion.[23] Some Muslim American leaders and organizations supported the project as an act of friendship, while some Muslims opposed it as an unnecessary provocation.[26][24][4][27][28][29]
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/World_Trade_Center%2C_NY_-_2001-09-11_-_Debris_Impact_Areas.svg/220px-World_Trade_Center%2C_NY_-_2001-09-11_-_Debris_Impact_Areas.svg.png)
During the September 11 attacks, the then-five-story building at 45–47 Park Place, between West Broadway and Church Street, was severely damaged.[7][30][31] The building is located two blocks (less than 600 feet (180 meters)) north of the former World Trade Center.[7][30][31]
That morning, the terrorists hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 as part of their attack on the World Trade Center Twin Towers. They crashed the plane into the South Tower at 9:03 a.m, triggering the destruction of the tower hours later.[16][23][30][32][33][34][35] The plane penetrated through the tower, and part of the plane's landing gear and fuselage came out the north side of the tower and crashed through the roof of 45–47 Park Place, and through two of its floors. The plane parts destroyed three floor beams, and severely compromised the building's internal structure.[16][23][30][36][37]
At the time, the building was leased to the Burlington Coat Factory.[7][30] Stephen Pomerantz owned the building, and his wife Kukiko Mitani, subsequently attempted to sell it for years, at one point asking for $18 million. Until its 2009 purchase, however, the building lay abandoned.[30]
Purchase and investors
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/World_Trade_Center_Site_9-23-01_with_Cordoba_House_location.jpg/220px-World_Trade_Center_Site_9-23-01_with_Cordoba_House_location.jpg)
In July 2009, the Muslim-run real estate company and developer Soho Properties purchased the building and property at 45–47 Park Place for $4.85 million in cash.[38][39][40][41][42]
Soho Properties' Chairman & CEO is real estate developer Sharif El-Gamal. His partner is Nour Mousa, the nephew of Amr Moussa, the Secretary General of the Arab League.[3][38][43][40]
One investor in the transaction was the Cordoba Initiative, a tax-exempt foundation with assets of $20,000.[41] In the foundation's first five years, from 2004–08, it raised less than $100,000.[41] Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is founder, CEO, and Executive Director of Cordoba Initiative, and the project is his brainchild.[30][44][45][46] His wife, Daisy Khan, is a board member.[47]
The project's other investor was the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), another non-profit foundation.[41][48] Rauf is also the founder and CEO of ASMA, and his wife is its Executive Director.[47] They run it out of the same New York office as the Cordoba Initiative.[41][40][49]
The two foundations proposed to use the property as the site for a $100 million Islamic center and mosque.[41][21] They are working on the project with El-Gamal, their co-developer.[41][38]
The 49–51 Park Place half of the "45–51" parcel is still owned by the utility Con Edison (Con Ed).[50] Soho Properties paid an additional $700,000 to assume a $33,000-a-year lease with Con Ed, for its adjacent attached former sub-station.[51] The plan is to build the facility on the site of the two buildings. The lease for 49–51 Park Place expires in 2071.[51] The two buildings are connected internally, with common walls having been taken down.[51] El-Gamal informed Con Ed in February 2010 that he wanted to exercise his purchase option on the lease.[51] Con Ed is now conducting an appraisal to determine the property's value.[51] Once the property has been valued, El-Gamal will have the option of accepting the price, which was reportedly estimated at $10–$20 million.[51] El-Gamal said the cost "is not an issue".[51] The sale would be reviewed by the New York Public Service Commission, where it might face a vote by a five-member board controlled by New York Governor Paterson.[51][52]
The specific location of the planned facility, so close to the World Trade Center “where a piece of the wreckage fell,” was a primary selling point for the Muslims who bought the building.[30] Rauf said it “sends the opposite statement to what happened on 9/11.” and “We want to push back against the extremists”.[30]
Questions as to source of funding
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Joe_Lieberman_2008.jpg/180px-Joe_Lieberman_2008.jpg)
Claudia Rosett, a journalist with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a weekly columnist for Forbes, devoted two columns to questioning the source of the funding for the project.[41][53] Some U.S. politicians such as Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, who is an Independent Democrat, and Republicans Peter King and Rick Lazio (NY-2), asked for an investigation of the group’s finances, especially its foreign funding.[54] King said: "The people who are involved in the construction of the mosque are refusing to say where their [$100 million] funding is going to come from."[23][55][56] Lazio said: “Let’s have transparency. If they’re foreign governments, we ought to know about it. If they’re radical organizations, we ought to know about it.”[24]
Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, noted:
There should be transparency about who those investors are, whether that money is coming from domestic interests or not, and if it's coming from foreign interests we need to know, because I think that's a liability, and it shows that there is another agenda rather than domestic security and tranquility.[40]
Rauf said he would raise money solely from the Muslim American community.[57] However, NBC and The New York Post reported that in contrast he also told a London-based Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that he would seek funding from Muslim and Arab nations.[58][59][60][61][62][63]
Mayor Bloomberg said: "Where does [the money] come from?' I don't know. Do you really want every time they pass the basket in your church, and you throw a buck in, they run over and say, '... where do you come from? ... Where did you get this money?' No."[64] Rick Sanchez said: "if you start going into who is giving money to whom ... you have to go to my church. You have got to go to Rome and start asking where the money is going into Rome. And you have to go the Mormons and ask them, well, what are they doing with their money?"[65]
Planned facilities
While the media widely described the center as a mosque, and the protests were against the mosque, the Initiative's official blog portrayed it as a community center with prayer space, making comparisons to the YMCA or Jewish Community Center.[66] The Initiative said that some services planned for the Cordoba House, such as the restaurant and performance center, disqualify it from being a mosque.[67] However, the official website for the facility said it would include "a mosque, intended to be run separately from Park51 but open to and accessible to all members, visitors and our New York community".[68]
Besides the Muslim prayer space, the Initiative's plan includes a 500-seat auditorium, theater, performing arts center, fitness center, swimming pool, basketball court, childcare services, art exhibitions, bookstore, culinary school, and a food court serving halal dishes.[16][23][10][56][12][5]
El-Gamal said he wanted the building to be energy-efficient and transparent, most likely with a glass façade.[69] The project envisions the demolition of two buildings at 45–47 Park Place and Broadway which were damaged on 9/11.[3] They would be replaced by a glass and steel 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) structure with a new address, 45–51 Park Place.[3] A number of commentators said that the builders planned various construction milestones, such as groundbreaking and the start of construction, to coincide with anniversaries of the September 11 attacks.[70][71] Khan was reported as saying in July 2010, however, that such assertions were "absolutely false" and that the construction timeline had not been determined.[72]
Khan also said that it was anticipated that 1,000 to 2,000 Muslims would pray at the mosque every Friday, once it was completed.[6][7][26]
Interim use and name-change
For several months after its purchase, since September 2009, the building was used as a makeshift Muslim prayer space for up to 450 Muslims, with services led by Rauf.[30][73][74][75][76] Remarking on the observation that it was just a stone's throw away from Ground Zero, Rauf's wife said: "Only in New York City is this possible."[77]
Cordoba Initiative, the sponsors of Cordoba House, said that their name is meant to invoke 8th–11th century Córdoba, Spain, a time and a place where Muslims, Christians, and Jews co-existed peacefully.[23] The project's name raised issues for former U.S. Representative and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (GA-6), who said that it was a "a deliberately insulting term" on the grounds that Córdoba was the capital of the Caliphate of Córdoba during the period of Muslim rule in Spain, following the Umayyad defeat of the Visigoths in the 8th century.[21][19] Subsequently, Cordoba Initiative renamed the structure "Park51," after the location's address at 51 Park Place,[78][79] although it continues to refer to the project itself as Cordoba House.[80]
Community board advisory vote
On May 25, 2010, neighborhood authorities in a non-binding advisory vote backed part of the plans for Cordoba House to be built on the site.[81][82] The endorsement related only to "the important community facilities [the project] will provide," and the resolution indicated that the board "takes no position regarding the religious aspects or any religious facilities associated with either the Cordoba Initiative or the Cordoba House Project."[82] The board's chairwoman, Julie Menin, supported deletion of references to the building as a mosque and interfaith center that were in an earlier draft of the resolution, saying: "I personally was uncomfortable with the language that talked about the religious institution. I believe it's not the purview of a city agency to be weighing in on the siting of any religious institution, be it a mosque, synagogue, or church."[82]
The vote by the Lower Manhattan Community Board 1 was 29-to-1, with 10 abstentions.[83][6][23][7][84][82] The vote did not have any binding effect.[85]
Landmark status declined; lawsuit
One obstacle to construction was the potential conferment of landmark status on the building. It had been constructed between 1857 and 1858, in the Italian Renaissance palazzo style.[13][83][75]
The stone-faced building, designed by Daniel Badger, was originally constructed for a shipping firm of a prominent New York shipping magnate.[86][87][88] Its Italian palazzo style was a throwback to a prior time of European grandeur, and was intended to evoke images of economic might.[86] The building is an example of the "store and loft" structures that were prevalent in the dry goods warehouse districts of Lower Manhattan.[75]
The building was one of only a few stand-alone structures in southern Tribeca that were nominated—but never designated—as individual landmarks, during an effort in the 1980s to create a Tribeca historic district.[82][75] In September 1989, the Commission had held public hearings and considered the building for landmark status. But it never acted on the matter, and the building was “calendared” ever since.[82][75][87] The New York Post reported that city building records reflected that out of a group of 29 buildings, including 45–47 Park Place, that were proposed for historic landmark designation in 1989, 23 had been deemed landmarks and 6 (including 45–47) were pending as of August 2010.[58] New York City has more than 11,000 landmarked buildings.[89]
On August 3, 2010, however, New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission voted 9–0 against granting landmark status and historic protection to the building. That cleared the way for it to be razed, and the new Cordoba House to be built in its place.[24][13][83][75] The Commission's members had been appointed by Mayor Bloomberg, a supporter of the new structure.[75][90]
The following day, Timothy Brown, a firefighter who survived 9/11, filed a suit in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan asking the court to nullify the Commission’s decision.[91][92][93] He praised 45–47 Park Place, quoting the Commission's own description of it as "a fine example of the Italian Renaissance-inspired palazzi" that flourished in the mid-1800s in the area.[91] The suit was filed on his behalf by the American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative public interest firm.[91][92][93][94]
Opposition against the location
Polls
Polls showed that the majority of Americans, New York State residents, and New York City residents opposed building the mosque near Ground Zero.
The majority of Americans were opposed to it, The New York Times reported in July 2010.[12] By a margin of 54%–20%, American adults were opposed to a mosque being built near Ground Zero, a national Rasmussen Reports poll found that month.[95][96] Furthermore, according to an August 10–11 Fox News poll, 64% of Americans (a majority of each of Democrats (56-38%), Republicans (76-17%), and Independents (53-41%) thought it would be wrong to build a mosque and Islamic cultural center so close to Ground Zero, and 30% felt it would be appropriate.[97] At the same time, 61% felt that the Muslim group had a right to build a mosque there (a majority of Democrats (63-32%), Republicans (57-36%), and Independents (69-29%).[98] A CNN poll conducted August 6–10 found that by a margins of 68%-29%, Americans opposed it.[2][3] A majority of each of Democrats (54-34%), Republicans (82-17%), and Independents (70-24%) were opposed.[4]
In addition, by a margin of 52%–31% New York City voters opposed the construction, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll carried out in June 2010.[13][99][100] At the same time, 46% of Manhattanites supported it, while 36% opposed it. Opposition was strongest in Staten Island, where 73% opposed it while only 14% supported it.[13][101] A higher percentage of Republicans (82%) than Democrats (45%) opposed the plan.[102] A Marist Poll showed a similar city-wide margin (53%-34%), of those polled July 28-August 5.[5][6]
State-wide, by a margin of 61%–26% New Yorkers opposed the mosque's construction at that location, according to another poll in August 2010, by Siena Research Institute,[103][104][105] whose poll question wording was criticized by a writer at Slate magazine.[106] A majority of both Republicans (81%) and Democrats (55%) were opposed to it, as were conservatives (85%), moderates (55%), and liberals (52%).[105] Among New York City residents, a margin of 56%–33% opposed it.[107][104][105]
9/11 families
Many relatives of victims of the September 11 attacks said they found the proposal offensive because the radical Muslim terrorists who committed the attacks did so in the name of Islam.[6] A number said that it was not an issue of freedom of religion, property rights, or racism, but rather one of sensitivity to the families of those killed, in choosing the specific location of the mosque.
A group of victims' relatives, 9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America, called the proposal "a gross insult to the memory of those who were killed on that terrible day."[26] Debra Burlingame, a co-founder of the group whose brother died in the attacks, said:
This is a place which is 600 feet from where almost 3,000 people were torn to pieces by Islamic extremists.... it is incredibly insensitive and audacious ... for them to build a mosque ... so that they could be in proximity to where that atrocity happened... The idea that you would establish a religious institution that embraces the very shariah law that terrorists point to as their justification for what they did ... to build that where almost 3,000 people died, that is an obscenity to me.[40]
Sally Regenhard, whose son died and who has testified before Congress on 9/11, said that the center would be “sacrilege on sacred ground”, and that “People are being accused of being anti-Muslim and racist, but this is simply a matter of sensitivity.”[23][108] Former NY Fire Department Deputy Chief Jim Riches, whose son Jim was killed, said: "I don't want to have to go down to a memorial where my son died on 9/11, and look at a mosque", adding "this is all about location, location, location. It's not about religious freedom ... be sensitive to the families."[6][78] Michael Burke, whose brother died, wrote: "Freedom of religion or expression and private property rights are not the issues.... Decency is; right and wrong is... [M]any believe that their “rights” supersede all other considerations, like what is respectful, considerate, and decent. A mosque ... steps from Ground Zero in a building damaged in the attacks is ... astoundingly insensitive".[109]
C. Lee Hanson, whose son, daughter-in-law, and baby granddaughter were killed, felt that building a tribute to Islam so close to the World Trade Center site would be insensitive: "The pain never goes away. When I look over there and I see a mosque, it’s going to hurt. Build it someplace else."[7][109] Hanson and his wife wrote, further:
It has the trappings of a victory mosque, given its location.... The refusal of ... Rauf to be specific about who the donors were for the $5 million to buy the building, and will be for the $100 million for construction, is worrisome.... The imam argues that America bears much of the responsibility for 9/11. Even so, Councilwoman Margaret Chin praised the imam ... and accused opponents of being prejudiced or anti-immigrant. We are neither. One of us is the child of Greek immigrants, with a sister married to a Muslim. Our son married the daughter of Korean immigrants. Councilwoman Chin and others need a new argument.[109]
Rosemary Cain, whose son was killed, called the project a "slap in the face", and said "I think it's despicable. That's sacred ground", and "I don't want a mosque on my son's grave".[6][82] Nancy Nee, whose brother was killed, said: "It's almost like a trophy. The whole thing just reeks of arrogance at this point."[110]
Evelyn Pettigano, who lost a sister, said: "I don't like it. I'm not prejudiced.... It's too close to the area where our family members were murdered."[47] Dov Shefi, whose son Haggai was killed, said: "the establishment of a mosque in this place ... is like bringing a pig into the Holy Temple. It is inconceivable that in all the city of New York, this site was specifically chosen."[111] Cindy McGinty, whose husband was killed, said she hoped that officials would keep an eye on the funding source for the mosque, adding: “Why did they pick this spot? Why aren’t they being more sensitive? I don’t trust it."[112] Barry Zelman, whose brother was killed, said: "We can say all Muslims did not do this, which is true. But they [terrorists] did it in the name of that religion. You wouldn't have a German cultural center on top of a death camp."[110]
Rosaleen Tallon-DaRos, whose brother died, urged that the mosque not be put on that site, as did Tim Brown, a New York City firefighter who survived the attack.[113] He said: "The families lost their loved ones to terrorists, Islamic, Muslim terrorists who do not believe in religious freedom."[114]
Muslims
The building of the mosque near Ground Zero was criticized by some other Muslims.
One was Sufi Muslim mysticist Suleiman Schwartz, Executive Director of a Washington, DC non-profit organization, the Center for Islamic Pluralism. He said that building the mosque barely two blocks from Ground Zero is inconsistent with the Sufi philosophy of simplicity of faith and sensitivity towards others, and "grossly insensitive."[26]
Another founding member of the Center for Islamic Pluralism, Zuhdi Jasser, who is also the founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, a group of Muslim professionals in the Phoenix Valley of Arizona, strongly opposed the mosque, saying:
For us, a mosque was always a place to pray...—not a way to make an ostentatious architectural statement. Ground Zero shouldn’t be about promoting Islam. It’s the place where war was declared on us as Americans."[26] Neda Bolourchi, a Muslim whose mother died in 9/11, said: "I fear it would become a symbol of victory for militant Muslims around the world."[115]
Authors Raheel Raza and Tarek Fatah, board members of the Muslim Canadian Congress, said:
We Muslims know the ... mosque is meant to be a deliberate provocation, to thumb our noses at the infidel. The proposal has been made in bad faith, ... as "Fitna," meaning "mischief-making" that is clearly forbidden in the Koran.... As Muslims we are dismayed that our co-religionists have such little consideration for their fellow citizens, and wish to rub salt in their wounds and pretend they are applying a balm to sooth the pain.[116]
Hossein Kamaly, Term Assistant Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College, Columbia University, observed:
After all, it was 19 Egyptian and Saudi Arabian thugs calling themselves Muslims who perpetrated this heinous crime on September 11th. They want to send a message of friendship, but building a mosque where there wasn't one before, is not the most nuanced way of doing that.[117]
Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, while noting that blaming all Muslims for 9/11 was "ridiculous", said:
I don't think the Muslim leadership has fully appreciated the impact of 9/11 on America. They assume Americans have forgotten 9/11 and even, in a profound way, forgiven 9/11, and that has not happened. The wounds remain largely open [...] and when wounds are raw, an episode like constructing a house of worship—even one protected by the Constitution, protected by law—becomes like salt in the wounds.[118]
He goes on to say that, in his opinion, if the center is constructed as well as a mosque it should contain a memorial and an ecumenical house of worship.[119]
Politicians
A number of politicians across the United States spoke out against the mosque being constructed next to Ground Zero.
Among them have been Republicans Senator John McCain (AZ, 2008 presidential nominee; "would harm relations, rather than help"); Sarah Palin (AK, 2008 vice presidential nominee; posted to microblogging site Twitter, "Ground Zero Mosque supporters: doesn't it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate [sic]." Contraversy later arose surrounding Palin's use of the non-existent word "refudiate"), Mitt Romney (former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate), Senator Johnny Isakson (GA; "could be totally insensitive"), Senator Olympia Snowe (Maine; "insensitive to the families"), Idaho Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (not "proper"), Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson ("inappropriate and insensitive"), Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, and North Carolina congressional candidate Ilario Pantano ("It is about ... territorial conquest. This mosque is a Martyr–Marker honoring the terrorists").[120][121][122][123][124][125]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Newt_Gingrich_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg/160px-Newt_Gingrich_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg)
Former House Speaker Republican Newt Gingrich said: "It’s not about religion, and is clearly an aggressive act that is offensive".[12] Commenting on the project's name, he wrote:
“Cordoba House” is a deliberately insulting term. It refers to Cordoba, Spain–the capital of Muslim conquerors, who symbolized their victory over the Christian Spaniards by transforming a church there into the world’s third-largest mosque complex... every Islamist in the world recognizes Cordoba as a symbol of Islamic conquest.[126][127]
Gingrich also decried the proposed Islamic center as a symbol of Muslim "triumphalism", and said that building the mosque near the site of the 9/11 attacks "would be like putting a Nazi sign next to the Holocaust Museum."[128]
William Bennett, Republican former Reagan Education Secretary and Drug Czar under George H.W. Bush, suggested that Muslims should "learn" from the events of the late 20th century at the Auschwitz concentration camp.[129] At that time, a group of Carmelite nuns opened a convent just outside of Auschwitz, to pray for the souls of all who had died. When Jews protested, and Pope John Paul II ordered the nuns to relocate, they closed the doors of the convent and moved it.[129]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Rick_Lazio.jpg/152px-Rick_Lazio.jpg)
New York Republicans who criticized the plan included former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani (a “desecration”; "Nobody would allow something like that at Pearl Harbor ... Let's have some respect for who died there and why they died there."), former NY Governor George Pataki, Congressman Peter King (R-NY; ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee; "offensive to so many people"), and former NY Congressman and current NY gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio.[130][18][55][56][12][131][132][19][88] NY gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino (R) noted: "The vast majority of New Yorkers and Americans have rejected their idea. If a bridge was their intent, why jam it down our throats? Why does it have to be right there?"; he said that if he were elected Governor of New York, he would use the power of eminent domain to stop construction of the mosque, and instead build a war memorial in its place.[133][134][135][136][137]
New York Republican Congressional candidate George Demos also objected. He said that the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, the only religious structure destroyed in the 9/11 attacks, should be rebuilt before moving forward on building a mosque in the area, and called for an investigation into the mosque's financing.[138][139][140]
Paul Sipos, a member of NYC Community Board 1, said:
If the Japanese decided to open a cultural centre across from Pearl Harbour, that would be insensitive. If the Germans opened a Bach choral society across from Auschwitz, even after all these years, that would be an insensitive setting. I have absolutely nothing against Islam. I just think: Why there?[42]
A Republican political action committee, the National Republican Trust Political Action Committee, a Washington-based organization, created a television commercial attacking the proposal, saying "we Americans will be heard".[12][141][19][142] Tea Party activist Mark Williams called it a monument to the terror attacks.[83]
Democratic Independent Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman indicated that he felt the project should be halted, pending further evaluation of its impact on the families and friends of 9/11 victims, project’s sponsors' intentions, and their sources of funding.[54]
New York Democratic Assemblyman[clarification needed] and Attorney-General-candidate Richard Brodsky said it was: "offensive to me...raises concerns and bad memories, and needs to be dealt with on a human level. The murder wasn't an Islamic crime, but it was a crime committed in the name of Islam by people most Muslims reject."[143] Other Democrats to come out in opposition include Harry Reid and Howard Dean.
Outside the U.S., Dutch member of Parliament Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), said he plans to speak against building the mosque next to Ground Zero at a rally on September 11, organized by Stop Islamization of America.[144][145]
On August 13, 2010, Pamela Geller confirmed the list of speakers joining Rob Spencer and her at the FDI/SIOA demonstration on September 11: "911 WTC families", John Bolton, Newt Gingrich, Geert Wilders, Gary Berntsen, Jordan Sekulow, Pete King (invited), Michael Grimm, Andrew Breitbart, and Ilario Pantano [146]
A spokesman for Gingrich, Joe DeSantis, denied Gingrich was scheduled.[147] Ginni Thomas, another conservative and the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, denied links to the planned protest [148]
Organizations
New York City fireman Tim Brown opposed the mosque, saying: "A mosque ... that's using foreign money from countries with shariah law is unacceptable, especially in this neighborhood". Brown allied with the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ), a conservative law firm founded by Pat Robertson that champions the rights of Christians to build and worship freely.[16] Brown sought to pressure Rauf to disclose fully the project's funding sources.[16] Peter Ferrara, General Counsel of the American Civil Rights Union, observed: "The Cordoba Mosque was the third largest mosque complex in the world ... built on the site of a former Christian church, to commemorate the Muslim conquest of Spain. This perpetuated a cultural Muslim practice of building mosques on the sites of historic conquests."[149]
Pamela Geller, executive director of Stop Islamization of America, said: "It's an insult. It's demeaning to non-Muslims to build a shrine dedicated to the very ideology that inspired 9/11." More than 20,000 people signed an online petition for the Committee to Stop the Ground Zero Mosque, and unsuccessfully lobbied the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission to give the location landmark status, which would have added a major hurdle to construction.[16]
Richard Land, President of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said "putting a mosque ... very close to Ground Zero is unacceptable.... Even though the vast majority of Muslims ... condemned their actions on Sept. 11, 2001, it still remains a fact that the people who perpetrated the 9/11 attack were Muslims and proclaimed they were doing what they were doing in the name of Islam."[150] Bill Rench, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church which is located near the proposed mosque site, also spoke out against its construction.[151]
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a U.S. Jewish civil rights group that had spoken out against anti-Muslim bigotry, denounced what it saw as bigoted attacks on the mosque.[152][153][12][14][154] Its head opined that some of those who oppose the mosque are "bigots", and that the plan's proponents may have every right to build the mosque at that location.[153][12][14][154] Nevertheless, he appealed to the builders to consider the sensitivities of the victims' families, saying that building the mosque at that site would unnecessarily cause more pain for families of some victims of 9/11.[153][12][14][154]
The Zionist Organization of America opposes the construction of Park51 due to its location, and questions about Rauf.[155] The Simon Wiesenthal Center also opposes the location of the planned Park51.[156]
Criticism of Rauf's views
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Imam_Feisal_Abdul_Rauf_%281%29.jpg/240px-Imam_Feisal_Abdul_Rauf_%281%29.jpg)
Rauf, a Kuwait-born Muslim Sufi of Egyptian descent, is the chief proponent of the project.[23][74][4][46] Some U.S. politicians and others voiced concerns about his views.[23][74][4]
Columnist Jonathan Rauch wrote that Rauf gave a "mixed, muddled, muttered" message after 9/11.[157] Nineteen days after the attacks, he told CBS’s 60 Minutes that fanaticism and terrorism have no place in Islam, but Rauch considered his message "muddled" because when asked if the U.S. deserved to be attacked, Rauf answered, "I wouldn’t say that the United States deserved what happened, but the United States’ policies were an accessory to the crime that happened."[56][21] Rauch commented: "Note the verb. The crime "happened"?"[157] King and Sarah Palin also expressed concern about his remark.[56][131][157]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Rudy_Giuliani_New_York_After_9-11.jpg/180px-Rudy_Giuliani_New_York_After_9-11.jpg)
Lazio criticized him because he "refuses to recognize that Hamas is a terrorist organization"; former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani also claimed that Rauf "has a record of support for causes that were sympathetic with terrorism."[55][101][158] In June 2010, when asked in an interview whether he agreed with the U.S. State Department's assessment of Hamas as a terrorist organization, Rauf said: "I'm not a politician. The issue of terrorism is a very complex question." Adding "I am a peace builder. I will not allow anybody to put me in a position where I am seen by any party in the world as an adversary or as an enemy,"[74][131]
Lazio also said that Rauf played a leading role in an organization (the Perdana Global Peace Organization) that calls itself a "principal partner” of the flotilla that tried to break Israel's blockade of Gaza.[3] Lazio and Gingrich also said that Rauf has connections with Islamist extremists, which Rauf strongly denied.[74][131][55][108]
Support for the location
Politicians
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Wikinews-logo.svg/40px-Wikinews-logo.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Michael_R_Bloomberg.jpg/155px-Michael_R_Bloomberg.jpg)
On August 13, 2010, in a speech at the annual White House Iftar dinner celebrating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, President Barack Obama expressed support for the right of Muslims to build the Islamic center. Obama said, "Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances."[159][160]
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg strongly endorsed the project, saying that Ground Zero was a "very appropriate place" for a mosque, because it "tells the world" that the U.S. has freedom of religion for everyone.[161] Responding to opposition, he said:
The government should never, never be in the business of telling people how they should pray, or where they can pray. We want to make sure that everybody from around the world feels comfortable coming here, living here, and praying the way they want to pray.[16][23]
"Democracy is stronger than this," he added.[162] Remarking on opposition to the mosques' location, he said: "To cave to popular sentiment would be to hand a victory to the terrorists. We should not stand for that."[163] Responding to a question about the pain the mosque plan is causing some family members, he said:
I don't see an enormous number of people. I was at a fundraiser ... maybe 50 ... people who had lost [family] members. 100% in that room kept saying, 'please keep it up, keep it up'.... our relatives would have wanted this country, and this city, to follow and actually practice what we preach.[164]
Mayor Bloomberg was asked if he was satisfied that "he is indeed a man of peace given his background where he's supposedly supported Hamas, blamed the U.S. for 9/11 attacks?" The mayor responded: "My job is not to vet clergy in this city.... Everybody has a right to their opinions. You don't have to worship there.... this country is not built around ... only those ... clergy people that we agree with..... It's built around freedom. That's the wonderful thing about the First Amendment – you can say anything you want."[164]
Community Board 1 Financial Committee Chairman Edward "Ro" Sheffe opined: "it will be a wonderful asset to the community."[6][47] New York City Councilwoman Margaret Chin said: "The center is something the community needs".[38]
Additional New York politicians supported the proposal. They included Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer ("I'll do everything I can to make sure this mosque does get opened"), U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler ("the government has no business deciding"), NY State Senator Daniel Squadron (NYC Comptroller John Liu , NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.[7][83][84][165][82][166][167]
Nadler remarked that the "mosque" in the Pentagon hasn’t drawn any criticism, despite the Pentagon also being a target of the 9/11 attacks.[168] On one occasion, over 100 people observed Ramadan at religious facilities on site at the Pentagon.[169] What is referred to as the "Pentagon mosque" is a non-denominational chapel which was built and dedicated in 2002 in honor of Pentagon employees and passengers of American Airlines Flight 77 who died in the terrorist attack on the building on September 11, 2001.[170] Daily Muslim prayer sessions are held weekday afternoons, and regular Muslim services are led by an imam every Friday at the Pentagon facilities. A spokesperson for the Army was not aware of any protests by 9/11 families or others, including conservative activists, concerning use of the facility for Muslim services.[171] Additionally, according to the same army spokesperson, the imams who conduct services every single Friday at the Pentagon come "from a local mosque".[172]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Rep.K.Ellison.jpg/155px-Rep.K.Ellison.jpg)
Representative Keith Ellison, the U.S.'s first Muslim congressman, supported the mosque's location on the basis of the First Amendment and religious tolerance, and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick also voiced support, saying: "The sooner we separate the peaceful teaching of Islam from the behavior of terrorists, the better for all of us."[173][125]
Mark McKinnon, a former advisor to Republican President George W. Bush, criticized Republican opposition to the project: "And here we are, reinforcing al Qaeda’s message that we’re at war with Muslims."[174] Another former Bush aide, speechwriter and policy advisor Michael Gerson, agreed that prohibiting the mosque would "undermine the war on terrorism":
The militants hope, above all else, to provoke conflict between the West and Islam -- to graft their totalitarian political manias onto a broader movement of Muslim solidarity. America hopes to draw a line that isolates the politically violent and those who tolerate political violence -- creating solidarity with Muslim opponents and victims of radicalism.[175]
Mahmoud al-Zahar, who is Hamas chief of the Gaza Strip, said of the planned Cordoba House: "We have to build everywhere," and "In every area we have, (as) Muslim(s), we have to pray, and this mosque is the only site of prayer." Zahar also said "We have to build the mosque, as you are allowed to build the church and Israelis are building their holy places."[176][177]
Organizations
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, billed as "committed to resolving conflict in non-violent ways," voiced support for the project.[82][108]
Ibrahim Hooper, Communications Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), charged that the controversy was "manufactured" by "bigots".[118] He also asserted that only a vocal minority was complaining.[118] And Nihad Awad, CAIR's Executive Director, said that the opinion of Republican Congressman Peter King "should not be considered, because his ideas are extreme."[4] Talat Hamdani, a Muslim whose son died in 9/11, co-wrote an article supporting the center in the interest of pluralism.[108] Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek journalist and CNN host, also strongly supported the mosque, and returned a prestigious award he received in 2005 from the Anti-Defamation League, saying he was "personally and deeply saddened" by their opposition towards the subject mosque.[27] He wrote: "...Rauf, is a moderate Muslim clergyman. He has said one or two things about American foreign policy that strike me as overly critical—but it’s stuff you could read on The Huffington Post any day. On Islam, his main subject, Rauf’s views are clear: he routinely denounces all terrorism—as he did again last week, publicly."[178]
The Muslim Public Affairs Council also supported the project.[179][180]
Ishaan Tharoor argued in a TIME article that opposition to the Mosque is caused by Islamophobia, irrational fear of Islam.[181]
The Jewish political group J Street also supported the construction.[182] Its President, Jeremy Ben-Ami, released a statement saying:
The principle at stake ... goes to the heart of American democracy, and the value we place on freedom of religion. Should one religious group in this country be treated differently than another? We believe the answer is no.... proposing a church or a synagogue for that site would raise no questions. The Muslim community has an equal right to build a community center wherever it is legal to do so.[183]
The New York Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union supported it as well, citing principles of religious freedom.[184] The Interfaith Alliance also supported the mosque, while indicating that it agreed with the need for transparency as to who is funding the project.[153][12]
9/11 families
Some relatives of victims of the 9/11 attacks expressed support for the project.
Herb Ouida, whose son Todd died, said: "To say that we're going to condemn a religion and castigate a billion people in the world because they're Muslims, to say that they shouldn't have the ability to pray near the World Trade Center—I don't think that's going to bring people together and cross the divide."[110]
Marvin Bethea, a former EMS worker who was forced to retire in 2004 because of breathing problems caused by working at the 9/11 site, believes racism is a factor in the controversy, He said "even though my life has changed, I don't hate the Muslims. Especially being a black man, I know what it's like to be discriminated against. I've lived with that."[110]
Donna O'Connor, whose pregnant daughter died on 9/11, expressed the opinion that "This building will serve as an emblem for the rest of the world that Americans ... recognize that the evil acts of a few must never damn the innocent."[185]
Some of the families have organized a group named September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, which supports the center and has said it would be "an emblem for the rest of the world that Americans stand against violence, intolerance, and overt acts of racism and that we recognize that the evil acts of a few must never damn the innocent".[112]
Terry Rockefeller, whose sister was killed, said: "this doesn’t insult her at all.This celebrates the city she loved living in. It is what makes America what we are."[112]
Academia
Mark R. Cohen, Professor of Jewish Civilization in the Near East in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, opined that "The presence of ... mosques like the one planned near Ground Zero, which will be an educational center as well as a place of prayer, is one good way of transcending ... ignorance."[186] Rabbi Geoffrey Dennis, of the University of North Texas Jewish Studies Program said that when it comes to the issue of freedom to practice religion in a private sphere, such as on a piece of private property in Lower Manhattan, freedom of religion is virtually inviolate.[187]
Boston University Department of Religion professor Stephen Prothero spoke out against the arguments that Cordoba House should not be built near Ground Zero.[16][188][94] As did Padraic O'Hare, Professor of Religious and Theological Studies and Director of the Center for the Study of Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations at Merrimack College, arguing that prayer leads to peace: "Build a Muslim house of prayer near Ground Zero? ... Hand me the shovel."[189]
Sponsors
Those behind the project, the American Society for Muslim Advancement and the Cordoba Initiative, claim it is intended to foster better relations between Islam and the West.[6][190] In an interview, Daisy Khan said: "We decided we wanted to look at the legacy of 9/11 and do something positive." She added that her group represents moderate Muslims who want "to reverse the trend of extremism and the kind of ideology that the extremists are spreading."[191] Pointing to the fact that ordinary Muslims have been killed by Muslim extremists all over the world, Khan also said about the mosque, "For us it is a symbol... that will give voice to the silent majority of Muslims who suffer at the hands of extremists. A center will show that Muslims will be part of rebuilding Lower Manhattan."[192]
Others
Columnist Errol Louis pointed out that a mosque, Masjid Manhattan, has been located "a stone's throw" away from the World Trade Center site since the 1970s, and that a strip club, New York Dolls, is currently in the same area. "The nightly boozing and lap dances do not seem to have disturbed the sensibilities of those now earnestly defending the sacred ground near the World Trade Center site."[193]
See also
References
- ^ Nocera, Kate; Goldsmith, Samuel (May 22, 2010). "Imam building Islamic center near Ground Zero urges worshippers to fight against backlash with peace". Daily News. New York. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ "Cordoba House mosque coming up near Ground Zero renamed as Park51". Sify.com. July 14, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Schwartz, Stephen (July 26, 2010). "A Mosque Grows Near Brooklyn; The dubious financing of 'Cordoba House' deserves scrutiny". The Weekly Standard. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Shafey, Mohammed Al (May 18, 2010). "Controversy Rages in NYC over Planned Mosque Near Ground Zero". Asharq Al-Awsat. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ a b Mail Foreign Service (May 26, 2010). "Ground Zero mosque gets go-ahead in New York". Daily Mail. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Jackson, Joe; Hutchinson, Bill (May 6, 2010). "Plan for mosque near World Trade Center site moves ahead". Daily News. New York. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hernandez, Javier C. (May 25, 2010). "Vote Endorses Muslim Center Near Ground Zero". The New York Times. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ a b c Elliott, Justin (August 16, 2010). "How the "ground zero mosque" fear mongering began". Salon.
- ^ Sanchez, Ray (May 26, 2010). "Despite Protests, Mosque Plan Near 9/11 Site Wins Key Vote". ABC News. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ a b c "1,000 protest planned Islamic center, mosque near Ground Zero". Daily News. New York. June 7, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ Michelle Boorstein (August 19, 2010). "The pens of anti-Muslim conservatives impact N.Y.C. mosque debate mightily". Washington Post. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barbaro, Michael (July 30, 2010). "Debate Heats Up About Mosque Near Ground Zero". The New York Times. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Goldsmith, Samuel (July 1, 2010). "More than half of New York voters oppose Ground Zero mosque plan: poll". Daily News. New York. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Scherer, Ron (August 3, 2010). "Ground Zero mosque clears hurdle, but firestorm far from over". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Neroulias, Nicole (July 29, 2010). "Quietly, another mosque operates in the shadow of Ground Zero". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ Feyerick, Deb; Cummings, Julian; Payne, Ed; Silverleib, Alan (July 20, 2010). "Palin: Muslim facility near Ground Zero an 'unnecessary provocation'". CNN. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ a b El-Ghobashy, Tamer (July 27, 2010). "Amid Ground Zero Mosque Debate, NYPD Alert for Security During Ramadan". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Rosen, James (April 7, 2010). "New York Mosque Controversy Fires Up National Campaign". Fox News. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Friedman, Thomas L. (July 16, 2009). "Opinion | Glad to live in a country that will allow a mosque at Ground Zero". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Monument to Jihad; Ground Zero Mosque No Joke". Toronto Sun. July 27, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ "The Consequences of Park51: The Cordoba House". Accuracy in Media. August 6, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Hernandez, Javier C. (July 13, 2010). "Planned Sign of Tolerance Bringing Division Instead". The New York Times. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Hernandez, Javier C. (August 3, 2010). "Mosque Near Ground Zero Clears Key Hurdle". The New York Times. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ "The 9/11 Mosque". The Washington Times. May 27, 2010. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Jacoby, Jeff (June 6, 2010). "A mosque at ground zero?". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ a b "CNN host returns award from Jewish group over Islamic center stance". CNN. August 7, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
- ^ "MPAC Reps Discuss Islamic Community Center Project Proposed Near Ground Zero In National Media". Muslim Public Affairs Council. July 27, 2010. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ Laermer, Emily (August 3, 2010). "Ground Zero mosque plans move forward". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Blumenthal, Ralph; Mowjood, Sharaf (December 9, 2009). "Muslim Prayers and Renewal Near Ground Zero". The New York Times. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ a b Dunning, Matt (May 6, 2010). "CB1 Committee Hails Plans for a Mosque Two Blocks from WTC Site". The Tribeca Trib. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ World Trade Center emergency damage ... – Google Books. Books.google.com. January 3, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ World Trade Center emergency damage ... – Google Books. Books.google.com. January 3, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
- ^ World Trade Center building ... – Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
- ^ "Titleer". 74. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
- ^ Structural Engineers Association of New York, Noah Klersfeld, Guy Nordenson and Associates, LZA Technology (2003). World Trade Center emergency damage assessment of buildings: Structural Engineers Association of New York inspections of September and October 2001. Vol. 1. Structural Engineers Association of New York. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Funk, Luke (January 19, 2010). "Ground Zero Mosque Plan Moves Forward; "Shame On You" Shouted at Panel". Fox News. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Fung, Amanda (July 25, 2010). "Mosque madness a matter of perspective; Locals welcome $100M project, but others side with Palin to say no way". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ "Muslim Leaders and Developers of 'Cordoba House' Community Center in Lower Manhattan Thank..." New York: PR Newswire. June 4, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Green, Lauren (April 7, 2010). "Plan to Build Mosque Near Ground Zero Riles Families of 9/11 Victims". Fox News. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Rosett, Claudia (July 30, 2010). "Where In The World Is Imam Feisal?". Forbes. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ a b Staff writers (May 14, 2010). "Anger over mosque plan for Ground Zero". Herald Sun. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ "Muslim Leaders and Developers of 'Cordoba House' Community Center in Lower Manhattan Thank Supporters; Muslim Leaders Express Appreciation for Endorsement of Community Board, Elected Officials, 9/11 Families, and Christian and Jewish Clergy". New York: PR Newswire. June 4, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ "NYC community board OKs ground zero mosque plans". NewsChannel 9 WSYR. May 26, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Slater, Joanna (July 22, 2010). "Opposition to ground zero mosque goes viral". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ a b "Staff Bios". Cordoba Initiative. July 31, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Salazar, Cristian (May 7, 2010). "Mosque going up in NYC building damaged on 9/11". The Guardian. London. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ "American Society for Muslim Advancement". ASMA Society. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ "American Society for Muslim Advancement". ASMA Society. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ Vilensky, Mike (August 6, 2010). "'Ground Zero Mosque' Developers Still Need to Snag Half the Property From Con Ed". New York Magazine. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Vincent, Isabel; Klein, Melissa (August 8, 2010). "Half-baked mosque". New York Post. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
- ^ Vilensky, Mike (August 6, 2010). "'Ground Zero Mosque' Developers Still Need to Snag Half the Property From Con Ed". New York Magazine. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ Rosett, Claudia (August 6, 2010). "Further Travels Of Imam Feisal". Forbes. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ^ a b Barrett, Devlin (August 3, 2010). "Mosque Debate Isn't Going Away". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Weaver, Carolyn (July 22, 2010). "Muslim Group Faces Opposition Near New York's Ground Zero". Voice of America. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Dean, Nick (September 30, 2001). "NY Congressman Calls for Probe of Funding for Mosque Near Ground Zero and Its Promoter". CNS News. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ "Candor on funding needed from Ground Zero mosque-Editorial". New York Post. 2010-08-04. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ a b Topousis, Tom (August 3, 2010). "Landmark vote on Ground Zero mosque". New York Post. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ "Money behind the mosque". New York Post. August 4, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Pressman, Gabe (August 5, 2010). "Should the Mosque Be Built? – Follow the Money". NBC. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ Topousis, Tom (2010-05-25). "Proposed mosque at Ground Zero to be funded partly with foreign money according to Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf". New York Post. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ Scharr, Jillian. "Jewish Leaders Gather to Support Ground Zero Mosque". NBC New York. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ Shafey, Mohammed Al (2010-05-18). "Loading". Asharq-e.com. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ Howard, Michael (August 7, 2010). "Mayor Sparks Mosque Fray". The Wall Street Journal.
{{cite news}}
:|access-date=
requires|url=
(help) - ^ Sanchez, Rick (August 11, 2010). "Fmr. N.Y. Gov. Pataki's thoughts on Ground Zero Islamic Cultural Center/Mosque". CNN. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
- ^ "What is a Community Center". Cordoba Initiative. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
- ^ "What is Prayer Space?". Cordoba Initiative. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
- ^ "PARK51". Cordoba Initiative. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
- ^ Troianovski, Anton (July 19, 2010). "Developer Envisions Landmark Mosque". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ Worthington, Peter (August 4, 2010). "Zero thinking at Ground Zero". Toronto Sun. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ McLeod, Judy (August 4, 2010). "No words can ease the heartache of Ground Zero "mega mosque"". Canada Free Press. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ "Why is Fox pushing a falsehood to fuel outrage over NYC Muslim community center?". Media Matters for America. July 20, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Ansari, Anis (July 31, 2010). "Q-C area Islamic leader defends NYC mosque". Quad-City Times. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Topousis, Tom (June 19, 2010). "Muslim Imam leading push to build a mosque near Ground Zero wavers on questions about Hamas as a terror group". New York Post. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g Levin, Sam (July 30, 2010). "Landmarks to Vote Tuesday on Potential Mosque Site". The New York Observer. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Topousis, Tom (July 27, 2010). "'Safety woe' at mosque". New York Post. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ Pitzke, Marc (December 17, 2009). "Finding Allah at Ground Zero: A New Manhattan Mosque Hopes to Heal". Der Spiegel. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ a b "Commission Expected to OK Ground Zero Mosque". WCBS TV. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Amira, Dan (July 14, 2010). "Ground Zero Mosque Gets Less Muslim-Invasion-Sounding Name". New York Magazine. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ "Cordoba Initiative". Retrieved August 17, 2010.
- ^ Memmott, Mark (May 6, 2010). "Plan For Mosque Next to Ground Zero in NYC Moves Forward". NPR. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Dunning, Matt (May 26, 2010). "CB1 Backs Imam's Community Center, Silent on Mosque Near WTC". The Tribeca Trib. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "NYC community board OKs ground zero mosque plans". The Boston Globe. May 25, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ a b AFP (May 27, 2010). "NYC board approves Ground Zero mosque". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Sgobbo, Rob; Goldsmith, Samuel (May 26, 2010). "Supporters, opponents debate merits of controversial plan to build mosque near Ground Zero". Daily News. New York. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ a b Geminder, Emily (July 20, 2010). "45 Park's Place". The New York Observer. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ a b Dunning, Matt (July 8, 2010). "CB1 Committee Rejects Islamic Group's Building as a Landmark". The Tribeca Trib. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ a b "'Ground Zero' mosque moves forward". Financial Times. August 3, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Saul, Michael Howard (August 4, 2010). "Ground Zero Mosque-NYC Landmarks Commission Clears Way for Islamic Center". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ O'Brien, Michael (August 3, 2010). "Lieberman: Pause Islamic center project near ground zero". The Hill. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ a b c Newman, Andy (August 4, 2010). "In Battle Over Mosque, a Defender of Architecture". The New York Times. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ a b "ACLJ Files Lawsuit Urging NY Court to Nullify Landmarks Commission Vote Clearing Way for Ground Zero Mosque". Business Wire. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ a b "Notice of Petition", Brown v. New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, Supreme Court of the State of New York, August 4, 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
- ^ a b Prothero, Stephen (August 6, 2010). "My take: Christian group is latest ground zero hypocrite". CNN. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
- ^ "Mosque – July 19–20, 2010". Rasmussen Reports. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ "Rasmussen Poll: Most Oppose Mosque Near Ground Zero". Fox News. July 22, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/081310_MosquePoll.pdf
- ^ "Fox News Poll: Opinion Dynamics" (PDF). Fox News. August 13, 2010. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
- ^ Braun, Martin Z. (July 1, 2010). "New York City Voters Oppose Mosque Near Ground Zero, Poll Says". Business Week. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Green, Lauren (April 7, 2010). "Controversy Surrounds Construction of Mosques Across U.S". Fox News. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ a b Baribeau, Simone; Levitt, David; Johnston, Nicholas; Servetah, Stacie; Schoifet, Mark (August 3, 2010). "Ground Zero Mosque Plans Move Forward After Key Vote". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Thrasher, Steven (July 1, 2010). "Cordoba House Poll: New Yorkers Oppose, Staten Islanders REALLY Oppose Mosque Near Ground Zero–Runnin' Scared". The Village Voice. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Scharr, Jillian (July 31, 2010). "Jewish Leaders Gather to Support Ground Zero Mosque". NBC New York. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ a b "61% Oppose Muslim Cultural Center; But, Majority Willing to Listen", Dr. Don Levy, Siena Research Institute, August 5, 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Siena poll: Majority still opposes mosque – Capitol Confidential". Times Union. Albany. May 20, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ Saletan, William. "Mosque Uprising". Slate. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
- ^ Halper, Daniel (August 5, 2010). "61% of New Yorkers Oppose Ground Zero Mosque". The Weekly Standard. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Miller, Lisa (August 8, 2010). "War Over Ground Zero". Newsweek. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
- ^ a b c Letters, "A Mosque that Stirs Passions", The New York Times, August 3, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Gay, Mara (August 4, 2010). "9/11 Victims' Families Have Mixed Reactions to Ground Zero Muslim Center". AOL News. Retrieved August 5, 2010. Cite error: The named reference "aolnews1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "Israeli general opposes Ground Zero mosque". Israel Today. August 4, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ a b c Ebbert, Stephanie (August 5, 2010). "Patrick backs NYC mosque plan". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 5, 2010. Cite error: The named reference "boston3" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "Landmarks Hosts Heated Three-Hour Hearing on Mosque". The New York Observer. July 14, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Dean, Nick (July 26, 2010). "ACLJ Asks Commission to Make N.Y. Building a Landmark to Keep 13-Story Mosque from Being Built at Ground Zero". CNS News. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ Bolourchi, Neda (August 5, 2010). "A Muslim Victim of 9/11: 'Build your Mosque Somewhere Else'". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ^ Raza, Raheel; Fatah, Tarek (August 9, 2010). "Mischief in Manhattan". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ "Planned mosque near NY's Ground Zero sparks debate". Reuters. June 21, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ a b c "U.S. Muslims underestimate 9/11 effect, Muslim thinker warns". CNN. August 5, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ By Akbar Ahmed, Special to CNN (August 10, 2010). "Make New York mosque an interfaith center". CNN.com. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
{{cite news}}
:|author=
has generic name (help) - ^ Siegel, Joel (July 19, 2010). "Sarah Palin 'Refudiates' Ground Zero Mosque". ABC News. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ Tacopino, Joe (July 22, 2010). "Newt Gingrich comes out against planned Cordoba House mosque near Ground Zero". Daily News. New York. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ Hurst, Dustin (August 4, 2010). "Risch and Simpson oppose Ground Zero mosque, but won't press for federal action". Idaho Reporter. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
- ^ Hurst, Dustin (August 5, 2010). "Minnick and Crapo, too, oppose federal intervention into Ground Zero mosque issue". Idaho Reporter. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ Halper, Daniel (August 6, 2010). "Three Senators Oppose Ground Zero Mosque". Weekly Standard. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
- ^ a b Herb, Jeremy (August 6, 2010). "Pawlenty, Ellison wade into growing mosque debate". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ^ Pinkerton, James P. (April 7, 2010). "America Needs Willpower–And the Right Leaders". Fox News. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ "The "ground-zero mosque": Radicals and demagogues". The Economist. August 3, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Wyatt, Edward (August 14, 2010). "3 Republicans Criticize Obama's Endorsement of Mosque". New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
- ^ a b Carpentier, Megan (August 4, 2010). "The New GOP Anti-Mosque Talking Point: Ground Zero is our Auschwitz". TPM Muckraker. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ Hernandez, Javier C. (July 13, 2010). "Planned Sign of Tolerance Bringing Division Instead". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Gershman, Jacob (August 2, 2010). "Sides Dig in Over Ground Zero Mosque". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ "Mosque Hysteria". The Jewish Week. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ "Newt Gingrich comes out against planned Cordoba House mosque near Ground Zero". New York Daily News. July 22, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Seiler, Casey (July 27, 2010). "Mosque on solid legal ground". Times Union. Albany. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Katz, Celeste (August 5, 2010). "Carl Paladino Advertises On Ground Zero Mosque Issue". Daily News. New York. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ Katz, Celeste (August 4, 2010). "Mixed Mosque Reactions: George Pataki, Rick Lazio, Al D'Amato and Carl Paladino". Daily News. New York. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ Mann, Jonathan (August 6, 2010). "Manhattan mosque plan stokes controversy". CNN. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ CBN News (August 3, 2010). "Church Destroyed on 9/11 Still in Shambles". CBN News. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ "George Demos Tells Fox News We Must Rebuild St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at Ground Zero". USA.GreekReporter.com. August 3, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ "GOP Hopeful George Demos: Rebuild Church At Ground Zero, Not Mosque". New York Daily News. July 21, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ "Islamic Center Near Ground Zero Sparks Anger". NPR. July 15, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Slezak, Michael (July 15, 2010). "'Kill the Ground Zero Mosque' ad rejected by CBS, NBC: Was it the right decision?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Freedlander, David (August 3, 2010). "Brodsky Remains (Personally) Opposed To Ground Zero Mosque". The New York Observer. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ "Wilders to speak at New York mosque protest"
- ^ "Wilders to join Ground Zero mosque protest". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
- ^ "911 Ground Zero Mosque Rally: Bolton, Gingrich, Wilders, Berntsen, Breitbart"
- ^ "A rally at ground zero?"
- ^ "Mrs. Thomas denies link to Sept. 11 event"
- ^ "The Proposed New York Mosque and the Constitution". Fox News. April 7, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ Land, Richard. "On Faith Panelists Blog: A mosque near Ground Zero is unacceptable". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Ron Scherer, "Ground Zero mosque: spate of terror plots fueling fears", The Christian Science Monitor, July 20, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Jacoby, Susan (August 6, 2010). "The Spirited Atheist: Ground Zero mosque protected by First Amendment-but it's still salt in a wound". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Jewish group opposes ground zero mosque". Associated Press. July 30, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ a b c "The ADL, the Mosque and the Fight Against Bigotry". The New York Times. August 4, 2010.
- ^ http://www.zoa.org/sitedocuments/pressrelease_view.asp?pressreleaseID=1919
- ^ http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/breaking_news/wiesenthal_center_opposes_ground_zero_mosque
- ^ a b c Jonathan Rauch (October 13, 2001). "Islam Has Been Hijacked, and Only Muslims Can Save It". Reason. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ Matthews, Karen; Fouhy, Beth (August 3, 2010). "NYC panel clears way for mosque near ground zero". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Obama throws support behind controversial Islamic center
- ^ "Obama's comments on mosque plans near ground zero". Forbes.com. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
- ^ Rabinowitz, Dorothy (August 4, 2010). "Liberal Piety and the Memory of 9/11; The enlightened class can't understand why the public is uneasy about the Ground Zero mosque". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Vilensky, Mike (July 31, 2010). "Ground Zero Mosque an Increasingly Divisive Political Issue". New York Magazine. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ Seifman, David (August 2, 2010). "Mayor Bloomberg says Ground Zero mosque opponents should be 'ashamed' of themselves". New York Post. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ a b Katz, Celeste (August 3, 2010). "Mayor Bloomberg: Asking Mosque Developers To Move Project "Would Be Handing The Terrorists A Victory"". Daily News. New York. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Dickter, Adam (July 13, 2010). "Mosque Wars Hit New York Governor's Race". The Jewish Week. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Reich, Robert (August 5, 2010). "Nadler: Attacks on mosque "shameful and divisive" – Ground Zero Mosque". Salon. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ Pillifant, Reid (August 9, 2010). "De Blasio Is Currently Okay With the Mosque". The New York Observer. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ McQuillan, William (August 15, 2010). "Republicans Seek to Make Ground Zero Mosque an Issue in November Elections". Bloomberg. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
- ^ "Pentagon observes Muslim holy month". Washington Times. October 3, 2007. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
- ^ "Pentagon opens 9-11 Memorial Chapel". militaryinfo. September 18, 2002. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
- ^ "Mosque Controversy Skips Pentagon: Muslims Gather in Daily Prayer at 9/11 Crash Site". ABC News. August 17, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
- ^ "Muslims pray at Pentagon's Sept. 11 crash site". Associated Press. August 18,2010. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Johnson, Glen (August 4, 2010). "Mass. Gov. declares support for ground zero mosque". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ Shakir, Faiz (August 16, 2010). "Former Bush Adviser Mark McKinnon Rips GOP's Stance On Mosque: 'We're Reinforcing Al Qaeda's Message'". Center for American Progress.
- ^ Gerson, Michael (August 16, 2010), "Obama's mosque duty", The Washington Post, pp. A13, retrieved 2010-08-17
- ^ Miller, S.A.; Topousis, Tom (Aug 16, 2010). "Hamas nod for Ground Zero mosque". New York Post. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ Jacob, Jijo (Aug 16, 2010). "Ground Zero mosque row to become muddier as Hamas pitches in with support". International Business Times. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
- ^ "Build the Ground Zero Mosque". August 6, 2010.
- ^ "MPAC Reps Discuss Islamic Community Center Project Proposed Near Ground Zero in National Media". Muslim Public Affairs Council. July 27, 2010. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ Laermer, Emily (August 3, 2010). "Ground Zero Mosque Plans Move Forward". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Tharoor, Ishaan (August 7, 2010). "Muslim History Belies Stereotypes in 'Ground Zero Mosque' Dispute". TIME. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
- ^ "Vote clears way for Ground Zero mosque". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Aug 03, 2010. Retrieved Aug 17, 2010.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "J Street's Statement on Cordoba House Controversy". J Street. July 30, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ FNC (April 7, 2010). "New York City Panel Clears Way for Mosque Near Ground Zero". Fox News. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ Damaj, M. Imad (August 6, 2010). "Damaj: To Build or Not to Build a New Mosque in New York". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
- ^ Cohen, Mark R. (July 29, 2010). "Guest Voices: Americans must transcend ignorance on mosque near Ground Zero–On Faith". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ Slater, Wayne (July 29, 2010). "Texas Faith: Is a mosque at Ground Zero religious freedom too far?". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ Prothero, Stephen (July 19, 2010). "My take: Ground Zero mosque good for America and New York". CNN. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ O'Hare, Padraic (July 21, 2010). "Guest Voices: House of prayer near Ground Zero? Yes! – On Faith". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ Bliman, Nicole (May 7, 2010). "Mosque to go up near New York's ground zero". CNN. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ Rutkoff, Aaron (May 5, 2010). "Near Ground Zero, a Mosque Moves In and Meets the Neighbors". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ Kreimer, Nancy Fuchs (May 21, 2010). "Proposed Muslim Community Center Near Ground Zero: 'A Slap in the Face' or 'Repairing the Breach?'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ Louis, Errol (August 12, 2010). "Defeat mosque demagogues: Why aren't they bothered by the nearby stripclub?". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
External links
![]() | This August 2010's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. |
- Cordoba House
- Coalition to Honor Ground Zero
- Dispute about Muslim Community Centre near Ground Zero: Choosing Freedom not Fear by Rabbi Joshua M. Z. Stanton, Qantara.de, August 19, 2010
- "Hey, That's Sacred Ground: Let's Talk About Where to Build that Mosque", The Huffington Post, Rabbi Justus N. Baird, May 28, 2010
- "New York City Voters Oppose Mosque Near Ground Zero, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Does Mosque Foster Understanding Or Insult 9/11 Victims?", Quinnipiac University, July 1, 2010
- "Ground Zero Mosque Property Developer Comes Out; Sharif El-Gamal speaks to CNN", Stephen Schwartz, The Weekly Standard, July 20, 2010
- "A mosque to be built on our principles", Leonard Pitts, The Miami Herald, July 21, 2010
- "Statement on the Proposed “Cordoba House” Mosque near Ground Zero", Newt Gingrich, Newt.org, July 21, 2010
- "Boychuk and Mathis: Should a mosque be built near Ground Zero?", Ben Boychuk and Joel Mathis, Daily News Tribune, August 1, 2010
- "Newt Gingrich, pushing prejudice at Ground Zero", Richard Cohen, The Washington Post, August 3, 2010
- "Conservatives for a More Capricious Landmarks Bureaucracy", Josh Barro, National Review, August 3, 2010
- "An Open Letter on the Ground Zero Mosque; The location undermines the goal of interfaith understanding", Dan Senor, The Wall Street Journal, August 3, 2010
- "Opposition to 'Ground Zero Mosque' Is a Victory for Al Qaeda", John Aloysius Farrell, U.S. News & World Report, August 3, 2010
- "A Monument to Tolerance", Editorial, The New York Times, August 3, 2010
- "WTC Mosque, Meet the Auschwitz Nuns; Pope John Paul offers a model of tolerance for a heated controversy", William McGurn, The Wall Street Journal, August 3, 2010
- "If He Could, Bin Laden Would Bomb the Cordoba Initiative", Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic, August 3, 2010
- "Broadway and the Mosque", Thomas Friedman, The New York Times, August 3, 2010
- "Not at Ground Zero", Editors, National Review, August 4, 2010
- "Should the Mosque Be Built? – Follow the Money", Gabe Pressman, NBC, August 4, 2010
- "Liberal Piety and the Memory of 9/11; The enlightened class can't understand why the public is uneasy about the Ground Zero mosque", Dorothy Rabinowitz, The Wall Street Journal, August 4, 2010
- "Ground Zero mosque protected by First Amendment—but it's still Salt in a Wound", Susan Jacoby, The Washington Post, August 4, 2010
- "A Mosque that Wrecks Bridges", Christopher Caldwell, the Financial Times, August 6, 2010
- "Build the Ground Zero Mosque", Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek, August 6, 2010
- "Why Jews should Support Mosque near Ground Zero", Robert Levine and David Ellenson, The Washington Post, August 6, 2010
- "A Strange Way to Promote 'Understanding'", George Jonas, National Post, August 7, 2010
- "The Mosque at Ground Zero", Pat Buchanan, St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 8, 2010
- "Not so Fast", Stuart Varney, The Wall Street Journal, August 9, 2010
- "Shut Up, He Explained; Mayor Michael Bloomberg to New Yorkers", William Kristol, The Weekly Standard, August 16, 2010
- A Discussion with Mother of 9/11 Victim, Rabbi, Muslim Lawmaker and Islamic Scholar - video roundtable by Democracy Now!