User:AKMask/park51rfc

RfC

There is a content dispute about the lede in this article. A thread on the NPOV board here showed a rough consensus for a qualified use of the term ('frequently referred to as a mosque', 'incorrectly referred to as a mosque'). It has been suggested that more voices would be helpful. There are numerous reliable sources pointing to the fact that mosque is an incorrect statement. It is referred to by the designers and some media as a 'prayer room', which appears to be a common phrase for things such as these in islamic culture. The distinction appears to be similiar to the difference between a church and a chapel, a smaller place of worship usually embedded in a larger, multi-purpose environment (chapels are frequently seen in hospitals and airports, for example). There is a criticism that prayer room is an attempt to spin, while the same charge is turned around for the use of the term mosque. As a primarily western group here, my personal view is that 'prayer room' is NPOV and objections to it seem to come from a lack of familiarity with islamic phrases in general. I for one had no idea it was so common till I stumbled into this dispute and started reading the background.