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| Plan For 13 Story Mosque Near World Trade Center Site Moves Ahead |
| 2010-05-07 |
| H/T HotAir.com. Check out the picture at the site A proposal to build a mosque steps from Ground Zero received the support of a downtown committee despite some loved ones of 9/11 victims finding it offensive. The 13-story mosque and Islamic cultural center was unanimously endorsed by the 12-member Community Board 1's financial district committee. The $100 million project, called the Cordoba House, is proposed for the old Burlington Coat Factory building at Park Place and Broadway, just two blocks from the World Trade Center site. "I think it will be a wonderful asset to the community," said committee Chairman Ro Sheffe. Imam Feisel Abdul Rauf, who helped found the Cordoba Initiative following the 9/11 attacks, said the project is intended to foster better relations between the West and Muslims. He said the glass-and-steel building would include a 500-seat performing arts venue, a swimming pool and a basketball court. "There's nothing like it," said Rauf, adding that facilities will be open to all New Yorkers. Daisy Khan, executive director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement and a member of the Cordoba Initiative's board, said donations are being sought to pay for the construction. Khan said the project has received little opposition. "Whatever concerns anybody has, we have to make sure to educate them that we are an asset to the community," Khan said. Khan said her group hopes construction on the project will begin by the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Once built, 1,000 to 2,000 Muslims are expected to pray at the mosque every Friday, she said. No one at last night's meeting protested the project. But some 9/11 families said they found the proposal offensive because the terrorists who launched the attacks were Muslim. "I realize it's not all of them, but I don't want to have to go down to a memorial where my son died on 9/11 and look at a mosque," said retired FDNY Deputy Chief Jim Riches - whose son Jim, a firefighter, was killed on 9/11. "If you ask me, it's a religion of hate," said Riches, who did not attend last night's meeting. Rosemary Cain of Massapequa, L.I., whose son, Firefighter George Cain, 35, was killed in the 2001 attacks, called the project a "slap in the face." "I think it's despicable. That's sacred ground," said Cain, who also did not attend the meeting. "How could anybody give them permission to build a mosque there? It tarnishes the area." |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #16 Imam Feisel Abdul Rauf, who helped found the Cordoba Initiative following the 9/11 attacks, said the project is intended to foster better relations between the West and Muslims Would that be the dissembling Imam Feisel Abdul Rauf, along with Dr. Eric Ormsby, a Professor of Islamic Studies at McGill University, who are the subject of this post. |
| Posted by: tipper 2010-05-07 23:15 |
| #15 Insane. Every mosque is a territorial claim. Yea, Cordova Project, no sh!t This is like rubbing salt into a wound. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2010-05-07 21:30 |
| #14 I'd like to put up a large billboard with a drawing of Muhammad the |
| Posted by: Dash Ripped Rock 2010-05-07 18:46 |
| #13 Whatta Dump! Ammo dump, that is. |
| Posted by: bigjim-CA 2010-05-07 16:19 |
| #12 Where in the hell are Bloomberg, Rep. Anthony Weiner, and Charles Schumer on this? This is an insult to all of us. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2010-05-07 16:10 |
| #11 Unf*ckingbelievable! |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2010-05-07 16:05 |
| #10 Considering this project, at that location, is just, just, just,,, unbelievable. |
| Posted by: Flapper Scourge of the Algonquins4926 2010-05-07 15:50 |
| #9 Cordoba Initiative You gotta love it - under the guise of reconciliation, these mooks are naming the project after a Spanish Christian city once conquered by Muslims. And the local community board is approving the project. If this is an example of New York's sophistication, I'm content to be unsophisticated. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2010-05-07 15:44 |
| #8 Do not let this happen. |
| Posted by: Dave UK 2010-05-07 14:33 |
| #7 No different from the Japanese erecting an embassy annex and Japanese cultural center next to the Pearl Harbor Memorial. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-05-07 14:16 |
| #6 In that picture, counting the windows of he building next to this Mosque, it's plain the building is 20 stories tall. Liars. (But then that's normal, isn't it) |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2010-05-07 12:31 |
| #5 . . . or wherever that big rock thingy is. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-05-07 11:55 |
| #4 How 'bout a 13-story mega synagogue or church right next to Mecca? |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-05-07 11:54 |
| #3 I remember wild tales from the cold war in which superpowers put nuclear bomb inside their embassies to assure they could have at least one go off in the enemies capital. Not saying anyone would ever build a bomb or store weapons in a mosque, just saying. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2010-05-07 11:52 |
| #2 "Whatever concerns anybody has, we have to make sure to educate them that we are an asset to the community," Khan said. We've already had something of a glimpse of what an "asset" you are to the community Mr. Khan. We've been watching London, Paris, Dearborn, and Gaza for decades now. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-05-07 11:28 |
| #1 Khan said the project has received little opposition. I believe that's because this is the first most people have heard of it. Be prepared, lady. This is like trying to get a statue of Hitler put up at Auschwitz. "Whatever concerns anybody has, we have to make sure to educate them that we are an asset to the community," Khan said. Yes, Islam is a religion of peace...stupid infidel! Pay no attention to that big hole a couple of blocks down. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2010-05-07 11:23 |