http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37343922/ns/us_news/

NYC community board OKs ground zero mosque plans


NEW YORK - After hours of contentious public comment, a New York City community board voted late Tuesday to support a plan to build a mosque and cultural center near ground zero.

"It's a seed of peace," board member Rob Townley said. "We believe that this is a significant step in the Muslim community to counteract the hate and fanaticism in the minority of the community."

The vote was 29-to-1 in favor of the plan, with 10 abstentions. The move by the Manhattan Community Board 1, while not necessary for the building's owners to move forward with the project, is seen as key to obtaining residents' support.


Some board members wanted to postpone a vote until the next meeting to gather more information about the project and the organizations sponsoring it. But the motion failed.

The meeting was unruly, with project opponents jeering at speakers and yelling comments such as "You're building over a Christian cemetery!" while holding signs that read, "Show respect for 3000," referring to those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Many said they were not opposed to a mosque — just not one that's two blocks from ground zero.

The families of Sept. 11 victims "would be wounded by erecting a mega mosque so close to the place where their loved ones were massacred," said Viviana Hernandez, a chaplain. "Even though they may have altruistic reasons, the real terrorists will see it as a win on their side."

Conservative tea party activist Mark Williams has called the proposed center a monument to the terror attacks.

The organizations sponsoring the project said they are trying to establish a vibrant and inclusive-world class facility.

Plans for the Cordoba House include a performing arts center, swimming pool, culinary school, child care facilities and worship space.

It would provide 150 full-time jobs, 500 part-time jobs and an investment of more than $100 million in infrastructure in the city's financial district, according to Daisy Khan, spokeswoman for the Cordoba House.

Khan's husband, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, executive director of the Cordoba Initiative, one of the project's sponsors, said he understood the pain that people have about 9/11. But he said his community and congregation were among those that died in the attacks.

"We have condemned the terror of 9/11," he said. "We have worked to ensure that our mosques are not recruiting grounds for terrorists."

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said in a statement that by supporting the multi-faith community and cultural center, the board "sent a clear message that our city is one that promotes diversity and tolerance."

Stringer has been the target of disparaging remarks by Williams for supporting the plans and has defended his position and denounced offensive speech directed at him or at Muslims.

He said before the vote that he understood the sensitivities of the families of 9/11 victims.

"I don't think anybody wants to do anything to disrespect those families. They made the ultimate sacrifice," he said. "At the same time, we have to balance diversity and look for opportunities to bring different groups together."

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said there were no security concerns about building a mosque in the area.

The American Society for Muslim Advancement and the Cordoba Initiative have said that they bought the building in 2009 and planned to break ground later this year. It could take up to three years to build the Cordoba House. A Friday prayer service has been held at the building since September 2009.

Besides the political and social opposition to the project, city officials say the plan also could be hindered by a decades-old proposal to give landmark status to a building that would be replaced by the mosque and center.

City officials say the current building, constructed between 1857 and 1858 in the Italian Renaissance palazzo style, is historically and architecturally significant.

Bruce Wallace, who lost a nephew on 9/11, said the center can change the misperceptions about Islam.

"The moderate Muslim voice has been squashed in America," he said. "Here is a chance to allow moderate Muslims to teach people that not all Muslims are terrorists."

I think that we need to get groups like Move America Forward involved in setting up a protest yes they are out of California but it wouldn't be the first time they did a cross country road trip to protest something. Move America Forward is a great group of people. I say that this is a slap in the face to Americans everywhere after Muslims are the ones who attacked us our own government is going to let them build a Mosque screw that.

I bet they would. Hell, I could call Melanie Morgan since she is a good friend of mine. I oranized a pro troop rally for her out here, hell I didn't even think of that.

Also Joe with America Deserves Better would be all over this too.

What an excellent idea.

Because radical Muslims have given Muslims such a bad name. It would give closure to so many people.

Let's do it. If we can get the time off lets go for a road trip and protest also.

It would show the shamefully prejudice people in this country do not rule and that Americans are aware that all Muslims are not extremists or radical.

They may not all be extremists and radicals as you put it but Muslims are still the ones who caused the attack. And they need to know that putting a mosque next to where Muslims attacked us is not okay with us. I think that all Americans should be appalled of the guts they have to even try it.

Okay so to follow your logic.

A Christian stole my purse one day. A purse snatching Christian so if I follow your logic, all Christians are purse snatchers and I should be against any Christian church for this crime against me.

I get it.

If all else fails make all of them criminals so you can feel better.

Thay are ALL terrorists!

.............................. **** it i'm moving to canada

I feel sorry for you. Don't ever leave USA..they are out to get you.

It's not really safe in the USA anymore either with that Bafoon Obama (And I use this next term loosley) running the show.

I doubt that that clown Obama couldn't run a 3 ring circus.

And I didn't say all Muslims or all Christians or whatever so don't put words in my mouth what I am saying is that to put a mosque where Muslims go to worship should not be anywhere near ground zero. It is just their way of mocking us in my opinion and should not be tolerated.

A mosque on ground zero would show that Americans can overcome fear and hatred.

welcome to the real world:

Among every four humans in the world, one of them is Muslim.

Muslims have increased by over 235 percent in the last fifty years up to nearly 1.6 billion. By comparison, Christians have increased by only 47 percent, Hinduism, 117 percent, and Buddhism by 63 percent. Islam is the second largest religious group in France, Great Britain and USA
http://www.islamicweb.com/begin/results.htm

I don't think that you DO get it...

...A Christian steals your purse...
The cops know this Christian stole your purse yet they let other members of the church keep it and walk by your house carrying it every day...

By your logic, you'd be ok with a Japanese whatever being built in Pearl harbor? How about Nazi statues in every country they occupied? Why don't we put wild west museums on reservations? Maybe we can let BP build refineries on every coast they contaminate....

None of what you listed is even comparable to what was being discussed.

McVey was a Christian and we still allow Christians here and we allow them to have churches pretty much where they want them.

We need to treat the Muslims the same. Muslims live here and have for a long time. They are Americans.

They deserve to know that we as a country can know the difference between a terrorist of any religion and just regular religious folks.

Christianity has a horrible history of what they do to people, do we hold the Christians today at fault for the mistakes of their compatriots?

This church is specifically being built to add insult to injury.This would be the same as putting a museum devoted to hitler a few blocks away from Auschwitz.These muslims must really think we are stupid to believe that they are doing this as a token of friendship.I'm sure after normal church hours you will have a few hundred in the basement bragging about the destruction of America and Isreal.What better place to be preaching about Americas destruction then ground zero.How ironic would it be to visit ground zero and then a stones throw away you have women wearing burkas talking down to Americans.

Islam is a dangerous religion.There may be peaceful muslims out there but they have the same mind set that Christians and Jews must be destroyed.They are ticking time bombs just waiting for the chance to strike.To this day I have never heard muslims say anything positive related to American or Christianity.What does Americans and muslims have in common?Nothing!

You want to build a church than build a Christian one.Nobody would be complaining.

Building a mosque there would show that we are more intelligent than those prejudice folks who think because one McVey is a terrorist all Christians are.