NYC Islamic Center Fuels Controversy

By Oranoos Nerow

improves,” said Sheikh Safwat Morsy, imam of Al-Sabeel Mosque in San Francisco. “I think when we want the relationship to improve further, we need more collaborative activities between Muslims and non-Muslims.”

Understanding begins with the realization of some facts. Masjid Manhattan, which lies four blocks away from Ground Zero at 20 Warren St., has been functional as a basement prayer room since
early 1970, months before the World Trade Center was built. It has
functioned without controversy, links to terrorism or other illegal activities since its inception.

In addition, while the phrase “Ground Zero Mosque” is permanently ingrained in our vernacular, it is an inaccurate description. A mosque is a place of worship and while the proposed community center is to contain a mosque, the building in general will be a community center, not a mosque. It will be called Cordoba House, named after an Islamic religious sanctuary in the Middle Ages. The name is meant to symbolize tolerance and cooperation. According to current plans, the community center would be 13 stories tall and located about two blocks from ground zero.

Many New Yorkers have been upset over the issue and believe it is inappropriate for an Islamic institution to be built so close to where so many were killed by a group of Muslim extremists. Many believe the area in and around Ground Zero is a memorial for those lost in the attacks, and wish to keep it as a place of remembrance.

Others have admitted to having difficulty separating the idea of Islamic culture from the ideals of terrorist groups such as al-Qaida,
which was responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks. For these New Yorkers, the mosque being built where their friends and family died appears to be a political conquest for those whom they view as the enemy. One placard held by protesters of the mosque summarized these emotions: “Building a Mosque at Ground Zero
is like building a memorial to Hitler at Auschwitz.”

However, not all New York residents feel this way. They believe it will increase tolerance in the community and allow Islam to be more open and accepted throughout the city and the nation.

Included in this contingent is New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who made news by voicing support for the plans.

The Cordoba Initiative was founded by Rauf, who also sits on the Council on Foreign Relations’ Religious Advisory Committee and the World Economic Forum’s Council of 100. The initiative is partnered with the American Society for Muslim Advancement, which Rauf also chairs, and which purchased the site for the $100
million. The list of financial supporters for the ASMA reads like a who’s who of globalist foundations, including the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Philanthropy.

Rauf’s Council on Foreign Relations connection is most striking. The CFR is a corporate think-tank that supplies elected representatives with a steady stream of policy and whose membership consists not of intellectuals, but of policy wonks, global mega-corporations and bankers.

Despite the credibility of Rauf and his constituents, many still view
the project as an act of conquest. Anyone who has lived in America during the last decade understands how emotional the attack on the World Trade Center is for many Americans. It has helped shape both foreign and domestic policy and rightly or wrongly forever altered the perception of Islam in America and around the world. This issue is larger than an Islamic center in New York. It is about America reconciling its founding principles with today’s 24-hour news cycles.

Wherever one stands on this particular issue, it is undeniable that
America will have to find a way to remember the attacks of 9/11 in a way that does not alienate American Muslims and Muslims across the globe. Islam is not going anywhere. With more than a billion Muslims worldwide, America’s reaction to this national debate will have international reverberations. While time may heal the wounds suffered on that day, there will be Muslims in America
long after the wounds have scarred over.

“The problem is that the media exaggerated this specific case and the media affected both sides,” Morsy said. “I think in general
American Muslims are supported by our communities. For example, many churches and people in San Francisco supported Muslims in different situations. When the media puts the Muslims in an accused and defensive position, it harms American Muslims.”