NYC: Muslim Groups Meet discussed about Park 51 Mosque

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Muslim Groups Meet discussed about Park 51 Mosque




New York City : 45-47 Park Place (AP)Yesterday and today, a group of
Muslim organizations have been meeting to discuss not only the controversial
Park 51 community center and mosque project but the apparently increasing
anti-Muslim attitude in the United States. The AP spoke to one of the
organizers, Shaik Ubaid of the Islamic Leadership Council of Metropolitan New York,
who said, at first, some Muslim Americans weren't supporting the Park 51
project, but “Once it became a rallying cry for extremists, we had no choice
but to stand with Feisal Rauf."

Imam Feisel Abdul Rauf, the imam for the mosque, has said that if the
project moves from its current proposed location at 45-47 Park Place—two blocks
from Ground Zero—then the radicals will win. Of course, the project has
become a pawn in some radicals' media moves. Interestingly, Ubaid also added
that Rauf "was not that involved with the local Muslim community" and didn't
get enough local support for the project, "Had we consulted us, we
probably would have told him, gently, no."

The proposed building would have two floors for a mosque; Community Board 1
chairwoman Julie Menin, who supported the project, but now wants there to
be a floor for nondenominational interfaith space, said, "[Park 51
developers] had always talked about giving the center an interfaith concept like
having classes in Buddhism... It’s one thing to have panel discussions, but
if you really want to bring these factions together 
 have a
nondenominational interfaith space, like the chapel at the Pentagon, where local rabbis
and priests could hold services on different days of the week." /beqir sina/