NYC: Muslim Groups Meet discussed about Park 51 Mosque

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/