On May 5, 2010, Feisal Abdul Rauf, Daisy Khan, and Sharif el-Gamal proposed a $100 million building plan of a Muslim community center in Lower Manhattan. The fifteen story cultural center would consist of a mosque, a swimming pool, a cooking school, a 500-seat auditorium, and other features similar to local YMCAs. This proposed site also happens to be two and half blocks from Ground Zero. The plan was presented to a community board and just the day after the community board began to take angry criticism in the form of phone calls, emails, and threats.
The plan for Park51 was passed by the New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission on August 3, 2010. The plan was passed in spite of negative media attention, critics, and lack of funding. Sarah Palin drew a lot of negative media when she asked, “peace-seeking Muslims” to not support or petition the Park51 Cultural Center, as it is an “unnecessary provocation.” Others defended it however, stating that our country was founded on religious freedoms and we should keep it that way with no dictation from the government.
The majority of Americans not in favor of Park51 became upset because of how close it was located to Ground Zero. They said it was insensitive to the victims of 9/11 and it was a victory for the terrorists who attacked the Twin Towers on that terrible day. In the New York Times, Mr. Abdul Rauf, one of the organizers of the project, emphasizes that “the center’s interfaith agenda, its location near ground zero is essential to its message of healing 9/11’s wounds and promoting moderate Islam.”
Participants and those in support of Park51 and the construction of the community center said that Mr. Gamal had satisfied most of the concerns that American Muslims had about the project: that it was elitist and had not been sensitively planned or promoted. The center has been seen as outreach to citizens, regardless of religious affiliation, who can’t afford already established programs within the community, such as the YMCA.
As of now, all plans to continue construction on the Park51 Community Center are still on track with the support of President Obama.
Background Sources
- http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/p/park51/index.html
- http://factcheck.org/2010/08/questions-about-the-ground-zero-mosque/
