Reply #8: I'm not against it

[tammywammy]

"Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, a leader of the Cordoba Initiative, said he has been surprised by the vitriolic debate, since he has led his congregation ten blocks north of the World Trade Center for the past 27 years. His mosque lost several members on 9/11 and distributed bottled water to firefighters afterward.

Rauf said he plans to meet with the 9/11 family members who do not support the Cordoba House.

Rauf said emphatically that the center was “not a mosque. Though it will contain space for up to 2,000 Muslims to pray, it will also host many athletic and cultural events, possibly including the Tribeca Film Festival, he said. The Cordoba House may also include a memorial to those killed on 9/11.

“We want to rebuild this community,” Rauf said. “This is about the vast majority of moderate Muslims who want to be part of the solution.”"
Read more: http://dnainfo.com/20100520/manhattan/politicians-rally-against-tea-party-bashing-of-world-trade-center-mosque#ixzz0p5qQ2O9l


The group has no ties to any radical/extreme groups. I've read it's to be more like a Y with multicultural/secular events. I also like that they're thinking about including a memorial to 9/11, which is quite appropriate considering the congregation lost members in the terrorist attacks as well.