Governor offers help moving Ground Zero mosque
New York Gov. David Paterson offered state help Tuesday if the developers of a mosque near the site of the Sept. 11 attacks agree to move the project farther from the site, the Associated Press reports.
Paterson, a Democrat, said that he doesn't oppose the project as planned but indicated that he understands where opponents are coming from. He said he was willing to intervene to seek other suitable state property if the developers agreed.
"I think it's rather clear that building a center there meets all the requirements, but it does seem to ignite an immense amount of anxiety among the citizens of New York and people everywhere, and I think not without cause," Paterson said in a news conference in Manhattan.
"I am very sensitive to the desire of those who are adamant against it to see something else worked out," Paterson said.
The developers declined to comment. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who last week made an impassioned defense of the project planned for lower Manhattan, declined to comment through a spokesman.
Paterson said he expects the state Public Service Commission, which must sign off on the Corboda Initiative's project, to follow the law and not politics in its review.
Paterson noted that "we really are still suffering in many respects" from Sept. 11 and that impassioned feelings were bound to emerge from a mosque just a couple of blocks from where nearly 3,000 people died at the hands of Muslim extremists.
He noted that Muslims died in the Sept. 11 attacks, too, and that "we have to remember that sometimes it's the fanaticism of religion that have driven people to do what they do, not the worship of the religion itself."
Supporters of the cultural center, including some Jewish activists, argue the aim of the Cordoba Initiative is to improve understanding of Islam. They point out that Muslims worshipped in the same area for a long time before the 13-story, $100 million proposal became public in May and was the subject of public hearings in the city and debate on television and radio nationwide.
Opponents note that the center will replace a building damaged by the landing gear of a jet that slammed into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. They say the religion that fueled the hatred in the terrorists shouldn't be displayed so near to the site and in a place New Yorkers will have to pass daily.
A city board cleared the way for the existing building to be razed to make way for the center, which is to include athletic and arts facilities and be dedicated to peace and tolerance. Critics are suspicious of who will fund the project, and developers haven't released their sources of capital.
Carl Paladino, a Republican candidate for governor, said the plan is "no different than Japan asking to build a memorial to kamikaze pilots next to the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor."
Bloomberg argues, though, that it "would be untrue to the best part of ourselves, and who we are as New Yorkers and Americans, if we said no to a mosque in lower Manhattan."
A Marist College poll released Tuesday found that 53 percent of New York City voters polled oppose constructing the mosque there. Just 34 percent favored the plan in the poll, which also showed a slide in Bloomberg's traditional high approval ratings.
The Marist poll surveyed 809 New York City residents July 28 through Aug. 5 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Comments
Anyone who knows anything about history knows that the Japan-Pearl Harbor analogy is NOT accurate. These terrorists acted alone -- not on behalf of a country, a religion, or any respectful organization. They were sick individuals who did NOT act on behalf of their religion, either -- their religion does not call for or condone what they did. And ALL PEOPLE who want to stand up against the tide of ISLAMOPHOBIA which is being sanctioned by politicians afraid of not getting re-elected. Mayor Bloomberg is the ONLY man of consience out there, apparently... if this were a group of Jews or African American terrorists, this situation would look VERY different... MUSLIMS DIED IN THE ATTACKS. This is a house of worship, pure and simple.
And WHAT WOULD JESUS SAY, by the way??? He advocated for forgiveness and compassion and turning the other cheek and understanding... all of these so-called Christians who don't want this Mosque need to go read their Bibles a bit more carefully...
Posted by: Ummmm... | August 10, 2010 6:46 PM
I am perplexed that David Paterson would suggest state land for the site. Whatever position one stands on the mosque issue, state land must not be used for its site.
Once again the incompetent Paterson proves he can not govern. But, then again Paterson could never really govern. “The Democratic Conference: Organizational and Operational Structure Report” is an eyewitness account of Paterson’s DYSFUNCTIONAL governing nature while Senate Minority Leader.
http://www.politico.com/static/PPM110_demreportfinal.html
Paterson’s office was criticized for PATRONAGE, LACK OF LEADERSHIP, INDECISIVENESS and INFIGHTING. Those interviewed in the report indicated that its chief of staff the disorganized Michael Jones-Bey had no management skills, would booze it up with staff, often coming in the office with a hangover, and should be fired.
Amazingly, for running such a DYSFUNCTIONAL CHAOTIC office, the disorganized Michael Jones-Bey was picked by Paterson to mismanage the Division of Minority & Women Owned Business Development (MWBE) at Empire State Development Corporation.
Now, that's the Paterson way, being rewarded for your incompetence.
Posted by: cleanupnynow | August 11, 2010 10:32 PM