Some in GOP worry the fight could distract from bigger issues in election year.
Construction cranes tower above One World Trade Center Friday in New York. The site of a proposed Islamic center and mosque is two blocks away from the spot where nearly 2,800 people died when Islamic extremists flew jets into the twin towers in 2001.New York -- Gov. David Paterson is expected to meet this week with developers of the proposed mosque near Ground Zero and will urge them to find another site for the controversial project.
But real estate investor Sharif El-Gamal told the New York Post that there are no plans to relocate the $100 million project.
Nearly 2,800 people died on Sept. 11, 2001 when Islamic extremists flew jets into the twin towers, two blocks away from the planned Park51 Islamic cultural center and mosque.
Opponents have said the choice of location is an outrage to those who died. Supporters argue that freedom of religion demands we allow the project. A CNN poll released Aug. 11 found that 68 percent of respondents opposed the mosque's location.
Mahdi Bray, executive director of Muslim American Society, holds up a copy of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence as he speaks about religious freedom and President Barack Obama's comments during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington Tuesday regarding the construction of an Islamic community center and mosque within blocks of Ground Zero in New York.Politicians ranging from President Barack Obama to Sen. Harry Reid to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich have jumped into the fray over the mosque's location. On Monday, Gingrich compared allowing the mosque to be built to allowing Nazis to put up a sign next to the Holocaust Museum, or allowing the Japanese to "put up a site near Pearl Harbor."
Still, the Republican party is afraid the issue could be a distraction in upcoming elections and cause minorities to shun the GOP, the Los Angeles Times is reporting.
GOP pollster David Winston told The Washington Post the issue could become a fatal distraction for the party. "While this is certainly an issue that has generated a lot of emotion, when it comes to voting, the election is going to be about the economy and jobs," he said.
Meanwhile, some bloggers are wondering why the proposed mosque, which was first reported last December by The New York Times, has become such a big issue now. Salon offers a timeline of the story, and a column in The Washington Post says the ball got rolling after a New York Post cover story in May.
Top links
» How the "ground zero mosque" fear mongering began [Salon]
» How did the mosque morph into one of the most divisive issues in American politics today? [The Washington Post]
» Ailing 9/11 responders slam President Obama: Focus on Zadroga health bill, not Ground Zero mosque [New York Daily News]
» Poll: 68% of Americans Oppose 'Ground Zero Mosque' [Talking Points Memo]
» Comment: Zero Grounds [The New Yorker]