Friday, November 26, 2010

Mosque owners seek handout


From CBS 2:

The debate over the proposed mosque and community center at Ground Zero was heating up once more Tuesday. Those opposed to the project are furious after learning the developers of Park 51 have applied for grant money, CBS 2′s Kathryn Brown reports.

“I was shocked,” said 9/11 first responder Tim Brown. “I think it’s the middle finger to the families.”

Brown said the latest move by the developers was worse than a slap in the face. Developers sought $5 million in 9/11 development grant money.

The center will include a mosque, a gym and a daycare.

On their website, developers touted the need for grant money to help fund “desperately-needed programs like domestic violence support groups, Arabic lessons and immigration services.”

The buck will stop with the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which is in charge of the money. They’ve set aside $17 million for the cultural enhancement of the area around ground zero and, so far, they’ve received nearly 300 applications from a variety of nonprofits.

3 comments:

Big Hairy Balls said...

Just in case any of the liberal apologists have forgotten; these are the people who cheered when the WTC collapsed. Now they want us, the taxpayers to fund their mosque. I think it's high time that we send these people a message, no money & no mosque anywhere within a mile of ground zero. Death to the Palestinians, long live Israel. End welfare!

Anonymous said...

Islam can have it both ways: When it wants to obtain first amendment rights as a religion for religious freedom, it gets them. When it wants to deny being a religion to avoid a "no establishment of religion" (i.e. having a taxpayer subsidy for a mosque -- direct support for a religion) by claiming to being a cultural or ethnic entity, it can do that too.

A bit of irony in this approach: Judaism, at least in New York City, has both a status as a religious entity and a cultural entity, and Muslims are attempting to follow this successful model.

Sarah said...

I will support a mosque at ground zero in exchange for a cathedral the size of St. Patrick's in the middle of mecca. And you know what else? I would love to watch the Army Corp of Engineers build it!