By Douglas J. Hagmann, Director
10 December 2009: As reported in The New York Times, an Islamic center is being planned for the former Burlington Coat Factory in the shadow of New York’s Ground Zero. The Islamic center and mosque is to be constructed at 45 Park Place, a mere 600 feet from the perimeter of the worst terror attack on American soil in history. The man behind the mosque is Imam Feisal Abdul-Rauf, spiritual adviser of the Al Farah Mosque, 245 West Broadway, New York, NY.
On September 11, 2001, the landing gear of one of the planes that struck one of the WTC towers crashed through the roof of the Burlington Coat Factory, causing extensive damage to the building. It has not been occupied since the attacks, and was listed for sale. The building was purchased by SOHO Properties in July for $4.8 million. Feisal Abdul-Rauf, the CEO of a 501(c)3 organization known as the Cordoba Initiative, is reportedly an investor in SOHO Properties.
The announcement that an Islamic center is to be constructed so close to Ground Zero has received surprisingly little attention and apparent broad inter-faith support. Given the implications and subliminal context of the construction of an Islamic center and mosque at such a location, this agency will continue our investigation into this matter.
