Updated 08/25/2010 07:09 PM
Rally Held In Support Of Lower Manhattan Islamic Center
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Families of September 11th victims teamed up with community leaders Wednesday to express their support for the proposed Islamic center and mosque near the World Trade Center site.
The group, 9/11 Families for a Peaceful Tomorrow, held a rally with more than 40 religious and civic organizations in Lower Manhattan.
They say the center is a perfect fit for the neighborhood because the imam preaches tolerance and interfaith dialogue.
"My kid was only one. They left her there. And I will tell you, that I am not leaving behind my country," said Donna O'Connor, whose daughter perished in the terrorist attacks. "People who speak up for American civil liberties now are really living what we were always told in this mythic way American meant. So I will tell you, please don't try to place 9/11 families against one another. We're not."
"It's not only that Cordoba Institute has a constitutional right to create a cultural center in Lower Manhattan, it is that it is right. It is wise for them to do that," said Rabbi Arthur Waskow, founder and director of the Shalom Center. "Because by doing that, they lift a beacon to New York City to America to the world."
The rally comes just days after hundreds of supporters and opponents clashed at pair of dueling protests near the site of the proposed Park 51 project.
Opponents say the location is sacred ground and the building would be insensitive to the victims' families.
Among the supporters of the project is Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who last night reiterated his opinion during an annual dinner marking Ramadan.
The developer of Park51, Sharif el-Gamal, and Daisy Kahn, the wife of Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, were in attendance.
In an impassioned speech, the mayor said not allowing the mosque to be built would undercut the values that many have died protecting.
"If we say that a mosque or a community center should not be built near the perimeter of the World Trade Center site, we would compromise our commitment to fighting terror with freedom," said Bloomberg.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver – who represents the area – said he believes the developers should find another location for the center. And Archbishop Timothy Dolan and Governor David Paterson met yesterday to discuss the rising tensions around the project, with both saying the rhetoric needs to be toned down.