Once again a Marine friend of mine who served in Vietnam with me has passed on some heretofore unknown information [to most Americans] about the behind-the-scenes players in the Ground Zero mosque controversy.
Tony,
There’s still a lot more information to be found, I’m sure.
This Financial Times (of London) article about the project contains one of the references I’ve seen to an original plan for condos:
Meanwhile, Gamal’s Soho Properties was in the process of acquiring – for $4.85m – a five-story building on Park Place, three blocks from the trade towers site. The building had housed a Burlington Coat Factory warehouse until it was abandoned after the landing gear of one of the hijacked aircraft tore through its roof. Initially, Gamal had planned to build a condominium complex at the site, but was convinced by Rauf’s idea for a cultural centre with a prayer space, especially as the Muslim community
in New York had been growing for some time.
If you have time to read the entire article, it has an interesting point of view. It was written by and for “outsiders” (Europeans) who aren’t part of our political process.
There is a Wikipedia article that summarizes the Cordoba Project and another about Soho Properties. It’s probably best to be careful about Wikipedia articles on controversial issues, but these looked fairly neutral at first glance.
There’s been a fair amount of screaming recently in the news about a “refusal to reveal the sources of their funding for the project.” I don’t think that means they are hiding something shady. I think it means they haven’t got the 100 million yet.
I think the business owners, property owners and residents of Lower Manhattan are the only ones to decide whether this project should be built. Not Glen Beck, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich or Barack Obama. It’s not up to the people of New York City or Los Angeles how we run things here in Olean, NY either.
If it was up to me then I’d say: Hey, let’s raise $100 million, buy the property and put up a true multi-cultural peace center. We can have a Christian chapel, a Synagogue, a Mosque and a little barn out back for the Amish to stable their horses. Soho Properties can donate the real estate and get a plaque with their name on it. Obama can pledge some of that economic recovery money.
Should I send my idea to Mayor Bloomberg?
Have a great day!
Jim
Note to readers: Google The Financial Times of London Cordoba Project Article