Islamic center near ground zero opens its doors

[Dennis Donovan]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NYC_MOSQUE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-09-21-20-26-04

NEW YORK (AP) -- The developer of an Islamic cultural center that opened Wednesday evening near the site of the terrorist attacks that leveled the World Trade Center says the biggest error on the project was not involving the families of 9/11 victims from the start.

People crowded into the center, where a small orchestra played traditional Middle Eastern instruments and a photo exhibit of New York children of different ethnicities lined the walls. The enthusiasm at the opening belied its troubled beginnings.

"We made incredible mistakes," Sharif El-Gamal told The Associated Press in an earlier interview at his Manhattan office.

The building at 51 Park Place, two blocks from the World Trade Center site, includes a mosque that has been open for two years. El-Gamal said the overall center is modeled after the Jewish Community Center on Manhattan's Upper West Side, where he lives.
</snip>

The terrorists have won.:rofl:

[uppityperson]

1. I'd like to see this cultural center. Good for them, hope things go well.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Yay, it's about time!

I wondered how things were going with them.

This is good news!

[pinboy3niner]

3. Great! Now...

...leave Pamela Geller aloooooone!1!!



:rofl:

[TlalocW]

4. I'm glad it opened

I hope they changed the proposed design which looked like some sort of futuristic white honeycomb. They had some computer models of what it would look like inside, and with the sun streaming in, just looking at the mock-up gave me a headache. :)

TlalocW

[krispos42]

5. Is the tour of the poison-gas factory included?

Or is that an extra charge?



:eyes:


This shouldn't be national news. This is barely Manhattan news.

[bluestateguy]

6. Seems to have taken place very quietly

I guess that was just last year's August Silly Season story that we get every year when the media gets bored.

Not much in the news anymore.

[Warpy]

7. Good for them. The Imam is one of the good guys

and if I'm ever up that way, I'll visit.

People seem to forget that many Muslims were also killed that day.

[dkf]

10. The Imam is gone. They parted ways.

[Warpy]

15. Well, shit

I was hoping he'd stick around. He really is one of the good guys.

[WillyT]

8. Great News !!! - K & R !!!

:bounce:

:kick:

[bigwillq]

9. K and R (nt)

[Cali_Democrat]

11. Good for them!

I hope this pisses off all the islamaphobic hateful bastards. Every last one of 'em.

[Douglas Carpenter]

12. Good - kick and recommend

[MrSlayer]

13. OH NO!!! SHARIAH LAW IS NOW IN NEW YORK!!!

THE HORRROR!!!

[X_Digger]

14. Excellent! k&r n/t

[HappyMe]

16. That's great.

I hope the haters don't make any trouble for them.

[Blue_Tires]

17. Wow...and the world didn't end??

what happened to all the fearmongers?