Brooklyn, New York – June 1st, 2010 –
The Tea Party of Brooklyn has announced a demonstration against the building of a mosque on Ground Zero to be held on June 12th, at 2 pm, in McKinley Park in Bay Ridge. Organizers emphasized that the rally was not just for Tea Party members.
The President of the Brooklyn Tea Party, Dr. John Press said “Personally, I see building this mosque as an act of aggression and triumphalism by a foreign power. But, this rally will also give voice to those who just see the building of a mosque on this site as painful and insensitive.”
New York City Community Board 1 member Rob Townley, who voted for the project, argued that it would ultimately decrease extremism. He explained, “We believe that this is significant step in the Muslim community to counteract the hate and fanaticism in the minority of the community.”
Named “The Cordoba House” after the Capital city from which Muslims ruled much of Spain between 711 and 1492, its developer, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, claimed that it would only serve as a community center. While admitting it would have a prayer room, he highlighted its housing basketball courts, a swimming pool, and arts programs.
But, the site actually already serves as a mosque where Imam Rauf leads prayer every Friday. And an activist against the mosque, Debra Burlingame, went to the developers, Soho Properties, and the real estate brokers clarified that the 13 story structure would feature a mosque on the top floor overlooking Ground Zero.
Retired FDNY Deputy Chief Al Santora, whose 23-year-old son Christopher was the youngest firefighter to die on 9 – 11, told Community Board 1, “I do have a problem with having a mosque on top of the site where [terrorists] can gloat about what they did.”
Dr. Press noted that no one has been willing to say where the 100 – 150 million dollars to build the mosque has come from, “But, logic makes one suspect that Malaysia, where the Cordoba House project’s office is located, or Saudi Arabia are funding it.”
The protest will feature an opportunity for community members to express their disgust with and opposition to the proposed mosque.