Developers of Mosque Near Ground Zero Seek Federal Funds for Post-9/11 Rebuilding
Published November 22, 2010
| FoxNews.com
Proposed location of Park51 an Islamic center set to be built two blocks from Ground Zero in New York City.
Developers of the controversial Islamic center proposed for two blocks from Ground Zero reportedly are asking the federal government to give them $5 million to help fund the project from a grant designed to rebuild downtown Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks.
"In November 2010, Park51 submitted several grant requests to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, a New York state agency. The agency was established to help redevelop Lower Manhattan’s economy after the 9/11 attacks," the proposed center, Park51, reports on its website.
At least one of those requests was submitted under the Lower Manhattan Community and Cultural Enhancement Program, and amounted to roughly $5 million, sources told the Daily Beast.
"Park51’s grant requests cover a variety of short-term programming and site construction costs," the center's website says. "The programming includes Arabic Language classes, a variety of consultation and referral services, a homeless veterans rehabilitation program, and a series of art exhibitions."
The application doesn't encompass the center's proposed prayer room, because religious organizations are allowed to apply for grants only “as long as the request is for a facility or portion of a facility that is dedicated to non-religious activities or uses,” the Daily Beast reported.
But although it's legal, the move is raising further controversy among those who have argued that the center’s proposed location shows a lack of sensitivity to the families of 9/11 victims.
"If Imam Feisal and his retinue want to know why they're not trusted, here's yet another reason,” Irshad Manji, author of "The Trouble with Islam" and director of the Moral Courage Project at NYU, told the Daily Beast. “The New Yorkers I speak with have questions about Park51. Requesting money from public coffers without engaging the public shows a staggering lack of empathy -- especially from a man who says he's all about dialogue."
The corporation declined to comment or confirm the application, saying the process was confidential.
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