Jewish People in Favor of Mosque Near

Ground Zero in New York City

A coalition that includes relatives of victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks staged a
demonstration Wednesday in support of a plan to build a mosque near the attack site in lower
Manhattan.
New York is home to some 800,000 Muslims, about 10 percent of the city’s population, and
there are about 100 mosques throughout the city’s five boroughs.
The group, calling itself “New York Neighbors for American Values,” gathered Wednesday
near “Ground Zero” and the site of the proposed Islamic center and mosque two blocks away.
The group includes the Arab Muslim American Federation, the American Civil Liberties Union,
the Dialogue Project, The New York City Chapter of the Humanist Party, The Shalom Center
and Woodstock International.
“As community groups and organizations representing hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers,
we welcome the planned Muslim community center in Lower Manhattan as we would welcome
any center planned by neighbors of good will,” they said in a statement.
The New York municipal council in May approved construction of the Islamic center mosque
near the site of the former World Trade Center, setting off a national debate as it would be so
close to where Al-Qaeda hijackers brought down the Twin Towers, killing nearly 3,000 people.
President Barack Obama weighed in on the issue in August, with a defense of religious
freedom. A recent CNN/Opinion Research poll revealed that 68 percent of Americans oppose
the project and 29 percent are in favor.
“We were not attacked by the Muslim world,” said Donna O’Connor, spokeswoman for
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, whose pregnant daughter was killed in the
World Trade Center attacks. “We 100 percent fully support the Islamic cultural center in New
York City.”
A prominent Jewish leader, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, also voiced his strong
support in favor of the Mosque.
Flanked by the centre’s developer and the wife of its imam, he said that he understood why
many thought that choosing an alternative site would end the controversy.
“But it won’t. The question will then become, how big should the ‘no-mosque zone’ around the
World Trade Centre be? There is already a mosque four blocks away. Should it, too, be
moved?”
Moving the mosque, he said, “would send a signal around the world that Muslim-Americans
may be equal in the eyes of the law, but separate in the eyes of their countrymen”.
Official Press Release follows:
New York, NY — America is strongest when her people stand united by the freedoms our
nation was founded on. New York Neighbors for American Values embraces our core American
values of religious freedom, diversity and equality. As community groups and organizations
representing hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, we welcome the planned Muslim
community center in Lower Manhattan – as we would welcome any center planned by
neighbors of good will.
New York is one of the world’s great cities thanks to the richness, vibrancy and diversity of
those who call New York home. The shared hopes and dreams of countless New Yorkers have
united our city for centuries. We will not allow anyone to sow fear and division or condemn the
warm embrace we have always offered to all people from all lands. We call on our country’s
politicians, pundits and leaders to live up to the freedoms enshrined in our Constitution, the
very values Americans have fought for and held dear for centuries. And we call on our
neighbors in New York and across the nation to stand up and stand united: Our Constitution’s
founding freedoms extend to every person and every house of worship, regardless of creed or
color. America’s founding values must be welcome on every street and in every town square
across the nation.
The Coalition of NY Neighbors for American Values [In Formation]:
Organizational Members:
Arab Muslim American Federation, American Civil Liberties Union, Asian American Legal
Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), Auburn Theological Seminary, Brennan Center for
Justice, Brooklyn for Peace, Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for Understanding Islam,
Citizen Action of New York, Common Cause/New York, Community Voices Heard,
Convergence of Cultures/NY, Council on American-Islamic Relations-NY, Demos, Downtown
Independent Democrats, Good Jobs New York, Greater NYC for Change, Greater New York
Labor-Religion Coalition, Interfaith Center of New York, Islamic Mission of America inc.,
Jews for Racial and Economic Justice [JFREJ], Judson Memorial Church, League of Women
Voters of the City of New York, Lower Manhattan Democrats (LMD), Manhattan Young
Democrats, Middle East Crisis Response (MECR), Muslim Bar Association of New York,
Muslim Consultative Network, Muslim Public Affairs Council –NYC, New York Civil
Liberties Union (NYCLU), New York Theological Seminary, New York City New Sanctuary
Movement, Pax Christi Metro New York, Planners Network, The Dialogue Project, The New
York City Chapter of Humanist Party, The Shalom Center, Woodstock International,
Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring
Individual Members (organizational affiliation for identification only)
Talat Hamdani, Mother of Mohammad Salman Hamdani NYPD Cadet, EMT, WTC II
Adem Carroll, Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition
Debbie Almontaser, Founding and Former Principal of the Khalil Gibran International
Academy
Hester Eisenstein, Sociology, Queens College and the Graduate Center
Jennifer Baumgardner, Co-Owner, Soapbox Inc.
Dr. Lucinda Allen Mosher, Interreligious Relations Consultant
Serene Jones, President, Union Theological Seminary
Rev. Charles H. Straut, Jr., DMin, Consultant in Ministry, New York Annual Conference of the
United Methodist Church
Dr. Diane Steinman, Co-Chair, New York State Interfaith Network for Immigration Reform
Luis Barrios, Ph.D., BCFE, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Professor, John Jay College of
Criminal Justice- Department of Latin American & Latina/o Studies
Peter Marcuse, Professor emeritus of Urban Planning, Columbia University
Rev. Bruce Southworth, Senior Minister, The Community Church of NY Unitarian Universalist
Forty
Rev. Freeman Palmer, Metro Association Minister, United Church of Christ, New York
Conference
Rev Dr Rita M Root, Interim Conference Minister, New York Conference, United Church of
Christ
Rev. Dr. Robert L. Brashear, Pastor, West-Park Presbyterian Church
Tarak Kauff , Veterans For Peace, MECR, Editor Woodstock International newspaper
Quotes in Support of the Coalition:
“We cannot bring back the family members we lost on 9/11 but we can try to recoup what is
best about America. We are firm in our commitment to civil liberties and religious freedom and
we encourage civility and human decency in our interactions with each other.”
Donna Marsh O’Conner , national spokeswoman for September 11th for Peaceful Tomorrows
“We long for an America that will learn to welcome new groups, new ideas, new energy.”
Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper, President, New Sanctuary Movement
“America’s core values, principles and beliefs in equality and justice must guide our actions as
a society in order for this great experiment in democracy to succeed. The United States’ motto,
‘E pluribus unum’ – Out of many, one – is more than just a saying adopted by Congress in
1782. The inclusiveness of our society – so evident on the streets of New York – has made us
unique among the nations of the world and has been a vital source of our strength and progress
as a country. Our voices are clear: We must fight for inclusion, against fear-mongering and
defend the rights of our Muslim neighbors who wish to exercise their Constitutionally-
guaranteed freedoms.”
Té Revesz, Member of the Board of Directors of Citizen Action of New York
“The controversy over Park51 and centers nationwide reveal a new wave of anti-Muslim
sentiment peddled by extreme right organizations and some politicians exploiting the tragedy of
9/11 to spread fear and hate. While some officials have rejected this kind of divisive tactic,
others risk mainstreaming such bigoted and un-American attitudes. As such, we urge Governor
Patterson to reject any insinuation of collective guilt by standing up for the rights of Muslim
New Yorkers to build an Islamic center anywhere in our state. To oppose any house of worship
without evidence of wrongdoing makes mockery of the first amendment.”
Faiza N. Ali, Council on American-Islamic Relations-NY Community Affairs Director
“I am a Jewish Israeli-American who has created dialogue between Jewish people, Muslims
and people of many backgrounds here in NY. I have been personally affected by terrorism, and
that is all the more reason why I support the freedom of religion and right to property
guaranteed by the Constitution which New Yorkers cherish. The Dialogue Project and I fully
support Park 51, a cultural and spiritual center proposed in the spirit of cooperation.”
Marcia Kannry, Founder, Dialogue Project
“Nothing less than the right to pray where you want and when you want and how you want is at
stake here. Religious people of all persuasions remember only too well what happens when
religious freedom is polluted by those who think they know what is right. Religious people are
less interested in being ‘right’ than in love, truth, peace and freedom. This is a moment in
American history that will either make us proud or ashamed. I am praying for pride. I welcome
Moslems to the great religious mosaic that is America.”
The Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper, Senior Minister, Judson Memorial Church
“The Shalom Center vigorously supports not only the Constitutional right to create a Muslim-
rooted cultural center at Park51, but the rightness and wisdom of lifting to consciousness the
commitment to peace and to interfaith dialogue of its founders and the active practice of those
principles in Lower Manhattan. Bruchim ha’ba’im b’shem shalom – Blessed are those who
come forward in peace.”
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Director, The Shalom Center
“Religious freedom is one of America’s most fundamental liberties, and a central principle
upon which our nation was founded. Especially in times of controversy, we as New Yorkers
and Americans must vigilantly uphold our core values, including a faith community’s right to
build a house of worship, whether a mosque, a church, or a synagogue. Preventing Muslims or
any other group from freely practicing their faith is unconstitutional and goes against the very
core of American freedom.”
New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman
“Inclusion of all human beings and their beliefs is the path to real democracy and a nonviolent
future.”
Convergence of Cultures/NY
“Stereotyping and ignorance fuel violence and terrorism. We believe that the only chance for
real security for United States and the world comes through building dialogue, understanding,
and unity among those who seek peace.”
Brooklyn for Peace
“Lower Manhattan Democrats (LMD), an organization whose members are downtown
residents with a progressive agenda, strongly supports the Coalition Organizing Principles.
Further, we deplore and reject the blatant and opportunistic efforts of certain local and national
politicians to exploit the proposed Parc51 project as a political ‘wedge’ issue by appeals to fear,
hatred and religious intolerance. All Americans, regardless of political affiliation, should
recognize the paramount importance of the religious freedoms guaranteed by the U.S.
Constitution and remember that our nation was founded by people attempting to escape
religious persecution.”
Lower Manhattan Democrats
“America was founded – and has been sustained – on the Constitutional principles of religious
freedom, tolerance and plurality. These core values require that all Americans, regardless of
faith, be able to freely practice their religion. The Brennan Center for Justice, located near
Ground Zero, believes that Muslim Americans’ right to build an Islamic community center and
mosque on private property in lower Manhattan is unquestionable.”
The Brennan Center for Justice
“We fear what we don’t know. Let us turn this time of misunderstanding into an opportunity to
reach out to each other, dispel misconceptions and embrace our commonalities.”
Muslim Consultative Network
“Discrimination has no place in our society, and upholding the constitutional right to religious
freedom is not optional. We must not assist those who seek to undermine our country by
betraying our most fundamental American liberties.”
Dan Mach, American Civil Liberties Union
“It seems like when a disaster happens, we look for someone to blame. After Pearl Harbor, we
incarcerated Japanese Americans because we thought they were all responsible for bombing
Pearl Harbor. Now we are doing the same thing. As Americans we should learn from our
mistakes so that we don’t repeat them again. The people who live in the community should be
the ones making the decisions. Because they are the ones that will get to use the community
center, and will see it day in and day out. We are looking for peace, not war. This interfaith,
intercultural community center represents peace, calmness and solidarity.”
Stephen Bradley, Community Voices Heard
“People of all races, nationalities and beliefs died on 9/11. And of course it was a tragedy. But
we still have to move on and love our brothers and sisters. Let this be the start of peace because
the bickering back and forth is getting us nowhere. This center will show that people of all
races and nationalities can still come together to establish peace and harmony. The rest of the
world is watching what we are doing.”
Linda Williams, Community Voices Heard
“If there was a church being built, would there be a problem? If there was a synagogue, would
there be a problem? This is not about keeping the neighborhood a shrine. If that were so, there
wouldn’t be strip clubs in the area – there would only be places of worship! Attack Bin Laden
and Al-Qaeda, not Islam. And this is coming from a Jew!”
Ann Valdez, Community Voices Heard
“Freedom of expression is the heart of America; the First Amendment’s guarantees of free
speech, press, religion and assembly constitute a national commitment to tolerance of
unpopular ideas and those who espouse them. The politicians and commentators leading the
fight against the center are stoking a mob movement that could scarcely be more un-American.
Irresponsible candidates and politicians seek to politicize the tragedy of September 11 and
inject fear into our elections. Our elections should be about competing solutions to the myriad
economic and social challenges our country faces and not about ways to divide us through
misinformation and stereotyping.”
Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY
“The League of Women Voters of the City of New York believes in the individual liberties
guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. The League is convinced that individual
rights now protected by the Constitution should not be weakened or abridged.”
League of Women Voters of the City of New York
As a lower Manhattan resident for 25 years, whose family lives 8 blocks from the World Trade
Center site, I welcome the community center. Its leaders are beacons of tolerance and good
faith, and have been positive forces in our neighborhood for decades. And I abhor the bigotry
and anti-Americanism expressed by some of the politicians and others opposed to this center,
many of whom have used this issue for cynical purpose.
Bruce L. Ehrmann, Community Board #1 Member, Manhattan and Appointed Member,
L.M.D.C. World Trade Center Memorial Committee
Religious freedom and tolerance are founding principles of American democracy. To deny any
New Yorker the right to meet and pray where he or she wishes is contrary to our shared
values.”
Steven Carbo, Senior Program Director, Demos.
MPAC is honored to stand in unity with the diverse members of this coalition to remind
Americans of our committment to religious freedom. We believe this is the civil rights moment
for Muslims in this country. Just as Rosa Parks did not move to the back of the bus – MPAC
believe that we should not be forced to move the location of Park51 to a ‘Muslims Allowed’
section of Manhattan. We urge increased understanding of Islam and its peaceful tenants as the
best path forward.