Jay Townsend on Civil Rights

No Mosque at Ground Zero

You have been strangely silent on a matter that is of deep concern to many New Yorkers; the proposed construction of an Islamic Center and Mosque near ground zero. A recent poll shows that New York City voters, by an almost 2- to-1 ratio, oppose the plan by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf.

I side with the families of the victims, and the thousands of those who risked their lives to save them, who find the construction of the Mosque at Ground Zero highly insensitive. I have asked Imam Rauf to reconsider his plans out of respect for the victims and those who lost loved ones.

The issue, Senator, is not one of religious freedom; it is one of timing and sensitivity to the memory of those lost, and to the families and friends who still vividly recall the horrors of that day in the most personal and tragic way.

I side with those who oppose construction of the Mosque and ask that you join me in asking Imam Rauf to cease with his plans.