NY Governor to Press Developers to Halt ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Construction

Governor Aims to Talk Developers Into Moving Site

Faced with growing indications that some Republicans are going to use opposition to the mosque as an election issue, Democrat and New York Governor David Paterson is said to be seeking talks with developers of the “Ground Zero Msoque” in which he will press them to accept an alternative site to calm the issue.

The proposed community center has sparked considerable opposition, which has grown in recent weeks as it has taken on a more political bent. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has likened the mosque to letting Nazis “put up a sign next to the Holocaust Museum.”

The community center would be built on private land two blocks from Ground Zero. Efforts to have the graffiti covered building at the site declared a “landmark” failed earlier this month, but more lawsuits are underway to block its construction.

President Obama briefly came out in favor of the construction, but quickly backed off when it became clear how unpopular it was. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has also condemned the construction.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.