Opponents of a plan to build a mosque two blocks from the World Trade Center filed a lawsuit today, challenging the decision not to grant landmark status to the building set to be demolished to make way for the project.
The American Center for Law and Justice, founded by the Reverend Pat Robertson, filed a petition that the Landmarks Preservation Commission acted arbitrarily and abused its discretion.
Yesterday, the panel voted unanimously to deny landmark status to the building at 45 Park Place that would be torn down so the mosque can be built.
Commissioners said the building did not warrant protection.
That sparked protests from some attending the vote, who say building a mosque so close to the site of the September 11th terrorist attacks will cause pain to the victim’s families.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been outspoken on this issue. He gathered with a group of religious leaders in support of the mosque, saying our nation was founded on the freedom to worship as we choose.
“Political controversies come and go, but there is no neighborhood in our city that is off limits to God’s love and mercy,” said the mayor.
A group called the Cordoba Initiative plans to build a 13-story, $100 million cultural center on the site. The plans call for a mosque as well as performing arts spaces, a gym, and other facilities.
(Source: NY1)
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2 Responses
How times have changed. It used to be that conservative organizations would defend property rights against government abuses like those in the Kelo case and the Atlantic Yards project. Now they object to the legitimate landowner being permitted to build a project that is completely within the permissible limits of the land’s current zoning, and want an all-powerful unaccountable Landmarks Committee to declare a very ordinary commercial building of no historical interest a Landmark in order to futher some agenda.
You don’t have to like the mosque, but please don’t abuse the Rule of Law.
If the basis for Bloomberg’s decision is because the mosque represents G-d’s love and mercy, I would be equally against a church built on the same site.