(November 5, 2009 - Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images North America)
In an interview with the NBC’s Today Show, Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani said the construction of a mosque near Ground Zero would be “offensive” to New Yorkers – more specifically the families who lost loved ones on 911.
He went on to concede that it was an “As of Right” project and said that legally there was nothing that should stand in the way of the plans. He believes that sensibility and common sense should be the motivation for relocating the controversial “community center” saying that rather than uniting the city or fostering a deeper understanding between and among religious cultures, it would incite “more division, more anger, more hatred.”
Regarding Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who is currently touring the Middle East on taxpayer dollars, Giuliani said “If he’s truly about healing… he will not go forward with this project…. If you are a healer you do not go forward with this project. If you are a warrior you do.”
America’s Mayor cited the funding issue as his primary cause for concern outside of protecting 911 victims’ families.
“He has $180,000 in the bank… he wants to raise $100,000,000… tell me how he’s gonna do it.”
(March 11, 2010 - Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images North America)
When asked by Lauer if Giuliani thought New York plumbers, electricians, and construction workers would “work” on the project, Giuliani gave a surprising answer as many have drawn the conclusion that NO ONE would go near the project.
“I know New York well enough. You are probably going to find someone to work on the project.”
As for predictions, Giuliani was not willing to concede that the “community center” would get built. Lauer posed the most important question, “One year from now. Will we have construction on this site?” Giuliani’s response? No.
Let’s hope he is right.
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[...] Giuliani Says Ground Zero Mosque Would Be Offensive [...]
[...] me, the debate surrounding the mosque at Ground Zero is a matter of common sense and common decency. The First Amendment gives all Americans the right to worship as they choose and to construct [...]