New York politicians rally in support of 'Ground Zero mosque'

New York politicians gathered Thursday afternoon to denounce Tea Party leader Mark Williams and support a mosque and community center planned near ground zero. The politicians were responding to Williams' blog rant against the mosque Wednesday, in which he said Muslims worshipped a "monkey god."

"His spewing of racial hatred reminds me … of Adolph Hitler," Borough President Scott Stringer said at Thursday’s press conference. "We reject him. We reject his bigotry."

Stringer and other politicians stood together outside the former Burlington Coat Factory building on Park Place, where the Cordoba Initiative hopes to build a 0 million, 13-story community center with Islamic, interfaith and secular programming, similar to the 92nd Street Y.

While the Cordoba House's location just two blocks north of the World Trade Center has sparked protests from some 9/11 family members and many others, the local politicians said Thursday that the location was fitting. "This is precisely where this kind of center for peace and place of worship should rise up," City Comptroller John Liu said.

In addition to Liu and Stringer, State Sen. Daniel Squadron, City Councilwoman Margaret Chin and Councilman Robert Jackson, the Council's sole Muslim, all spoke in favor of the plans.

DNAinfo, 20 May 2010

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Source: Islamophobia Watch