Mosque developer: No plans to move project

By The Associated PressSeptember 29, 2010

The developer behind a controversial proposal to build an Islamic center near Ground Zero said the experience has been an “eye-opener” about misperceptions surrounding his faith, but that he is the one ultimately calling the shots on the project and there are no discussions about moving it.

Speaking Wednesday on NBC’s “Today” show, Sharif El-Gamal reiterated his stance that the opposition to the Park51 project was unexpected.

“It’s been an eye-opener to see how my country, the United States, is using my religion, Islam,” he said. “It’s been a humbling moment and it’s been a very sad moment for me personally.” The proposed community center and mosque would be two blocks from Ground Zero. The location has upset some relatives of Sept. 11 victims and led to angry demands that it be moved.

El-Gamal said the project organizers had engaged with the local community and had gained their support before moving ahead, something he said was not being accurately reflected in coverage of the issue.

He said the project was an opportunity for him to do something for a community that had given him so much.

“As an American, as someone who has prospered in this country, someone who has gotten a lot from the city, this is an opportunity for us to give back,” he said.

But the experience has also showed him that there was a lot of work to be done to help people understand who Muslims are, he said.

“There is such a misperception about my faith and my belief system,” he said. “We are peace-loving Americans, we want the same things that everybody else wants.”

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