Obama: No regrets about NYC mosque comments
President Barack Obama gestures during a backyard gathering to talk about the economy in Clintonville, Ohio. (Aug. 19, 2010) Credit: AP
COLUMBUS, Ohio - President Barack Obama yesterday said he had "no regrets" about defending the rights of Muslims to build an Islamic center near the World Trade Center site in Manhattan.
The president inserted himself into the debate over the proposal when he said last week Muslims "have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country," and that included building in lower Manhattan. A day later, said he wasn't endorsing the specifics of the plan. His position has drawn criticism from those opposed to such a center so close to Ground Zero, and Republicans have seized on the issue, with many trying to force Democrats to state their views on the plan.
Also Wednesday, the State Department said the imam behind the Islamic center will be paid $3,000 for a Middle East outreach trip that will cost roughly $16,000. The department said Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf will get a daily $200 honorarium for the 15-day tour, intended to promote religious tolerance. - The Associated Press
Out East Show: Shrine of Our Lady of the Island, Browder's Birds & Sheep Shearing, and Bennett Shellfish in Montauk NewsdayTV's Doug Geed takes you to a few special places 'Out East'
Out East Show: Shrine of Our Lady of the Island, Browder's Birds & Sheep Shearing, and Bennett Shellfish in Montauk NewsdayTV's Doug Geed takes you to a few special places 'Out East'
