Page 3 - Prayer Space News Today

Center that will cater to all of new york. gym and basketball courts. >> reporter: plans include a performing arts center, swimming pool, child care facilities, and yes, a muslim prayer space two blocks from the worst terror attack in u.s. history. why not have a prayer space for buddhists or jews or christians or why must it be muslim? it cant just be a business decision. >> there are jewish community centers all over the country. >> reporter: but the jews didnt take down two towers. >> there a...

Status. it sounds pretty defiant but to the driving force behind all of this it is really a labor of love. this is where you sort of conceived of the idea? >> yes, it is. >> reporter: meet new york real estate developer sharif el gamol, the man at the center of the controversial plan. >> this is an islamic community center that will cater to all of new york. this gym and basketball courts. >> reporter: plans include a performing arts center, swimming pool, child care facilities, and, yes, a musl...

No full time staff. when he learned about plans to build an islamic community center including a mosque two blocks north of ground zero, he said he had to send a warning. a mosque would be a victory for the terrorists. >> the people establishing this facility, you think theyre celebrating the murder of 3,000 people? >> i think so. >> how are they celebrating? >> reporter: by erecting a mosque to their martyrs which they have traditionally done all over the world. >> reporter: he claims they are ...

Week. unemployment benefits and their extension is scheduled for a vote. elena kagan could take a giant step toward becoming the next supreme court justice. the senate judiciary committee is expected to approve kagans nomination today and send it to the full senate for confirmation. a plan to build an islamic community center near ground zero, sacred ground for many americans, has led to a very emotional and at times an angry debate, both in new york city, but also across the country. >> a...

Muslims see mosques. they see them as military barracks. >> reporter: do you think this will be a military bar rack? >> well, they call the faithful their soldiers. >> reporter: the fact is, this building has been functioning as a prayer space since last fall. for the friday mid-day prayer, the most important for muslims, this place is packed with more than 400 worshippers. those congregants, just a handful come on most days, say wheelers claims are outrageous. >> its tremendously offensive as a...

From the worst terror attack in u.s. history. >> why not have a prayer space for buddhists or jews or christians or why must it be muslim? it cant just be a business decision. >> there are jewish community centers all over the country. >> but the jews didnt take down two towers. >> they are ymcas around the country. >> but the christians didnt take down the towers. >> this is a need that exists. >> reporter: for those still sensitive and raw to this. their overriding question is why here? why so...

Build an islamic community center that would include a mosque two blocks north of ground zero, he says he had to send a warning. the mosque would be a victory for the terrorists. >> the people establishing this facility, you think theyre celebrating the murder of 3,000 people? >> i think so. >> how are they celebrating? >> well, by erecting a mosque to their martyrs which they have traditionally done all over the world. >> reporter: those mar tertyrma claims wheeler, are the 19 hijackers of the ...

This is where you con seefed of the idea? >> yes, it is. >> reporter: meet the man at the center of a controversial plan a stones throw from the world trade center site. >> this is a muslim-led project. this is an islamic community center that will cater to all of new york. fitness, gym and basketball courts. >> reporter: plans include a performing arts center, swimming pool, child care facilities, and yes, a muslim prayer space two blocks from the worst terror attack in u.s. history. why not ha...

And we showed a piece from the one in murfeesboro, but lets take the one a few blocks from up grounds zero. >> its portrayed as the ground zero megamosque, and its not at ground zero. >> its a cultural center that does have plans as far as our reporting at cnn, is that its a cultural center that will have one of the things in it, one of those things having a mosque. >> yeah, a prayer space. >> we can go back with the semantics, and its a few blocks away from ground zero. do you understand why so...

Congregation, has noticed how our -- the need for prayer space has expanded. he felt a commitment to do something for his community. and he found this particular building, and he negotiated it, acquired it and offered it for s to use and to establish a center that would b e the space for a vision that ive had for over a decade or 15, almost 20 years, which is to establish a space which embodies the l beliefs that we have as jews, christians and muslims, which is to love our god and to love our n...