Imam 'working to solve' mosque crisis

The imam leading the effort to build an Islamic centre and mosque near the site of the September 11 attacks said he was exploring all options for a solution to a row over the site.

Critics of the proposal say putting a mosque so close to where Islamic extremists brought down the World Trade Centre in 2001 shows disrespect for the dead. Supporters cite religious freedom.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf said: “We are working to what will be a solution, God willing, that will resolve this crisis, defuse it and not create any unforeseen or untoward circumstances that we do not want to see happen,”

He was answering questions following a speech before the US Council on Foreign Relations.

He did not elaborate on whether the options included moving the centre from a site two blocks from the World Trade Centre in New York.

But in response to a later question, the imam said the proposed location, while controversial, was important.

“We need a platform where the voice of moderate Muslims can be amplified. ... This is an opportunity that we must capitalise on so the voice of moderate Muslims will have a megaphone.”

The imam said he wanted to clarify a “misperception” that the Islamic centre’s proposed site was sacred ground.

“It is absolutely disingenuous as some have suggested that the block is hallowed ground,” he said, noting its proximity to strip clubs and betting shops. The controversy over the project was inflamed by a row over a Florida pastor’s plans, later cancelled, to burn copies of the Koran on 9/11.

Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie said last night that the Islamic centre and mosque should be permitted. Mr Rushdie’s satirical novel led in the 1980s to worldwide riots by Muslims and calls for his death.

The British author said in an interview that he understands the “sensitivities” of the site. But he said the US Constitution’s rights to freedom of speech and religion should be honoured.

He added that he is “not personally” a lover of mosques or any place of worship. But if people “want a mosque, it seems absolutely right they should have it”.