Victims’ Families Speak Out in Support of Ground-Zero Mosque

September 11th Families for a Peaceful Tomorrow, a group of concerned family members of September 11th victims, has banded together to with another group composed of over 40 organizations, to form a coalition in support of the Ground-Zero mosque. On Wednesday, the groups held a joint rally expressing their support.

Speakers at the rally included several family members of September 11th victims; Faiza Ali, community affairs director from the council on American-Islamic relations; Donna Liberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, among others.

Controversy over the proposed mosque has hit a strident pitch, as opponents believe the development would be insensitive to the thousands of families of victims that lost their lives in the attacks by extremist Muslims. Bringing victims’ families on board in support of the mosque would undermine that argument.

Other speakers said that the center would fit well near the attack site because the imam focuses on interfaith tolerance and peace.

“It’s not only that Cordoba Institute has a constitutional right to create a cultural center in Lower Manhattan, it is that it is right. It is wise for them to do that, because by doing that, they lift a beacon to New York City to America to the world,” said Rabbi Arthur Waskow, founder and director of the Shalom Center.

On Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who represents the area where the mosque would be built, spoke out against the site in a press conference, saying developers should find a new location.

“The sponsors ought to consider the circumstances and ought to say, let’s see if we can find someplace suitable,” he said.