Mosque vs. Cultural Center

By: Brittany Breinholt

            The Park 51 Mosque has created a large controversy, not only in New York, but across the nation. The first news coverage that I heard concerning the project said that there was a Mosque proposed to be built on Ground Zero. The obvious sentiment that comes from such a statement is outrage. Many people still maintain the notion that that a Mosque is going to be built ON Ground Zero. However, as more information has been made available, it is clear that it will be much more than a Mosque. 

            I prefer to call it a Culture center, since the Muslim prayer area is set to occupy only 2 floors of the 13 story building. The other 11 floors are going to be filled with a 500-seat auditorium, theater, performing arts center, fitness center, swimming pool, basketball court, childcare services, art exhibitions, bookstore, culinary school, and a food court. An anticipated 1,000 to 2,000 Muslims are going to be praying in the praying center every Friday once the building is completed. The Cultural Center is going to be available to all of New York and not just Muslims.

            As for the other argument, which is the "mosque" being built "ON ground zero." The controversy behind all of this is because Americans would be taking offense since the hijackers in the September 11th attacks were Islamic terrorists. This is an exaggeration. In fact the mosque will be built 2 blocks away from ground zero and will not be at all visible from the world trade center site at all.

            Polls have shown that the majority of Americans, New York residents, and New York City residents opposed building the center near Ground Zero; more New Yorkers from Manhattan support building the center.

            My personal opinion is that people just need to be better educated on the situation. They specifically need to understand the difference between the Cultural Center and the "Mosque".