The proposal to build a mosque in the shadow of the Ground Zero site has been the focus of considerable attention in the news lately ("A monument to terrorism," Comment & Analysis, Friday). But the media largely have failed to explore the true motive behind the developer's decision to locate the mosque so close to the site of the murder of 3,000 Americans at the hands of Islamic terrorists.
There is no Muslim population to speak of in the neighborhood of the proposed site. Lower Manhattan is commercially zoned and is therefore a nonresidential area. Thus, the proposal to build the mosque so close to Ground Zero cannot be said to serve any local Muslim population. There are numerous mosques located in Manhattan, so building it right there is not about addressing a shortage.
This mosque is intended to serve as a victory monument paying tribute to the heinous attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It is intended as a poke in the eye to America, to constantly remind us of the terrorists' triumph. If there were any doubt about this, one need look to the proposed opening date of Sept. 11, 2011, for the project.
HARRISON E. MCCANDLISH
Alexandria, Va.
the washington times
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