Mosque debate is putting noble values at risk, archbishop says

New York:  The intense debate over a proposed Islamic community centre and mosque near ground zero has jeopardised New Yorkers' sense of tolerance and unity, the leader of the area's Roman Catholics said on Tuesday.

"We're just a little bit apprehensive that these noble values may be a bit at risk in this way the conversation and debate about the site of the mosque is taking place," Archbishop Timothy Dolan said after a meeting with Governor David Paterson about the issue.

Complex views

A national survey underscored the complex views of Americans towards the mosque project, with 51 per cent agreeing with opponents of the Muslim centre, while 34 per cent said they supported it.

The poll of 1,003 randomly chosen adults was conducted by the nonpartisan Pew Research Centre and showed that a majority, 62 per cent, also said Muslims have equal rights to build houses of worship.

Dolan said both sides of the debate have legitimate stances.

Critics say the building is too close to where Islamists destroyed the World Trade Centre in 2001. Supporters say religious freedom should be protected.

Dolan doesn't have "strong feelings" about where it should be, he said, but he expressed willingness to be part of the dialogue if asked.

In an impassioned speech at a dinner on Tuesday in observance of iftar, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said not allowing the mosque to be built two blocks from ground zero would be "compromising our commitment to fighting terror with freedom".

"We would undercut the values and principles that so many heroes died protecting," Bloomberg said at the event, which was attended by about 100 members of the Muslim community, including the proposed site's developer.

The mayor said he understood the "impulse to find another location for the mosque" but a compromise won't end the debate.

"The question will then become how big should the no-mosque zone around the World Trade Centre be," Bloomberg said. "There is already a mosque four blocks away. Should it, too, be moved?"

Sharif Al Jamal, the mosque site's developer, and Daisy Khan, a co-founder of the group planning the mosque, attended the dinner.

After Bloomberg spoke, Al Jamal said he was "very honoured and blessed" to be an American and a New Yorker.

Mayor's speech

"Mayor Bloomberg's speech embodied the values and the mores that we as Muslim Americans live and cherish," he said.

The White House on Tuesday said that Obama would have no further comment on the issue and that the administration will not get involved in talks about relocating the facility.