[NYT] The developer whose proposal to build a Moslem community center and mosque near the World Trade Center failed amid a national controversy three years ago said Tuesday that he now plans to construct a museum devoted to Islam in the same location.
Sharif El-Gamal, the developer, said through a front man that instead of a $100 million, 15-story community center and prayer space, he now planned a smaller, three-story museum "dedicated to exploring the faith of Islam and its arts and culture." The building would also include a sanctuary for prayer services and community programs.
Daisy Khan, who along with her husband, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, was originally a partner with Mr. El-Gamal in the Park51 Community Center project, said that they had not been contacted or involved with these latest plans. "I am just as surprised as anyone else," Ms. Khan said. |