Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Saudi Prince: "Ground Zero" Mosque Should Go Elsewhere
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 28, 2010
Modified Oct 28, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 28, 2010
Modified Oct 28, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, a major investor in News Corp and the guy often cited by Fox News as a funder of the "Ground Zero" mosque, has spoken out against the project. In a recent interview, Prince Alwaleed clarified that while he has contributed to Cordoba Initiative, the group run by New York's Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, he has not given any money for Park51, the Islamic community center and mosque proposed for lower Manhattan. He tells Arabian Business why he's against the project:
I say that I am against putting the mosque in that particular place. And I’ll tell you why. For two reasons: first of all, those people behind the mosque have to respect, have to appreciate and have to defer to the people of New York, and not try to agitate the wound by saying "we need to put the mosque next to the 9/11 site." The wound is still there. Just because the wound is healing you can’t say "let’s just go back to where we were pre-9/11."
I am against putting the mosque there out of respect for those people who have been wounded over there. More importantly, the mosque is not in the best location, the mosque has to be in a dignified location. It can’t be next to a bar or a strip club, or in a neighbourhood that is not really refined and good. The impression I have is that this mosque is just being inserted and squeezed over there. So I am personally against putting the mosque over there.
At this point, the person most committed to the project is developer Sharif El-Gamal. Both Imam Rauf and one of the project's main investors have previously expressed willingness to consider another location. But El-Gamal said at the end of last month that he is "100% committed" to building the mosque at the current location, two blocks from the World Trade Center site.
Tagged
ground zero mosque
mosque
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal
terror mosque
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Bail reform remains major issue in NY governor's race, 7 years after it became law
Repeat offenders are a big talking point in the governor's race.
By
Gino Fanelli
Published Oct 18, 2026 at 7:00 a.m. ET
Man shot and killed on Midtown subway platform Saturday afternoon, NYPD says
Police said they're searching for a person of interest.
By
Ryan Kost
and
Elizabeth Kim
News
Man shot and killed on Midtown subway platform Saturday afternoon, NYPD says
Police said they're searching for a person of interest.
By
Ryan Kost
and
Elizabeth Kim
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
By
Ryan Kost
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans, but we could get used to this.
By
Catalina Gonella
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
By
Willow Higgins
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .