NEW YORK // A New York City Community Board has voted to support a plan to build a mosque and cultural centre near ground zero. The vote late on Tuesday was 29-1 in favour, with 10 abstentions. It came after hours of contentious public comment. Supporters say the mosque will build bridges and foster interfaith dialogue. Critics have called the proposed lower Manhattan site an insult to September 11 victims.
Relatives of some of the September 11 victims have said they are angry the mosque would be built so close to where their relatives died. The organisations sponsoring the project said they were trying to meet a need for prayer space. They also want to provide a venue for mainstream Islam to counter extremism. * AP
