Jerusalem Post - Hearing on Manhattan Islamic Center Reignites Debate

By Jordana Horm, Correspondent
  
NEW YORK In a hearing Tuesday in New York State Supreme Court, lawyers representing a New York City 9/11 firefighter stood in opposition to the inaccurately- labeled Ground Zero mosque an Islamic cultural center whose proposed location near Ground Zero has attracted headlines, and vociferous debate since last summer.

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) filed suit last year, challenging the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commissions (LPC) decision not to landmark the building at the proposed site for the Islamic cultural center project, tentatively titled Park 51.
 
The ACLJ represents Tim Brown, a New York City firefighter and 9/11 responder, and the suit names the LPC, the New York City Department of Buildings, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the developers of Park 51.

Following a motion to dismiss the case, the ACLJ argued in yesterdays hearing, among other points, that political pressure from Bloombergs office forced the LPCs hand, and requested further discovery.

We believe there were political influences from the Mayors office on the Landmarks Commission, ACLJ attorney Brett Joshpe told The Jerusalem Post. . . .

The entire story is posted here.