Ground Zero, Ground Zero Mosque | featured news

Supporters and opponents of a proposed Muslim cultural center and mosque near the World Trade Center site rallied in downtown Manhattan on Sunday, kept blocks apart by a heavy police presence.

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The developers of an Islamic cultural center that would include a mosque near Ground Zero have rejected Gov. David Paterson's offer to help them find a different site. Paterson said today the group is apparently committed to building in the proposed site.

Republicans attacked President Barack Obama on Sunday for his comments on a controversial plan to build a Muslim cultural center in New York, saying he was "disconnected" from the nation in an election year.

After skirting the controversy for weeks, President Barack Obama is weighing in forcefully on the mosque near ground zero, saying a nation built on religious freedom must allow it.

The New York City Landmarks Commission unanimously voted to deny landmark designation to the site of a proposed Islamic center near Ground Zero. The vote clears the last major hurdle for the controversial project.