Park51 Imam: Site Not ‘Hallowed Ground’

The Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who is planning the Park51 Islamic center near ground zero, is right on the merits here, but this seems as though it could play into his opponents’ hands: “It's absolutely disingenuous, as many have said, that that block is hallowed ground," Rauf said to an audience at the Council on Foreign Relations, before pointing out the nearby strip club and OTB. Rauf also insisted that he was “exploring all options” in order to resolve the dispute over the Islamic center’s construction, but he refused to specify what exactly those options are.