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09-29-2010, 09:39 AM
Developer: No plans to move Islamic prayer center
‘Our identity has been hijacked by the extremists,’ says Sharif El-Gamal
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>> the developer behind the proposed islamic community center is here. nice to have you here.
>> good morning, matt, nice to be here.
>> i don't remember an issue that has generated so much talk, so much rhetoric, so much controversy. you have said your plans go forward, you will continue along this path. do you expect that in the near future, the opposition will simply melt away and fadeaway?
>> this has been very unexpected. it's been an eye opener to see how my country, the united states views my religion, islam. it's been a very humbling moment. and it's been a very sad moment for me personally.
>> you say unexpected. at no point during your plans when you were proposing this idea and thinking about it and buying that site did you say, wait a minute, you know, this could cause some controversy? i know a lot of people question that.
>> you know, it's really been very unexpected. what happened that day was a very horrific event that i do not feel that -- the people that were responsible for that event were people that hijacked my religion and my identity. just imagine if somebody went and stole your wallet and committed identity theft. that's what's happened to me and to my community .
>> i mention and actually ron mentioned in his piece that some of the discussion has been well thought out, measured. a lot of it habs been bitter and very personal. are you fair game ? as the developer of this project, do you think that goes with the turf?
>> it's all been very unexpected. i mean there's been so many misperceptions about me personally that have been perpetrateded in the media and in all the forums and there's so many inaccuracies that have been portrayed about us.
>> had he known that all of this controversy been generated he probably wouldn't have gone through with his plans. now he says he cannot back away because he does not want to allow the radicals to cause the discourse. you know the polling numbers, a wide majority of americans say no, this should not be built at that location. what do you make of those numbers?
>> well, i mean some of the facts that are not being accurately portrayed is that our community wants this.
>> when you say our community , whose community ?
>> the residents of lower manhattan . we went through a voluntary process and we engaged our community , our constituents, the residents and neighbors and friends who reside in lower manhattan and on four separate occasions, two of them, they voted unanimously for this project. on the other two occasions they voted overwhelmingly in favor, 29-1 and not a lot of people understand that we engaged our community , we got their approval and blessings prior to proceeding with these plans.
>> obviously there are some people down there who do not want this. i think your background is interesting and i want to make sure people understand it. you're born in brooklyn, you're a new yorker.
>> i am.
>> you're an american.
>> i am.
>> your father was a catholic and your father was a nonpractice muslim. you are a practicing muslim?
>> i am.
>> when you view this project, do you view it as a business deal , or do you view this on a more personal level, on a more spiritual level?
>> it's turned into both. it's turned into an opportunity to give back to a community that has given me so much. as an american, as someone who has prospered in this country, as someone who has gotten a lot from the city, this is an opportunity for us to give back. this is an opportunity for us to give back to a residential neighborhood that not a lot of people know that is the fastest growing district neighborhood in new york state.
>> a couple of things real quickly. there is a report on one of the websites overnight that a deal may in fact be in the works to move this center to a location at 30 cliff street which is about seven blocks away. can you confirm or deny that there are still discussions underway about moving this project?
>> there are no discussions about moving this project.
>> absolutely not?
>> there are no discussions about moving this project.
>> who is ultimately going to call the shots here? are you the final decision maker or are other people going to make a decision, is the imam who's going to have a say? or are you calling the shots?
>> i am calling the shots. in a real estate transaction there are different elements that come into play, but ultimately as the managing member, we are calling the shots.
>> and finally how has this changed your view of living as a muslim american in this country, how did it change from before this controversy erupted?
>> this has been an eye opener. it's been truly an eye opener and there is so much work ahead of us, there's such a misperception about my faith and my belief system. and we are peace loving americans. we want the same things that everybody else wants. one of the things that in order to be a muslim, you have to be a good jew and a good christian at the same time. not a lot of people understand who we are. and that is part of the reason, you know, fear, fear makes people irrational. and our identity has been hijacked by the extremists.
>> i appreciate your joining me this morning. thank you very
Show transcript (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39415928/ns/today-today_people/#video-transcript)
By Rick Schindler
TODAYshow.com contributor TODAYshow.com contributor
updated 56 minutes ago
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The developer of a proposed Islamic community center that would be located within a few blocks of the Lower Manhattan site of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks said Wednesday that there are “no plans for moving” it despite the firestorm of opposition that has arisen.
“This has been very unexpected. It’s been an eye-opener to see how my country, the United States, views my religion, Islam,” Sharif El-Gamal, chairman of Manhattan-based real estate company Soho Properties, told Matt Lauer live on TODAY Wednesday, referring to vehement opposition to what opponents to the community center have called the “ground zero mosque.” “It’s a very humbling moment and a very sad moment for me personally.”
A Brooklyn native born to an Egyptian father and a Polish Catholic mother, El-Gamal is a practicing Muslim. Referring to the Sept. 11 attacks, he told Lauer: “What happened that day was a very horrific event … the people responsible for that event were people who hijacked my religion and my identity. Just imagine if somebody went and stole your wallet and committed identity theft. That’s what’s happened to me and to my community.”
More from TODAYshow.com
Developer: No plans to move Islamic center (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39415928/ns/today-today_people)Updated 56 minutes ago (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39415928/ns/today-today_people/39415928)The developer of what opponents have called the “ground zero mosque” said Wednesday that there are “no discussions about moving this project” despite vehement opposition. Referring to his Muslim faith, Sharif El-Gamal said: “Our identity has been hijacked by the extremists.”
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The center would be located at 45-51 Park Place, adjacent to the World Trade Center site. The proposal to develop the former Burlington Coat Factory into a $100 million, 13-story Islamic community center and prayer space has spurred controversy not only in New York, but across the nation. Businessman Carl Paladino, who is campaigning for the New York governorship, has vowed he would stop the development by invoking eminent domain (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39415928/ns/today-today_people/#).
El-Gamal denied reports that there are discussions under way to move the proposed site to 30 Cliff Street, about seven blocks away. “There are no discussions about moving this project,” he declared.
“This has been an eye-opener,” El-Gamal reiterated. Referring to his Muslim faith, he added: “We are peace-loving Americans. Fear makes people irrational, and our identity has been hijacked by the extremists.”
Video: Islamic center developer: ‘Community wants this’ (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39415928/ns/today-today_people/#slice-1)(on this page) © 2010 MSNBC Interactive. Reprints
‘Our identity has been hijacked by the extremists,’ says Sharif El-Gamal
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Video: Islamic center developer: ‘Community wants this’
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Closed captioning of: Islamic center developer: ‘Community wants this’
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>> the developer behind the proposed islamic community center is here. nice to have you here.
>> good morning, matt, nice to be here.
>> i don't remember an issue that has generated so much talk, so much rhetoric, so much controversy. you have said your plans go forward, you will continue along this path. do you expect that in the near future, the opposition will simply melt away and fadeaway?
>> this has been very unexpected. it's been an eye opener to see how my country, the united states views my religion, islam. it's been a very humbling moment. and it's been a very sad moment for me personally.
>> you say unexpected. at no point during your plans when you were proposing this idea and thinking about it and buying that site did you say, wait a minute, you know, this could cause some controversy? i know a lot of people question that.
>> you know, it's really been very unexpected. what happened that day was a very horrific event that i do not feel that -- the people that were responsible for that event were people that hijacked my religion and my identity. just imagine if somebody went and stole your wallet and committed identity theft. that's what's happened to me and to my community .
>> i mention and actually ron mentioned in his piece that some of the discussion has been well thought out, measured. a lot of it habs been bitter and very personal. are you fair game ? as the developer of this project, do you think that goes with the turf?
>> it's all been very unexpected. i mean there's been so many misperceptions about me personally that have been perpetrateded in the media and in all the forums and there's so many inaccuracies that have been portrayed about us.
>> had he known that all of this controversy been generated he probably wouldn't have gone through with his plans. now he says he cannot back away because he does not want to allow the radicals to cause the discourse. you know the polling numbers, a wide majority of americans say no, this should not be built at that location. what do you make of those numbers?
>> well, i mean some of the facts that are not being accurately portrayed is that our community wants this.
>> when you say our community , whose community ?
>> the residents of lower manhattan . we went through a voluntary process and we engaged our community , our constituents, the residents and neighbors and friends who reside in lower manhattan and on four separate occasions, two of them, they voted unanimously for this project. on the other two occasions they voted overwhelmingly in favor, 29-1 and not a lot of people understand that we engaged our community , we got their approval and blessings prior to proceeding with these plans.
>> obviously there are some people down there who do not want this. i think your background is interesting and i want to make sure people understand it. you're born in brooklyn, you're a new yorker.
>> i am.
>> you're an american.
>> i am.
>> your father was a catholic and your father was a nonpractice muslim. you are a practicing muslim?
>> i am.
>> when you view this project, do you view it as a business deal , or do you view this on a more personal level, on a more spiritual level?
>> it's turned into both. it's turned into an opportunity to give back to a community that has given me so much. as an american, as someone who has prospered in this country, as someone who has gotten a lot from the city, this is an opportunity for us to give back. this is an opportunity for us to give back to a residential neighborhood that not a lot of people know that is the fastest growing district neighborhood in new york state.
>> a couple of things real quickly. there is a report on one of the websites overnight that a deal may in fact be in the works to move this center to a location at 30 cliff street which is about seven blocks away. can you confirm or deny that there are still discussions underway about moving this project?
>> there are no discussions about moving this project.
>> absolutely not?
>> there are no discussions about moving this project.
>> who is ultimately going to call the shots here? are you the final decision maker or are other people going to make a decision, is the imam who's going to have a say? or are you calling the shots?
>> i am calling the shots. in a real estate transaction there are different elements that come into play, but ultimately as the managing member, we are calling the shots.
>> and finally how has this changed your view of living as a muslim american in this country, how did it change from before this controversy erupted?
>> this has been an eye opener. it's been truly an eye opener and there is so much work ahead of us, there's such a misperception about my faith and my belief system. and we are peace loving americans. we want the same things that everybody else wants. one of the things that in order to be a muslim, you have to be a good jew and a good christian at the same time. not a lot of people understand who we are. and that is part of the reason, you know, fear, fear makes people irrational. and our identity has been hijacked by the extremists.
>> i appreciate your joining me this morning. thank you very
Show transcript (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39415928/ns/today-today_people/#video-transcript)
By Rick Schindler
TODAYshow.com contributor TODAYshow.com contributor
updated 56 minutes ago
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The developer of a proposed Islamic community center that would be located within a few blocks of the Lower Manhattan site of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks said Wednesday that there are “no plans for moving” it despite the firestorm of opposition that has arisen.
“This has been very unexpected. It’s been an eye-opener to see how my country, the United States, views my religion, Islam,” Sharif El-Gamal, chairman of Manhattan-based real estate company Soho Properties, told Matt Lauer live on TODAY Wednesday, referring to vehement opposition to what opponents to the community center have called the “ground zero mosque.” “It’s a very humbling moment and a very sad moment for me personally.”
A Brooklyn native born to an Egyptian father and a Polish Catholic mother, El-Gamal is a practicing Muslim. Referring to the Sept. 11 attacks, he told Lauer: “What happened that day was a very horrific event … the people responsible for that event were people who hijacked my religion and my identity. Just imagine if somebody went and stole your wallet and committed identity theft. That’s what’s happened to me and to my community.”
More from TODAYshow.com
Developer: No plans to move Islamic center (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39415928/ns/today-today_people)Updated 56 minutes ago (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39415928/ns/today-today_people/39415928)The developer of what opponents have called the “ground zero mosque” said Wednesday that there are “no discussions about moving this project” despite vehement opposition. Referring to his Muslim faith, Sharif El-Gamal said: “Our identity has been hijacked by the extremists.”
You’ve had great TV specials, Charlie Brown (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39402483/ns/today-entertainment)
Updated 17 minutes ago (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39415928/ns/today-today_people/39405593)Economides’ tips to ‘Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half’ (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39405593/ns/today-books)
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Touchdown! A victory for Down syndrome teen (javascript:ijv.launchVideo('39404049');)
The center would be located at 45-51 Park Place, adjacent to the World Trade Center site. The proposal to develop the former Burlington Coat Factory into a $100 million, 13-story Islamic community center and prayer space has spurred controversy not only in New York, but across the nation. Businessman Carl Paladino, who is campaigning for the New York governorship, has vowed he would stop the development by invoking eminent domain (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39415928/ns/today-today_people/#).
El-Gamal denied reports that there are discussions under way to move the proposed site to 30 Cliff Street, about seven blocks away. “There are no discussions about moving this project,” he declared.
“This has been an eye-opener,” El-Gamal reiterated. Referring to his Muslim faith, he added: “We are peace-loving Americans. Fear makes people irrational, and our identity has been hijacked by the extremists.”
Video: Islamic center developer: ‘Community wants this’ (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39415928/ns/today-today_people/#slice-1)(on this page) © 2010 MSNBC Interactive. Reprints