September 27, 2010 5:24 PM
- Text
The Heated Debate Over New York's Islamic Center
The imam told us he'll have a board of directors for the center made up of Muslims, Christians and Jews. And he'll ask the U.S. government to approve sources of funding.
It occurred to us that there is, of course, another Ground Zero: 184 people were killed at the Pentagon on 9/11. One face of the Pentagon was rebuilt and a memorial and Pentagon chapel opened on the spot where the airplane hit.
For eight years now, every weekday at 2 o'clock you can hear the Islamic call to prayer in the chapel. Every faith is welcome. Islamic servicemen and civilians are among those who use the chapel most often.
The Pentagon chaplain in charge is Colonel Daniel Minjares. "I think this is representative of America, again, not just Army values, but what America, the best of what America represents, that various groups, various faith traditions can all use the same building. We understand each other better, and we support one another," he told Pelley.
"And there is nothing inconsistent about hearing the Islamic call to prayer at Ground Zero at the Pentagon?" Pelley asked.
"Not for me, there isn't," the colonel replied.
Back in New York, the developer doesn't need permission to go ahead. He's free to build if he can raise the money which could be as much as $100 million.
One thing most people don't know is that the prayer space part of the project already exists. Hundreds of Muslims have been worshiping in the abandoned building for more than a year, ever since a nearby mosque lost its lease. The mosque near Ground Zero is a fact. The only question is whether the community center will go ahead.
"The Islamic Community Center will open?" Pelley asked the imam.
"God willing," he replied.
"Tell me what you intend?" Pelley asked.
The imam's reply? "I intend to see this project succeed."
Produced by Henry Schuster
Copyright 2010 CBS. All rights reserved. It occurred to us that there is, of course, another Ground Zero: 184 people were killed at the Pentagon on 9/11. One face of the Pentagon was rebuilt and a memorial and Pentagon chapel opened on the spot where the airplane hit.
For eight years now, every weekday at 2 o'clock you can hear the Islamic call to prayer in the chapel. Every faith is welcome. Islamic servicemen and civilians are among those who use the chapel most often.
The Pentagon chaplain in charge is Colonel Daniel Minjares. "I think this is representative of America, again, not just Army values, but what America, the best of what America represents, that various groups, various faith traditions can all use the same building. We understand each other better, and we support one another," he told Pelley.
"And there is nothing inconsistent about hearing the Islamic call to prayer at Ground Zero at the Pentagon?" Pelley asked.
"Not for me, there isn't," the colonel replied.
Back in New York, the developer doesn't need permission to go ahead. He's free to build if he can raise the money which could be as much as $100 million.
One thing most people don't know is that the prayer space part of the project already exists. Hundreds of Muslims have been worshiping in the abandoned building for more than a year, ever since a nearby mosque lost its lease. The mosque near Ground Zero is a fact. The only question is whether the community center will go ahead.
"The Islamic Community Center will open?" Pelley asked the imam.
"God willing," he replied.
"Tell me what you intend?" Pelley asked.
The imam's reply? "I intend to see this project succeed."
Produced by Henry Schuster
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
120 Comments +
Popular Now in 60 Minutes
- A Face in the Crowd: Say goodbye to anonymity
- Michael Jackson's lucrative legacy
- A Face in the Crowd, Three Generations of Punishment, Michael Jackson
- North Korean prisoner escaped after 23 brutal years
- MJ's "manifesto," penned in 1979
- Hitler's Secret Archive
- North Korean prisoner escaped after 23 brutal years
- Bill Gates 2.0
- Preview: Killing Bin Laden
- Show Schedule
- Michael Jackson's lucrative legacy
- "Thriller" music video almost destroyed
- A Long and Dangerous Journey, Lion Kings, Taylor Swift
- Bill Gates on Steve Jobs: We grew up together
- Afghan children on a long and perilous journey
- Taylor Swift: A young singer's meteoric rise
