Rumors

Haaretz headlines: “Muslim leaders to abandon plans for Ground Zero community center.”

After weeks of heated debate over plans for an Islamic community center near Ground Zero – the site of the 9/11 attacks on New York – it seems Muslim leaders will soon back down, agreeing to move to a new site. …
Sources in New York said on Monday that Muslim religious and business leaders will announce plans to abandon the project in the next few days.

But the New York Daily News says Haaretz is all wet:

UPDATE from our Sam Goldsmith, who’s been following this issue and just got off the phone with Sharif El-Gamal, the developer of the project:
“That’s complete misinformation. That’s crazy,” El-Gamal said. “That’s totally totally wrong. This is more misinformation in this web of misinformation. We’ve never even talked about this as an idea. Everything is on track and moving forward at the same location.”

El-Gamal would seem to be a good source, so maybe there is nothing to the Haaretz report. Still, the rumor seems plausible; stay tuned.
Via Dan Friedman.
UPDATE: In a development that may be more closely related than it seems, Harry Reid came out against the mosque. His office released a statement that said he “thinks that the mosque should be built someplace else.” This was in response to Sharron Angle’s demand that he take a position on the issue. This is, as we have noted, the foreseeable consequence of President Obama’s needless decision to weigh in on behalf of the Islamic cultural center, which had the effect of nationalizing the issue and requiring Democratic candidates across the country to take a position.

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