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It’s one of the most controversial news stories in New York City right now (and across the U.S. for that matter), the construction of a mosque just blocks away from Ground Zero, the former home of the World Trade Center.
Over 100 people have bet on whether the mosque will ultimately be built near Ground Zero by year’s end with 40 percent saying “yes” at Intrade.com.
Sharif el-Gamal, a Manhattan real estate developer, sat down with 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley to discuss the controversy.
"It is a very surreal experience to be in the middle of this storm,” he conveyed during the interview.
El-Gamal explained that he is a Muslim who married a Christian girl, has a mother who is Catholic and joined the Jewish Community Center on the West Side of Manhattan.
Instead of being referred to as “The Ground Zero Mosque”, El-Gamal says “it should be universally known as a hub of culture, a hub of coexistence, a hub of bringing people together.”
He said he didn’t hold his faith accountable for the tragedy that took place on 9/11.
El-Gamal says he intends to move forward with the project “100 percent”.
“Construction seems like a good bet,” says Payton O’Brien, Senior Editor of the Gambling911.com website. “The real question is, will construction start before December 31 of this year and the odds of that happening will probably stay under 50 percent.”
Aside from the protests, there are fundraising efforts that need to be generated. They raised just $10,000 in a matter of minutes on Friday, the start of fundraising. An estimated $100 million is still needed.
Patrick Flanagan, Gambling911.com
