The developer of an Islamic Cultural Centre near Ground Zero says the “biggest mistake” on the project was not involving the families of Sept. 11 victims from the start. “We made incredible mistakes,” Sharif El-Gamal, founder of Park51, told reporters on September 21 at the opening of the Islamic Community Centre at 51 Park Place, just two blocks from the World Trade Centre site in lower Manhattan.
El-Gamal, 38, said he wished the victims’ families had been involved earlier – before the centre became a point of contention. ”The biggest mistake we made was not to include 9/11 families,” he said, noting that the centre’s advisory board now includes at least one 9/11 family member. Though it was intended to bring people together by enhancing multi-faith dialogue, the Islamic Centre – which includes a mosque, a swimming pool, a preschool and a 9/11 memorial – became the centre of a heated national debate.
“It is a huge step forward,” Katerina Lucas, Park51’s chief of staff, told reporters. “I hope it shows we are about inclusion, not exclusion.” “Islam is not about extremism,” said Lucas, who graduated from Harvard Divinity School in 2009. “We can have a meaningful dialogue across religions.” The opening coincided with the UN International Day of Peace.