Imam behind controversial New York Islamic center speaks

The imam behind the controversial mosque and Islamic center near New York City’s ground zero said Sunday that he hopes the project will develop “an Islamic approach that allows for harmony and understanding among all religions and other ideas.”

The remarks from Abdul Rauf, who has rarely spoken to the media since his proposal for an Islamic center set off a firestorm of controversy this summer, came while the imam is on a State Department-sponsored trip to the Middle East.