August 25, 2010
Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivered an impassioned speech on religious freedom at a Ramadan dinner at Gracie Mansion Tuesday night, declaring there's "nowhere in the five boroughs of New York City that is off limits to any religion."
Mr. Bloomberg, speaking at an annual Iftar dinner, said he understood the impulse to find an alternative location for the proposed mosque and Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero. But this kind of "compromise," as Gov. David Paterson and others have suggested, will not the end the debate, he said.
"The question will then become, how big should the 'no-mosque zone' be around the World Trade Center site? There is already a mosque four blocks away. Should it be moved?" the mayor said. "This is a test of our commitment to American values. We have to have the courage of our convictions. We must do what is right, not what is easy."
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