Islamic leaders from across the United States have gathered in New York to discuss growing Islamophobia in the wake of the controversy over the proposed Islamic cultural center in Lower Manhattan. Speaking before the Islamic Leadership Council, Nihad Awad of the Council of American-Islamic Relations criticized the campaign against the Park51 project.

Nihad Awad: “We believe that the entire nation has been engulfed into misunderstandings and misinformation. There has been a campaign against this project that we believe was unfair and unnecessary. We also understand that there are some legitimate concerns and fears that came out of the 9/11 tragedy, which all our leaders here and Muslims nationwide and worldwide have condemned. So it is unfair to associate this building, this community, with 9/11.”