The move by the ADL, which itself attracted intense
controversy in August for opposing the Islamic centre’s
proposed construction in New York, was another sign of the
growing concern among communal leaders that the rise in
anti-Muslim sentiment triggered by the rancorous debate over
the “Ground Zero Mosque”, as its critics dubbed it, has
reached dangerous heights.
Most mainstream critics of the project, including the ADL,
did not deny the legal right of Muslims to build mosques
where they choose. They argued instead that the location of
the centre so close to the “sacred ground” of the World
Trade Centre site showed insensitivity.
Defenders of the project noted that the proposed location
was in a commercial area that already featured restaurants,
bars, and strip clubs not to mention other mosques just a
few blocks away.

See the full article from “Inter Press Service”