By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
LOWER MANHATTAN — Mayor Michael Bloomberg sees no reason to investigate the Muslim group that plans to build a 13-story mosque and community center near Ground Zero.
Bloomberg said Monday morning that the city has never vetted religious organizations and isn’t about to start now.
He was responding to a question about Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Lazio, who last week called on his Democratic opponent, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to look into how the Cordoba Initiative plans to fund the $100 million center. Lazio said he was concerned for “public safety” if the project went forward.
Bloomberg said Monday that Lazio’s demand “just is so out of character for what this nation stands for and the way we conduct ourselves,” according to a Daily News transcript.
Bloomberg linked the mosque plans to freedom of religion:
"I've said that the government should never — never — be in the business of telling people how they should pray or where they can pray,” he said, “and I think we want to make sure that everybody from around the world feels comfortable coming here, living here and praying the way they want to pray.”
The Port Authority Police Benevolent Association, which lost 37 members on 9/11, also put out a scathing statement last week accusing Lazio of politicizing the mosque issue.
“Rick Lazio should stop exploiting the worst day in New York history for the sake of his campaign,” association President Paul Nunziato said. “For any candidate for public office to politicize Ground Zero shows a lack of respect to the families, who will forever live with the terrible memory of that dark day.”
