Excerpts from the ACLJ:
There are powerful political interests that still want to see the Islamic victory mosque built on this sacred ground.
The ACLJ stood before New York's State Supreme Court and argued that local New York City officials abused their discretion when they declined to give the building - which stands in the shadow of the Twin Towers and where landing gear from one of the hijacked planes fell to the ground - landmark protection status.
In discussing demolition of the existing building at the proposed Islamic victory mosque site, our attorney made it clear: ''That building is a monument to that day.'' By refusing to grant landmark status, the City cleared the way for the Islamic mosque project to be built at that site. We showed that this abuse was because of political pressure from Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The ACLJ is litigating this case on behalf of our client, Tim Brown, a firefighter and first responder who survived the Twin Towers' collapse. The City of New York tried to have our lawsuit dismissed outright, claiming that our client has no legal standing - no connection to the building in question. If our client, who was on the front lines on 9/11 and who lost nearly 100 friends in the attacks, doesn't have legal standing, who does? As our attorney so aptly responded, ''He [Tim Brown] certainly has an emotional, moral, and personal stake in monuments to that day.'' Quite frankly, the City's legal position in this matter is an insult to those who made the ultimate sacrifice and took the gravest risks on 9/11. We have already responded and are winning this battle.
There is no question that the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 were attacking our way of life - our firm belief in liberty and every person's inalienable rights to free speech and the freedom to practice their religious beliefs. An Islamic victory mosque at Ground Zero would be a political statement supporting those attacks on our American values.
Yesterday's oral arguments were just the first step in what is going to be a lengthy litigation process. The ACLJ is in this fight for the long haul . . .
We will not rest in our fight against the spread of radical Islam and the infiltration of Sharia law into the United States.
Jay Sekulow
ACLJ Chief Counsel
Father, woe to those who call evil good and good evil. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.