New York, NY - After two months of a divisive public debate over the Ground Zero Mosque, 70% of New Yorkers surveyed in a new Quinnipiac poll released last week believe Andrew Cuomo should examine the funding streams behind the Cordoba Initiative. This follows two months of a very public debate following Rick Lazio’s letter to Cuomo on July 7th asking the Attorney General as overseer of all registered charities to examine the funding sources behind the Ground Zero Cordoba Mosque:
Rick Lazio said, “Many view the Imam’s comment on CNN last night of terrorist activity in the United States if his Mosque does not get built as a veiled threat. The Imam has invited this conclusion by his numerous offensive comments comparing America unfavorably to al Queda and saying that American policies were an accessory to the crime of September 11th. The Imam’s failure to answer simple questions with simple answers last night does not make him a ‘bridge-builder.’ It is just as outrageous that Andrew Cuomo refuses to do his job and examine all of the funding sources behind this project, from assets used to acquire the land to the Imam’s refusal to rule out taking money Iran for the construction of his $100 project. It’s time for Andrew Cuomo to stop acting like an appeaser and take an accounting of what is going on right under his nose.”
Standing with representatives of 9/11 families at a lower Manhattan news conference on July 7th, Rick Lazio pointed to several initial reasons why Cuomo needed to examine the Cordoba Initiative as overseer of charities, not the least of which were the public statements of the Initiative’s leader Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, including:
RED FLAG: IMAM FEISAL ABDUL RAUF’S PUBLIC STATEMENTS:
• In June of 2000, the Imam refused to admit that Hamas is a terrorist organization on WABC radio.
• Two weeks after the attacks of September 11, the Imam stated, “United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened.” (60 Minutes – 9/30/0)
• In the same interview the Imam also stated, “In fact, it—in the most direct sense, Osama bin Laden is made in the USA.” (60 Minutes – 9.30.01)
• “Imam Abdul Rauf … told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Islamic center will be financed through contributions from Muslims in the US, as well as by donations from Arab and Islamic countries,” the newspaper reported. (NY Post, May 25, 2010)
• In interviews with US media, Rauf has insisted funds would be raised here. “We hope to raise it from a combination of gifts from the local Muslim community and perhaps from some combination of bonds or something like that,” Rauf told WABC Radio’s Aaron Klein in May.
The same day Andrew Cuomo said of the Mosque project:
“I have not heard of any evidence of criminality… and if someone has evidence of criminality they should bring it forward.”
Stated Rick Lazio: “For nearly two months New Yorkers have waited for Andrew Cuomo to look into the finances of the Ground Zero Mosque; waited while he toasted Charlie Rangel, waited while he raised over $9 million of Albany special interest money, and waited while he refused to do his job of protecting New Yorkers.”
Stated Rick Lazio: “Thanks to the enterprising reporters at the New York Post, The Daily News, ABC News, Fox News Channel, Fox 5 Television in New York and CNN we know that in addition to the Imam’s many troubling comments on CNN last night, that also the developers of the Mosque project did not deal in good faith with the Community Board as the real owners of the property to be developed. We have heard contradicting stories about which countries might provide funding for this project, including Iran, and in recent days we have seen the revelation of the criminal backgrounds of the two financers of the project, including assault and Medicaid fraud.”
Lazio went on to point out further evidence of criminality behind the Cordoba Ground Zero Mosque.
RED FLAG: FALSE REPRESENTATION: DEVELOPERS DO NOT OWN ALL OF THE MOSQUE PROPERTY:
• The New York Post reported on August 8, 2010: “One of the two buildings on Park Place is owned by Con Edison, even though Soho Properties told officials and the public that it owns the entire parcel. And any potential sale by Con Ed faces a review by the state Public Service Commission.” (NY Post 9/8/10)
RED FLAG: DEVELPERS NOT RULING OUT MONEY FROM IRAN:
• ABC NEWS reported on August 18, 2010, “Pressed on whether the developers were willing to rule out accepting donations from the governments of Saudi Arabia or Iran, he (Oz Sultan, spokesman for the developers) repeated, ‘I can’t comment on that.’” (ABC News, 8/18/2010).
RED FLAG: DEVELOPERS JADED CRMINAL PAST:
• The Daily News reported on August 28 that, “Years before his latest real-estate project ignited an uproar, Sharif El-Gamal racked up at least seven run-ins with the law, including a bust for patronizing a prostitute.” The most recent of which was on September 10, 2005, for and assault on a barber who sublet a Manhattan apartment from El-Gamal’s brother, Sammy (The Daily News, 9/25/10).
RED FLAG: DEVELOPER IS A WAITER IN 2002 AND MAKES A SUDDEN PRUCHASE OF A $39 MILLION MANHATTAN PRPORERTY:
• Fox News Channel’s Craig Rivera reported on August 9, 2010: Sharif El-Gamal was a waiter at Serafina Restaurant in 2002. (Geraldo-At-Large, Fox News Channel, 8/9/10).
• The Daily News also reported on August 28, 2010: “If his 2008 cries of poverty were genuine, El-Gamal experienced a dramatic reversal of fortune a year later, scoring a $39 million mortgage to buy a W. 27th St. commercial building. He had a partner, Egyptian-born businessman Hisham Elzanaty, who co-signed the loan. Elzanaty denied to discuss his dealings with El-Gamal.” (The Daily News, 8/25/10).
RED FLAG: EGYPTIAN MONEY MAN BEHIND MOSQUE PROJECT DEFRAUDED STATE MEDICAID PROGRAM AND TERRORIST FUNDER:
• Fox 5 New York discovered Hisham Elzanaty is the Ground Zero Mosque Developer Sharif el-Gamal’s “guarantor” on the Ground Zero Mosque site: Mortgage documents obtained by Fox 5 confirm Elzanaty is the guarantor on a $39 million loan El-Gamal’s company used in buying the building. (WNYW-Fox5, 8/25/10,)
• Fox 5 also reported that Elzanaty was “ordered to repay more than $331,000” after “an audit showed that one of his companies was overpaid by Medicaid.” “Elzanaty is the owner of several medical companies run out of a building in the Bronx. East Tremont medical center is a clinic. In the reception area, there is a picture of Elzanaty proudly posing with his staff. But as state records show, Hisham Elzanaty was ordered to repay more than $331,000. An audit showed that one of his companies was overpaid by Medicaid.” (WNYW-Fox5, 8/25/10)
• Fox 5 New York reported on September 2 that Elzanaty gave $6000 to an identified terrorist organization called the Holy Land Foundation. ((WNYW-Fox5, 9/02/10)
RED FLAG: IMAM FEISAL RAUF AGAIN DOES NOT RULE OUT TAKING MONEY FROM IRAN:
• Exchange between CNN Anchor Soledad O’Brien and Imam Rauf on September 9, 2010:
IMAM RAUF (with respect to origins of donations): We will do whatever is absolutely correct and legal and the safe thing to do.
SOLEDAD O’BRIEN: Which means what exactly? I mean, because that’s — that’s an extra condition.
IMAM RAUF: You see, I’m the visionary behind it. I’m not the actual builder. I’m not the financial expert. I’m not the legal expert on these things. But I have a vision here of establishing something which I know in my heart of hearts will be a powerful instrument of peace. (CNN, 9/9/2010)
RED FLAG: IMAM’S “DODGY” COMMENTS OF TERRORIST ACTIVTY IF HIS MOSQUE IS NOT BUILT ON THE GROUND ZERO SITE:
• Imam Feisal Rauf’s comments on our “personal security” if we do not build the Mosque at the Ground Zero site on CNN, September 9, 2010: “Our national security, our personal security, is extremely important. And this issue has become, now, a national security issue. And therefore, in our conversations, in our decision making process, we have to weigh many, many factors, and that (location) has been dominant among them.” (Imam Faisal Rauf, CNN, 9/9/10)
Rick Lazio said, “How many more red flags does Andrew Cuomo need to do his job? By neglecting his duty as the chief law enforcement officer of New York, Andrew Cuomo has not only abused the public trust but brought on a divisive public debate which could have been avoided. New Yorkers, 9/11 victims families and the Anti-Defamation League are still awaiting Andrew Cuomo to act.”