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Landmark status resolved, NYC group moves forward on Islamic centerNow that the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has denied landmark status for a building near "ground zero" that could house a proposed Islamic center and mosque, the Muslim organization behind the project says it will begin moving forward with efforts to make the building "a model for community service and engagement." In a statement on a new website devoted to the project now called Park51, the project's planners said, "Until the resolution of the landmarks issue this morning, we were unable to emerge from stage one, as we could not be clear on the impact of a designation on the architecture and design of the building or its program spaces, activities or programming. We are eager to begin working with our partners, supporters, neighbors and communities, to build a community center for everyone." Pope shop opens ahead of Benedict's British visit![]() LONDON, England (CNN) - Pope baseball caps, pope key-rings, pope tote bags, beatification T-shirts and more went on sale Tuesday, as the official online store for Benedict XVI's visit to England and Scotland opened. Papalvisitstore.com stocks about three dozen items, including customizable T-shirts (20 British pounds, or about $32) and the official souvenir program (10 pounds, or about $16). Remains of John the Baptist found in Bulgaria?![]() John the Baptist, right, as depicted in this 14th century painting at the National Gallery, London Archaeologists in Bulgaria claim they have found remains of John the Baptist while excavating the site of a 5th century monastery on the Black Sea island of Sveti Ivan. A reliquary – a container for holy relics – discovered last week under the monastery’s basilica was opened on Sunday and found to contain bone fragments of a skull, a hand and a tooth, Bulgaria’s official news agency BTA reported. Panel denies landmark status for Islamic center and mosque site near ground zeroFrom CNN Senior Correspondent Allan Chernoff in New York: New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission denied landmark status Tuesday for a building at the site of a proposed Islamic center and mosque near ground zero. The commissioners voted unanimously against landmark status for 45-47 Park Place. It and an adjoining building are owned by real estate developer Soho Properties, which intends to build an Islamic center two blocks north of the former site of the World Trade Center. Your thoughts on today's vote around ground zero mosqueWith a key vote on whether a proposed Islamic center and mosque near ground zero can move forward scheduled for this morning, here's a sampling of Belief Blog comments on the project. Many commenters are venting outrage about the proposed mosque and Islamic center. This reader is representative of the opposition:
Some readers, though, are outraged over the outrage around the proposed mosque: |
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team. ![]() ![]() |
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