Despite, or because of, the controversy surrounding Park 51, the Islamic community center planned for a few blocks from the World Trade Center site, its developers announced the start of a fund-raising drive yesterday and already raised $10,000. Still, backers say the center’s construction and operations could cost $100 million total. Sharif El-Gamal spoke on behalf of Park 51 and said: “We will not take money from Iran. We will not take money from Hamas. We will not take money from organizations that have un-American values.” [NYP]
