The purpose of the meeting would be for the governor to discuss with the leaders of the mosque where state property is available.  Whether or not people from the mosque would be willing to consider that property. 

King also said that the governor “seemed very enthused” about the anticipated discussions. The governor has been trying to entice the developers into this meeting for at least a week.    

According to Paterson:   

I hope that they type of cultural understanding that they’re trying to promote when they build the center could be practiced right now.   

Gov. Paterson has expressed the concern that Mayor Mike Bloomberg, a staunch supporter of putting the mosque at ground zero, and President Barack Obama, might be advising mosque leaders to dig in their heels and insist on the present location.    

But some folks think that there is a glimmer of hope that they are open to a compromise.    

A Tuesday tweet from the Park51 (formerly The Cordoba Initiative) Twitter account said:

For the past week, we have focused on trying to respond to attacks and detractors of our project. What’s become clear is – they won’t listen.   

 In the next 140 character post, they added:   

Starting today, we’re going to begin addressing questions regarding park51. We’re open to any sensible discussion.     

In other words, they will decide what is sensible.  

According to Paterson’s office, discussions between his staff and the developer’s staff have been ongoing.  They said that the governor expects to have a meeting scheduled in the near future.  

Congressman King said the openness of the developers to a compromise will be the real test of their intentions: 

If the leaders of the mosque take up the governor on his proposal, it would show that their real intention is to bring people together, build bridges. And not just make a political statement by having a mosque at Ground Zero.   

Another problem is the issue of separation of church and state, and whether the governor should provide state land for a mosque.  

King said in this case it would be okay, especially if the compromise meets the need of both sides.    

Because of the ever-growing national debate over the mosque in its current proposed location, religious leaders said Monday they are worried this one building is leading to a nationwide backlash.Muslim leaders and those of other faiths are concerned.   

Mahdi Bray, the executive director of Muslim American Society Freedom asked:    

How far is too close? If two blocks near the Burlington factory is too close is that far enough?   

The ground zero mosque controversy is just one of many attempts to prevent mosques from being built all over the country, as I wrote about in the post, Mosques:  A Community Concern.    

Protests have been held on Staten Island, and California, and Tennessee, Wisconsin, Alabama and Florida.The building of mosques and the resistance from the buildings of mosques has increased throughout America as well as the destruction and vandalizing of mosque, including a pipe bomb placed in a mosque in Florida, according to Bray.   

Liberal leaders of other faiths joined the Muslins American Society Freedom on Tuesday.   

Rabbi Aurthus Waskow, the director of the Shalom Center in Philadelphia said:   

I know how I would feel if people started saying there were certain places you weren’t allowed to put up a synagogue and therefore I know what should not be done to people who want to put up a cultural center which will include a prayer space.    

Still, many at Ground Zero on Tuesdaysaid they were opposed to putting the mosque so close to where the 9/11 attacks took place. They are not against mosque construction in other parts of the city.   

Steven Van Cook of Queens said:   

It’s the location, yeah, this is holy ground. A lot of people died here.   

   Steven Goldberg of Bayside added:   

My objection is Ground Zero. This is a holy place. It should remain as a holy place.   

 What about building it in another place in Manhattan?   

Goldber replied:   

No, I wouldn’t mind because you know it’s freedom of speech in the country, but I object to it being here.    

When asked if he is opposed to the location or the building mosques in New York City, Vito Serzelczyk of Marlton, N.J., said:   

Location, location, location. This is a very sensitive area. I was here on Sept. 11. It was a terrible, tragic event and I feel sorry for the families of those people, victims, and this is not really the place to build a mosque.      

These guys are far from alone in their opposition to this symbol of Muslim victory.  According to a CNN/Opinion Research Poll, released on August 11th, nearly 70 percent of all Americans oppose the formerly titled Cordoba House.   Just 29 percent favor construction of the Ground Zero Mosque.   

When you break it down by party affiliation, 54 percent of Democrats said they oppose the plans for the project while 82 percent of Republicans said they disapprove.  Meanwhile, 70 percent of independents said they are against the proposal.   

The sad thing about this, in my humble opion, is that the Cordoba Initiative developers (Let’s call it what it is.), are in a win-win situation.  Right now, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is on a fund-raising tour of the Middle East, sent by our State Department.  If the developers accept Paterson’s offer, they will get free land from the state of New York and they can still complain to Muslims around the world about the mean ol’ American infidels not allowing the mosque to be built at Ground Zero.  If they refuse, and the project is completed, they will have a symbol of Muslim victory at the site of the largest Islamic Terrorist attack ever on American Soil.  Shame on the New York City politicians and commission members.  This inapproriate offense to the 911 fallen should never have gotten this far.   

UPDATE:  

The developers of  The Cordova Initiative  have rejected Gov. David Paterson’s offer to help them find a different site.

Paterson said today the group is apparently committed to building in the proposed site:

I think they would like to stay where they are, and I certainly respect that and I certainly respect them.

Paterson is disappointed.  According to him, the dialogue would have been useful as the project has ignited nationwide debate over freedom of religion and anger over the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks:

Having said that, how much more foresighted would it have been if the Imam who is the developer of the project had been willing to hear what we are actually talking about?

It does not suit their purposes to move the mosque, Governor.