Greek Orthodox activists make own case in Park51 controversy

Former Gov. George Pataki

The planned Park51 Islamic community center, which has drawn ire for proximity to the Ground Zero site, which is two blocks away, has inspired a new group to act: the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, according to the New York Times. The religious organization says that while many local politicians have thrown their support behind Park51, which will include a mosque, they have failed to offer the same kind of aid to the Greek Orthodox St. Nicholas Church, which was destroyed in the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Former New York Governor George Pataki was among the archdiocese’s supporters at a news conference yesterday, where he called into question the decision to support Park51’s developers. “We don’t know [where] the funding [is coming from], we don’t know the view of the people behind it,” Pataki said. [NYT]