New York - A conservative advocacy group founded by the Reverend Pat Robertson is suing to try to block a planned Islamic community centre and mosque near the World Trade Centre site.
The mosque proposal has become a fulcrum for balancing religious freedom and the legacy of the September 11, 2001, attacks.
The American Centre for Law and Justice says it filed a petition on Wednesday challenging a city panel's decision to let developers tear down a building to make way for the mosque.
City lawyers say they're confident the panel followed appropriate procedures. A spokesperson for the mosque project declined comment.
Opponents say the mosque plan insults the memory of those killed by Islamic terrorists in the 2001 attacks. Supporters see it as a monument to tolerance. - Sapa-AP