'Ground Zero Mosque' Developer Plans Islam Museum

The developer who once proposed a mosque and Muslim community center near New York City's ground zero now plans to build a museum devoted to Islam at the same site.
 
The New York Times reports that Sharif El-Gamal wants to build a museum on his property at 4151 Park Place "dedicated to exploring the faith of Islam and its arts and culture."
 
"New York's arts and cultural institutions have always been a great inspiration to me and I consider this opportunity to create a museum to be a true privilege," El-Gamal said in a statement.
 
The three-story building he envisions would include a sanctuary for prayer services and community programs. It would be designed by award-winning French architect Jean Nouvel.
 
It's unclear how El-Gamal plans to fund the project. His spokesman, Hank Sheinkoph, told the Times he planned to finance it himself initially before finding other investors.
 
Robert Spencer, who writes for Jihad Watch, said the new project is as offensive as the first.
 
"The structure as you describe it would be as grotesque as a three-story museum dedicated to exploring the faith of Shintoism and emperor-worship, and its arts and culture, with a sanctuary for prayer services and community center at Pearl Harbor," Spencer told the Times.