Staten Island Mosque Canceled by Church Vote

The board of St. Margaret Mary R.C. Church in the Midland Beach community of Staten Island, NY voted to reject the sale of its empty convent to the Muslim American Society (MAS). The Muslim group was planning on converting the convent into a mosque; the church board vote cancels the real estate deal that would have facilitated that controversial deal.

In May, Fr. Keith Fennesy, pastor of the church struck a deal with MAS to sell the property on his own accord; the proceeds of that sale would have directly benefited the Midland Beach parish and the NY Archdiocese originally supported the deal.

The contract between the church and MAS, which was drawn up without input from the parish members or the community, stipulated the mosque could not be constructed without approval from the church's board of trustees.

When the public became aware of the sale contract, controversy and protest exploded. In addition to traffic congestion issues the mosque would have created, the purchaser (MAS) is a highly controversial organization with old ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. The executive director of MAS, Mahdi Bray has a long history of supporting terrorists and terror related groups.

Insult to injury is that the corner property the empty convent sits on shares a street named in honor of FDNY Capt. Martin J. Egan Jr., who was killed on 9/11/01 by Muslim Jihadists.

In early June, amidst the controversy, Fennesy announced he is quitting his post as parish priest, "For the good of the parish, I have asked that a new pastor be appointed as of July 1st."

On June 09, MAS attended the Midland Beach Civic Association's general meeting to answer questions from the Staten Island Community. During that meeting MAS representatives refused to answer pointblank questions regarding their well publicized support for terror organizations. MAS also accused those opposing their radical affiliations were "Islamaphobic."

Protest rallies have occurred for six consecutive weeks.

Click here for more information regarding MAS and Rev. Keith Fennesy.

On June 16, Fr. Fennesy officially withdrew his support for the sale to MAS and officially informed Archbishop Timothy Dolan.

The pastor's withdrawal of support was significant because in order for MAS to build the mosque on Staten Island the sale had to be approved by the church's board of trustees.

Fr. Fennesy was a member of the five-member board consisting of Archbishop Dolan, Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan, and two lay members of the parish.

On Wednesday, the church board voted to cancel the sale to MAS disrupting the plans to construct the mosque on Staten Island.

Joe Zwilling a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York stated,

"The trustees of the parish have met, as legally required under New York state law, and voted to ratify the pastor's decision. The Muslim American Society has been informed that the sale of the convent will not take place. The Archdiocese of New York has enjoyed a good relationship with the Islamic community in the past and looks forward to continued dialogue, friendship and understanding in the future. It is also our prayer that unity will now return to the parish and to the Midland Beach community."

MAS responded in typical fashion, accusing the decision to vote against selling the church property in order to erect their mosque was a result from "pressures of bigotry and Islamophobia."

It is not a quality of bigotry or Islamophobia to question the motives of a terror friendly group; especially when the nation is engaged in armed conflict with the very combatants the questioned group supports.

While unwarranted allegations of bigotry are hurled at decent and concerned Americans, perhaps the decent and concerned Americans that are a part of the Muslim community can muster the courage and integrity to look inward and question the motives of MAS.

MAS also stated they are currently studying all available options in response to the Archdiocese's decision in voting to cancel the sale, which stops the mosque from being built in the Midland Beach community of Staten Island.

Sources: embedded in article.