Mosque to be built at 'Gorund Zero' approved

US authorities have approved the building of an Islamic culture centre and mosque in New York City, despite tensions over it being located near the site of the September 11 attacks in 2001. The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to deny landmark status to a building two blocks from the World Trade Center site that developers want to tear down and convert into an Islamic community centre that will include a mosque. The panel said the 152-year-old lower Manhattan building is not distinctive enough to be considered a landmark. The decision drew praise from Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who called the project a key test of Americans' commitment to religious freedom. Critics appear to be small in number, but passionate, and they have gained powerful supporters recently.