International Law, Religious Limitations, and Cultural Sensitivity: The Park51 Mosque at Ground Zero

In the summer of 2010, a controversy erupted after news surfaced of a planned mosque two blocks from New York City\u27s Ground Zero. The proposed location of the mosque, now named Park51, inflamed the passions of many Americans who believed that the Muslim institution would threaten both the memories of September 11, 2001, and the respect for those killed by the terrorist attacks. The Park51 mosque quickly attracted international attention, and the question of whether the state could restrict the mosque became entangled in a web of legal and \u27cultural sensitivity\u27 arguments. This Comment advocates an international human rights framework to address the issue of whether the state can regulate religious land use, such as Park51