In an August 16 editorial, The Washington Times baselessly claimed that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who is leading efforts to build the Islamic community center in New York City, “has supported” Hamas' “cause.” The Times offered no evidence to support its claim. As Media Matters has noted, Rauf has been widely described as “moderate” and has repeatedly condemned terrorism.

Further, the Times falsely claimed that the “projected opening date” for the community center is Sept. 11, 2011. In fact, as Media Matters has noted, Daisy Khan, executive director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, one of the organizations spearheading the project, called that “absolutely false.” Moreover, Rauf reportedly “said the mosque will not open on the anniversary of 9/11.”

From the Times' editorial:

America's enemies clearly are delighted with the prospect of an Islamic center near the old World Trade Center site. The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, whose cause Ground Zero Mosque mastermind Feisal Abdul Rauf has supported, has backed the project. There are high-fives being exchanged in terrorist chat rooms. One user at the Alfalojah site gloated about hitting the “U.S. infidels in their capital” and offered “congratulations to the Nation of Islam.”

[...]

Mr. Rauf, whose whereabouts are unknown after he set off on a State Department-financed mission to the Gulf states, claimed that his project's purpose was to heal the breach between Islam and America. It backfired. Even the clearly inflammatory projected opening date of Sept. 11, 2011, shows how out of touch the backers of the project are with the sentiments of the American people.