The Ground Zero Mosque.

There are a lot of reasons to be concerned at the plan to build a "mega" mosque at the location of the World Trade Center. Whilst I don't subscribe to the notion that all Muslims are terrorist sympathisers it is certainly provocative to build a mosque at the site where 3000 people were murdered in the name of Islam and if I were a moderate Muslim I would urge a little sensitivity among my coreligionists.

That the mosque is being set up by moderate Muslims who are opposed to the Al Qaeda is fine, but you can't really guarantee that this will remain the case. The Finsbury Park Mosque, which was a focal point for British Islamism for many years, was initially sufficiently mainstream that Prince Charles was the guest of honour at the official opening.

However I can understand why the New York planning authorities decided to allow the building to commence- it is the best possible insurance against future terrorist attacks. In fact the only danger the site will face from terrorism in future will be when politicians stampede to get there after the next terrorist attack in order to forestall the "backlash", that always seems to be coming but never actually arrives.