A decision by New York City officials to allow the construction of a mosque near the site of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is facing a legal challenge.
The American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative advocacy group, filed the lawsuit Wednesday. The group is challenging a decision to tear down a nearby building to make way for the mosque.
That structure was built in the 1850s and the group says it should be saved because of its historic status.
The group also says it is inappropriate to build a mosque at the site, where the World Trade Center towers stood before al-Qaida terrorists flew two hijacked planes into them.
Many Americans say putting a mosque so close to the area now known as "ground zero" is disrespectful to those killed in the attacks by the Islamic extremist group. Supporters of the project, including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, say it will help bridge divisions between the West and the Muslim world.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.