Imam fears moving NYC mosque could inflame tension

NEW YORK -- The imam behind a proposed Islamic community center and mosque near ground zero says moving it could cause a violent backlash from Muslim extremists and endanger national security.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf says the discourse surrounding the planned facility has become so politicized that moving it could result in violence.

He says the reaction in the Muslim world could be more furious than the eruption of violence following the 2005 publication of Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Rauf made the comments in an interview broadcast Wednesday night on CNN.

Opponents say the mosque should be moved farther away from where Islamic extremists destroyed the World Trade Center and killed nearly 2,800 people. Supporters say religious freedom should be protected.