Bill Keller, Muslim-hating pastor, wants to build Christian center to rival 'Ground Zero mosque'
BY Ryan Strong
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Sunday, September 5th 2010, 2:35 PM
The fight over a proposed mosque near Ground Zero veered into fire-and-brimstone territory Sunday as a Florida preacher declared that Muslims will burn in hell.
"Muslims are going to hell, we need to save them," said pastor Bill Keller to a crowd of about 40 people at the New York Marriott Downtown, which overlooks Ground Zero.
Keller says he is raising funds to create a permanent 9/11 Christian Center to counter what he calls the "victory mosque," a few blocks from the site.
"Islam is not and has never been a religion of peace," he said. "How could you build bridges with people who ask their Muslim brothers to fly a plane into the Twin Towers and killed thousands of innocent people."
Sparing no other faith the rod, Keller blasted Mormons, Hindus, pro-choice supporters and gays."
"All we're trying to do is teach people the only truth there is," he said, "Forty years ago, no one would call me controversial," he said.
Many of those gathered to hear Keller speak came from out of town, but there were some New Yorkers in attendance.
"Without God I wouldn't have been able to get through 9/11," said Vincent Foras, a volunteer firefighter from Queens.
There were also a pair of protesters who slipped into the meeting who laughed loudly as Keller began his sermon.
Keller responded by saying, "Jesus loves you," and "We will pray for you," as the protestors were escorted out.
Others opposed to Park51 project have dismissed the Muslim-bashing preacher saying he allows mosque-supporters to too easily dismiss them as bigoted and racist.
The controversial project has become a national hot-button issue, and even in New York, 70 percent of residents have expressed opposition to its location, polls show.
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