Current Event Practice

1. What's being discussed in this article?
This article is talking about the debate over where to build Park51, a new Islamic community center. Right now they are petitioning for a spot very near ground zero, an this is causing a lot of controversy and debate not just in the US. People around the world are questioning this. Some see it as proof that the USA's constitution and principles will not hold up, as they are debating whether or not to allow the center, though it is technically legal. Others say that Muslims should back down and settle for a different spot, not only to appease Americans, but also to avoid associations with Islam and 9/11. They also say that Muslims can not expect Americans to always comply to their religious demands when most Islamic countries are very intolerant of other religions, refusing them locations to build their own houses of worship.

2. When did the event happen? (Is this breaking news or something that's been analyzed and discussed for a while?)
This article was published on Wednesday, th 25th of August, although it seems a commentary on events that have been going on for a while, especially because the article cites many other newspapers which have clearly already voiced their opinion.

3. What questions do you have that would help make this article make more sense to you? What more do you need to learn about to be able to report on this event?
I think perhaps the article could have explained a bit more what the details are of the site Park51 is trying to obtain. The most said was that it was a "zoning spat." However, as this article is almost in response to several other articles and occurrences, I would want to find out more about the facts of the matter to be able to completely report on this event.