The debate over whether a mosque should be built near Ground Zero in New York City is playing out here in Illinois.
Earlier this week, Gov. Pat Quinn stepped into the controversy, saying he was against the mosque being built near the site of the 9/11 terror attack.
CBS 2's Jim Williams reports the Governor's stand caught Muslim leaders in Chicago off guard.
It was a stance Quinn repeated Friday afternoon, when he said, "I do understand going to Pearl Harbor, and I have been there; going to Auschwitz, I've been there; and I've been to Ground Zero. And I think those are solemn places on Earth; I've said that this week. I do think there should be a zone of solemnity around those places."
Muslim leaders in Chicago were surprised by Quinn's comments this week.
"We were definitely stunned," said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "When I read this for the first time, I was like 'What? Did I read what I just read?' I couldn't believe it."..
Christina Abraham, of CAIR, believes Quinn's stand will cost him votes in November.
"The 400,000 Muslims in the Chicago area know about this issue. They're concerned about this issue and it will affect how they make their decision come election time. He's lost my vote," said Abraham...
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