The New York Post has the takeaway from a new Quinnipiac poll of New York state residents:
* 54 percent agree that “freedom of religion” gives Muslims the legal right to build the mosque on Park Place, while 40 percent disagreed and the rest were undecided.
* But 53 percent also said Muslim developers should not be allowed to build the mosque near the World Trade Center site in deference to sensitivities of 9/11 relatives, with 39 percent opposed and the rest undecided.
* A whopping 71 percent then said the organizers should voluntarily move the mosque elsewhere because of opposition from 9/11 family members. Only 21 percent were opposed, with the rest undecided.
* And 71 percent also said that AG Cuomo should probe the finances behind the building of the mosque, also known as 51Park. The concerns over who bankrolls the mosque comes as developer Sharif el-Gamal just announced the launch of the facility’s fundraising campaign and he collected $10,000 last week from supporters.
* A sizable number of New Yorkers have negative views of Islam. Nearly one-third — 31 percent have an unfavorable opinion and about one-quarter were undecided. Less than a majority – 45 percent – had a favorable opinion.
* About one-quarter of New Yorkers think “mainstream Islam” encourages violence against non-Muslims, while 54 percent consider it a peaceful religion. About one in five had no opinion.