Plans to build a mosque community center two blocks away from Ground Zero have sparked heated conversations in New York City and across the country.

The Cordoba House Project will be a 15-story community center built by the American Society for Muslim Advancement. The mosque will celebrate the pluralism of Islam, which has many different sects.

“Because of the worship being Islamic, it creates a strong controversy,” social studies teacher Scott Parillo said.

President Barack Obama said that ASMA has the right to build where it likes, as freedom of religion is part of the Constitution, but said the location choice may be unwise.

The plan stirred up emotional debates among relatives of 9/11 victims and local residents of New York City.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg offered support to ASMA, saying Americans need to show the world the power of religious freedom and cultural tolerance.

“I think America needs to be accepting the religion, and not just judging it,” sophomore Austen Davis said.