Excerpt:
Muslim leaders in the United States are criticizing Gov. David Paterson for his description of the developers of an Islamic center and mosque planned near ground zero as peaceful, "almost westernized" Muslims.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council said Paterson mischaracterized the sect known as Sufi and his comment suggests other Muslims are a problem, although he made no criticism of Islam or any branches of it.
For weeks, the Democratic governor has defended Islam as a peaceful religion and has said the developers have a constitutional right to build an Islamic center and mosque a couple of blocks north of the World Trade Center site. He also has emphasized the Sept. 11 terrorists were extremists and weren't indicative of the religion.