Woody Allen backs mosque on Ground Zero

Director Woody Allen has backed the proposed mosque at Ground Zero because he believes that the development will be a 'step in the right direction'.

The plans to build an Islamic community centre at the site of the 9/11 terror attacks had sparked widespread outrage earlier this month and hundreds of protesters descended on the area on the ninth anniversary of the incident. But Allen, who himself is a proud New Yorker, does not see any harm in building a mosque at the Ground Zero site.

"Of course I think they should build the mosque," Allen told the New York Daily News. The 74-year-old also thinks that the only people who have the right to protest are those who were personally involved in 9/11.

"The only people that have a right to weigh in on the divisive issue are the people that were personally involved in 9/11. The people who lost friends or relatives have every right to protest and say what they want to say," Allen said.

"All of the other people weighing in are doing so for political and for exploitation reasons. I feel those people should shut up and just let the people who were personally affected make their case," he said.