( CNN ) -- In June , Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf , the man behind the proposed ground zero mosque , was asked on live radio if he believed Hamas is a terrorist organization . This is n't a difficult question : Hamas employs suicide bombers and fires incendiary rockets at civilian targets within Israel . It calls for the destruction of the Jewish state followed by the establishment of a potentially fundamentalist and repressive regime . Governments all over the world , including the United States and the European Union , rightfully consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization that willfully and indiscriminately targets innocent civilians . Yet Imam Rauf , after being asked this simple , straightforward question , refused to state whether or not he believed Hamas to be a terrorist organization . He said : `` I will not allow anybody to put me in a position where I am seen by any party in the world as an adversary or as an enemy . '' Now Imam Rauf wants to build and lead a $ 100 million , 13-story community center and mosque . It would be constructed on property currently occupied by a historic 150-year-old building that was seriously damaged by the landing gear of one of the hijacked jetliners that flew into the World Trade Center on September 11 , 2001 , and he wants to unveil it on September 11 , 2011 . I oppose the center and mosque 's construction because I believe there should be an investigation into the sources of its funding . The main group behind its construction , The Cordoba Initiative , which is headed by the Imam , is a registered charity in New York state . It is the responsibility of New York 's Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to ensure the mosque 's funding is coming from reputable sources . The radio show comments were not the first time Imam Rauf has said troubling things or been associated with troubling activities . On CBS ' `` 60 Minutes , '' less than a month after the attacks , he said American policies were an `` accessory '' to the crime of 9/11 . `` In fact , '' he added , `` in the most direct sense , Osama bin Laden is made in the USA . '' Imam Rauf is also listed on the website of the Perdana Global Peace Organization as a `` role player and contributor . '' This group was a financial backer of the Gaza flotilla , which attempted in May to break the Israeli 's blockade of Gaza . The Cordoba Initiative has reported less than $ 20,000 in assets . Where the $ 100 million for his project would come from is anybody 's guess . Furthermore , it 's fair to ask why , exactly , Imam Rauf has insisted on building the mosque so close to ground zero , and why he wants to unveil it on the 10th anniversary of the attacks . This not an issue of religious freedom , but rather , a question of safety and security . New Yorkers deserve to be safe and to feel safe , and we have a right to know who 's footing the bill for Imam Rauf 's project . Are foreign governments or other organizations involved ? And why is there such secrecy about the source of the money ? The Cordoba Initiative is legally required to file disclosure reports with the office of the attorney general , and it could easily be asked under state law to open its books for the office if Cuomo would simply make that request . We need to know who is paying for the center and mosque . We need to know what their motives are , and we need to know if the Imam is promising any potential benefactors anything in return for their support . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Rick Lazio .
Rick Lazio says the Imam behind the planned Hamas refused to call Islamic Center terrorist . Lazio : Other associations also make him wary of center 's funding sources . He says American have a right to know where money is coming from to feel safe . Cordoba Initiative : The state attorney general should request Rick Lazio open its books .