The vote late Tuesday was 29-1 in favor, with 10 abstentions. It came after hours of contentious public comment.
Supporters say the mosque will build bridges and foster interfaith dialogue.
Critics says the proposed lower Manhattan site is an insult to Sept. 11 victims. Tea Party Express chairman Mark Williams has called it a monument to the Sept. 11 attackers.
Some Sept. 11 victims' families say they're angry the mosque would be built so close to where their relatives died.
The organizations sponsoring the project say they're trying to meet a growing need for prayer space. They also want to provide a venue for mainstream Islam to counter extremism
being a human i understand the plight of the ones who lost their dear and near, but building a mosque will bridge the gap and also will pass the message to the world that america really believes in democracy and equal rights to all religion and also it will be a slap on the face of terrorist who blown the worlds landmark, i love usa and its people. god bless america.
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