On the other side are unconfirmed rumors that some NY construction workers may refuse to work on the proposed community center.
Never one to shy away from controversy, Michael Moore has jumped into fundraising for the Muslim community center which has inflamed passions and protests on opposite ends of the globe, mainly in the Middle East and at the proposed site in New York.
Moore made an appeal to his supporters on the ninth anniversary of 9/11 for donations to the construction project, pledging to match contributions up to $10,000.
Less than 48 hours later, five times that amount had poured into the contribution coffers as hundreds of people from around the country heeded Moore's call.
"Times are tough economically, and supporting our Muslim brothers and sisters is not a popular thing to do right now," Moore said on his blog. "I am truly touched by your generosity — and people around the world will know that you, too, represent an America they rarely get to see."
The proposed mosque, known as Park51, will include a swimming pool and a theater and is expected to cost more than $100 million
"Blaming a whole group for the actions of just one of that group is anti-American," Moore wrote. "Timothy McVeigh was Catholic. Should Oklahoma City prohibit the building of a Catholic Church near the site of the former federal building that McVeigh blew up?"
In a posting on his website and an interview on CNN, the liberal filmmaker upped the emotional ante on the controversy by saying: "Don't build it near ground zero, he argued. Build it on ground zero."
The director insists that Islam was "stolen from the real Muslims" at the Twin Towers, and it should be given back to them on the same spot.
"There is a McDonald's two blocks from Ground Zero. Trust me, McDonald's has killed far more people than the terrorists," Moore said.
"Let's face it, all religions have their whackos....But we don't judge whole religions on just the actions of their whackos."
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