Sharif El-Gamal
Encyclopedia
Sharif El-Gamal is a New York City
real estate developer. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of Soho Properties
, a Manhattan
-based real estate
company. El-Gamal came to international attention in 2010 for his role in the development of Park51 (originally named Cordoba House and sometimes referred to as the "Ground Zero mosque"), a planned Islamic community center and prayer space to be located about two blocks away from the World Trade Center site
.
and Egypt
where he attended the Schutz American School
. El-Gamal returned to the United States for college, enrolling in various New York universities but eventually dropping out when he decided to stop pursuing formal education.
Lawrence Kopp, his public relations advisor, reported that while El-Gamal was not reared in a religious household, religion helped him struggle through a troubled youth.
's license. Before he began buying buildings in 2007 as an owner and developer, El-Gamal worked from 1997 to 2001 as a waiter in two upscale New York City restaurants, Fredericks and Serafina.
For his first real estate purchases in 2007, El-Gamal bought a six apartments building in the Harlem
and Washington Heights
neighborhoods of Manhattan. Two of the apartments have outstanding building violating and owe the city money. He manages additional properties in Chelsea
and Harlem.
According to the company's website, El-Gamal founded his real estate company Soho Properties
in 2003 in order "to focus on commercial real estate capital markets, advisory and retail leasing." El-Gamal's partners in the business are his brother, Samir "Sammy" El-Gamal, and Nour Mousa, the nephew of Amr Moussa
, the Secretary General of the Arab League
.
.
One investor in the transaction was the Cordoba Initiative, a tax-exempt foundation with assets of $20,000. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf
is the founder and executive director of the not-for-profit Cordoba Initiative and is the spiritual director for the project.
Shortly after the purchase, the property became an active overflow prayer space for the followers Imam Rauf's mosque located in TriBeCa
. In May 2010, plans by El-Gamal and Imam Rauf to develop the property into a $100 million, 13 story Islamic community center and prayer space (also referred to as a mosque) ignited national controversy given the building's proximity to Ground Zero, where extremist Muslims killed nearly 3,000 Americans in the September 11 attacks. The project is entitled Park51, was formerly named the Cordoba House and some informally refer to it as the Ground Zero Mosque.
El-Gamal envisions Park51 as "A landmark, an iconic building that will have people come and visit it from around the world." He repeatedly refused calls to move or cancel the project, stating, "This looks like it is going to be the most famous community center in the world." He rejects the controversy over the location of the property, stating it is "nowhere near the World Trade Center site... It is two blocks north of the World Trade Center site. In New York City, two blocks is a great distance." Further, he does not hold Islam or Muslims worldwide accountable for the September 11 attacks, asserting, "I did not hold myself or my faith accountable for that tragedy." Viewing the project on historic terms, El-Gamal stated, "This is a defining moment for you and I and the First Amendment
, and I see us passing this test as Americans."
In the summer of 2010, while Imam Rauf was outside of the United States, El-Gamal emerged as the public face of the project and portrayed himself, rather than Rauf, as the key force behind the proposed center. This increased speculation over who was behind the project since El-Gamal declined most interview requests and offered few public statements.
, New York. The couple has two daughters. He currently resides in the Upper West Side
neighborhood of Manhattan in a $1.1 million apartment. El-Gamal is a member of the Jewish Community Center
(JCC) of Manhattan located in his neighborhood. According to El-Gamal, the JCC served as an inspiration for the Park51 project.
disclosed El-Gamal's criminal history dating back to 1990. El-Gamal's run-ins with law enforcement range from disorderly conduct
and soliciting a prostitute to pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated
and attempted petit larceny.
In his most recent arrest in 2005, El-Gamal assaulted a man who was subletting an apartment from his brother, Sammy (one of his two partners in Soho Properties). He reportedly punched the man, breaking his nose and cheekbone. At first, El-Gamal said he did not hit the man but later conceded "his face could have run into my hand." At a deposition for the assault case in 2007, El-Gamal replied "no" when asked if he was ever convicted or pled guilty to a crime, despite his previous arrest record. Additionally, El-Gamal owes more than $227,000 in unpaid real estate taxes which are currently incurring interest.
Regarding his criminal conduct, El Gamal said in a statement to the Daily News, "I regret many things that I did in my youth. I have not always led a perfect life... While I might not be proud of some of my actions in the past, I am extremely proud of the Park51 project and what it will mean to thousands of New Yorkers of all faiths and denominations who live in Lower Manhattan
."
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
real estate developer. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of Soho Properties
Soho Properties
Soho Properties is an American real estate company that arranges and participates in real estate investments. It was founded by Sharif El-Gamal in 2003.-Management:...
, a Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
-based real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
company. El-Gamal came to international attention in 2010 for his role in the development of Park51 (originally named Cordoba House and sometimes referred to as the "Ground Zero mosque"), a planned Islamic community center and prayer space to be located about two blocks away from the World Trade Center site
World Trade Center site
The World Trade Center site , also known as "Ground Zero" after the September 11 attacks, sits on in Lower Manhattan in New York City...
.
Biography
El-Gamal was born in Brooklyn, New York to an Egyptian father and a Polish Catholic mother on December 23, 1973. His father was a managing director at Chemical Bank. He lived in Brooklyn until age 9 when his mother died. He then followed his father to LiberiaLiberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
where he attended the Schutz American School
Schutz American School, Alexandria
The Schutz American School is an independent, coeducational day school which offers an educational program from prekindergarten through grade 12 for students of all nationalities. The School was founded in 1924...
. El-Gamal returned to the United States for college, enrolling in various New York universities but eventually dropping out when he decided to stop pursuing formal education.
Lawrence Kopp, his public relations advisor, reported that while El-Gamal was not reared in a religious household, religion helped him struggle through a troubled youth.
Real estate
El-Gamal first entered real estate in the late 1990s as a residential sales broker but within his first year transitioned to commercial real estate sales. In 2002 he received his real estate brokerReal estate broker
A real estate broker, real estate agent or realtor is a party who acts as an intermediary between sellers and buyers of real estate/real property and attempts to find sellers who wish to sell and buyers who wish to buy...
's license. Before he began buying buildings in 2007 as an owner and developer, El-Gamal worked from 1997 to 2001 as a waiter in two upscale New York City restaurants, Fredericks and Serafina.
For his first real estate purchases in 2007, El-Gamal bought a six apartments building in the Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
and Washington Heights
Washington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
neighborhoods of Manhattan. Two of the apartments have outstanding building violating and owe the city money. He manages additional properties in Chelsea
Chelsea, Manhattan
Chelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The district's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, 30th Street to the north, the western boundary of the Ladies' Mile Historic District – which lies between the Avenue of the Americas and...
and Harlem.
According to the company's website, El-Gamal founded his real estate company Soho Properties
Soho Properties
Soho Properties is an American real estate company that arranges and participates in real estate investments. It was founded by Sharif El-Gamal in 2003.-Management:...
in 2003 in order "to focus on commercial real estate capital markets, advisory and retail leasing." El-Gamal's partners in the business are his brother, Samir "Sammy" El-Gamal, and Nour Mousa, the nephew of Amr Moussa
Amr Moussa
Amr Mohammed Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. He is a candidate in the 2011 Egyptian presidential election....
, the Secretary General of the Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
.
Park51
In July 2009, Soho Properties purchased property at 45–47 Park Place, located adjacent to the World Trade Center site, for $4.85 million in cash. Prior to being damaged in the September 11 attacks, the building was a Burlington Coat FactoryBurlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
.
One investor in the transaction was the Cordoba Initiative, a tax-exempt foundation with assets of $20,000. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf
Feisal Abdul Rauf
Feisal Abdul Rauf is an American Sufi imam, author, and activist whose stated goal is to improve relations between the Muslim world and the West...
is the founder and executive director of the not-for-profit Cordoba Initiative and is the spiritual director for the project.
Shortly after the purchase, the property became an active overflow prayer space for the followers Imam Rauf's mosque located in TriBeCa
TriBeCa
Tribeca is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York in the United States. Its name is an acronym based on the words "Triangle below Canal Street", and is properly bounded by Canal Street, West Street, Broadway, and Vesey Street...
. In May 2010, plans by El-Gamal and Imam Rauf to develop the property into a $100 million, 13 story Islamic community center and prayer space (also referred to as a mosque) ignited national controversy given the building's proximity to Ground Zero, where extremist Muslims killed nearly 3,000 Americans in the September 11 attacks. The project is entitled Park51, was formerly named the Cordoba House and some informally refer to it as the Ground Zero Mosque.
El-Gamal envisions Park51 as "A landmark, an iconic building that will have people come and visit it from around the world." He repeatedly refused calls to move or cancel the project, stating, "This looks like it is going to be the most famous community center in the world." He rejects the controversy over the location of the property, stating it is "nowhere near the World Trade Center site... It is two blocks north of the World Trade Center site. In New York City, two blocks is a great distance." Further, he does not hold Islam or Muslims worldwide accountable for the September 11 attacks, asserting, "I did not hold myself or my faith accountable for that tragedy." Viewing the project on historic terms, El-Gamal stated, "This is a defining moment for you and I and the First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
, and I see us passing this test as Americans."
In the summer of 2010, while Imam Rauf was outside of the United States, El-Gamal emerged as the public face of the project and portrayed himself, rather than Rauf, as the key force behind the proposed center. This increased speculation over who was behind the project since El-Gamal declined most interview requests and offered few public statements.
Personal life
El-Gamal is married to Rebekah, a Muslim convert from East HamptonEast Hampton (town), New York
The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York...
, New York. The couple has two daughters. He currently resides in the Upper West Side
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River and between West 59th Street and West 125th Street...
neighborhood of Manhattan in a $1.1 million apartment. El-Gamal is a member of the Jewish Community Center
Jewish Community Center
A Jewish Community Center or Jewish Community Centre is a general recreational, social and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities...
(JCC) of Manhattan located in his neighborhood. According to El-Gamal, the JCC served as an inspiration for the Park51 project.
Criminal record
In August 2010, the New York Daily NewsNew York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
disclosed El-Gamal's criminal history dating back to 1990. El-Gamal's run-ins with law enforcement range from disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct is a criminal charge in most jurisdictions in the United States. Typically, disorderly conduct makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such...
and soliciting a prostitute to pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated
DWI
DWI is an acronym which means:* Driving while intoxicated, see Driving under the influence* Driving while impaired* Danish West Indies* Diffusion-weighted imaging, a technique used in magnetic resonance imaging* Drinking Water Inspectorate...
and attempted petit larceny.
In his most recent arrest in 2005, El-Gamal assaulted a man who was subletting an apartment from his brother, Sammy (one of his two partners in Soho Properties). He reportedly punched the man, breaking his nose and cheekbone. At first, El-Gamal said he did not hit the man but later conceded "his face could have run into my hand." At a deposition for the assault case in 2007, El-Gamal replied "no" when asked if he was ever convicted or pled guilty to a crime, despite his previous arrest record. Additionally, El-Gamal owes more than $227,000 in unpaid real estate taxes which are currently incurring interest.
Regarding his criminal conduct, El Gamal said in a statement to the Daily News, "I regret many things that I did in my youth. I have not always led a perfect life... While I might not be proud of some of my actions in the past, I am extremely proud of the Park51 project and what it will mean to thousands of New Yorkers of all faiths and denominations who live in Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
."
External links
- Sharif El-Gamal on TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
- Soho Properties official website (username required)
- Soho Properties archived website (accessed 30 December 2006)
- The man behind the mosque: A Frontline (PBS) episode