The best Christmas ever to our Orthodox friends of the Middle East.

Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava has been granted the building rights to build a grand structure where the small Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at ‘ground zero’ stood before the terrorist attack on 9-11.

The building design is inspired by the beautiful Hagia Sofia Church in Istanbul, Turkey which was taken over by islam and converted into a mosque in 1453 and turned into a museum in 1930.

Terror attacks against churches are continuing to cause the world to doubt any claims of moderation by islam. One of the latest attacks was Christmas 2014 in the Egyptian city of al-Minya south of Cairo wherein two policemen were shot and another was killed dismantling a bomb.

After personally surviving a homicide bombing in Jerusalem in 2003 I understand the horror of terror, and the need to rebuild lives as well as structures as a vital element in healing of lives.

Thanks to Manhattan for the permission to do such a healing work of architecture and art in their great city.

Click here to view the video.

Orthodox Church at Ground Zero