AceShowbiz - Legendary director Woody Allen supports the proposed mosque at Ground Zero, insisting the development will be "a step in the right direction". Plans for an Islamic community center at the site of the 9/11 terror attacks in New York sparked outrage earlier September, with hundreds of protesters descending on the area on the ninth anniversary of the atrocity on Saturday, September 11.

Proud New Yorker Allen is adamant only those directly affected by the attacks should voice their opinion on the proposal - but he sees the planned mosque as a step towards preventing further terrorist outrages. The Manhattan director tells the New York Daily News, "Of course I think they should build the mosque... The people who lost friends or relatives have every right to protest and say what they want to say. All of the other people weighing in (for) political (and) exploitation reasons... should shut up and just let the people who were personally affected make their case..."

"If I was speaking to the people who are protesting legitimately, I would try to convince them, if I could, that building the mosque takes a step toward eliminating this kind of thing from happening again. Preventing the mosque from being built is not a step in the right direction," he adds.