Since speaking with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf on July 16 about the Muslim community center to be built in lower Manhattan, it has been painful to watch the national dialogue around this issue deteriorate into misinformation, hysteria and fear of Islam.
Imam Rauf has been overseas and not able to readily answer questions of the media, so the rhetoric from individuals like Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and others who share their views has continued to distort the real issue at hand. Not all Muslims are terrorists, and the actions of terrorists are certainly not Islamic. This point must be realized if the conversation is ever to elevate beyond these harmful sound bites. It is my sincere hope that by releasing this audio recording and transcript of our recent conversation, those who honestly seek understanding about the Islamic center and the good leaders behind it will find it.
“But if we say that a mosque and community center should not be built near the perimeter of the World Trade Center site, we would compromise our commitment to fighting terror with freedom.
“We would undercut the values and principles that so many heroes died protecting. We would feed the false impressions that some Americans have about Muslims. We would send a signal around the world that Muslim Americans may be equal in the eyes of the law, but separate in the eyes of their countrymen. And we would hand a valuable propaganda tool to terrorist recruiters, who spread the fallacy that America is at war with Islam.”
IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, House of Commons Leader Jack Straw requested that Muslim women interested ... There are a number of Muslims who give a bad impression of Islam and blacken its image. We have numerous faults and never think of self-criticism ...
I am sitting in a non-descript classroom one evening in the historical city of Isfahan, Iran. A group of 12 women from various social classes and religious backgrounds gather to take beginners’ English some out of necessity, others for pleasure ...
A REVIEW IN The Economist praises Oxford University Press’s latest English translation of the Holy Qur’an by Muhammed Abdel Haleem for managing “to transform the complex grammar and structure of the holy book into a form of modern English which ...
CAIRO — Muslim and Sikh groups in Britain are fighting a ban imposed by the boxing panel on players growing beards, a decision they dismiss as disrespectful to the sensitivities of religious minorities. "We have beards so we can't fight, that's not ...
Yesterday, just a week after the 60th anniversary celebrations of the People's Republic, China kicked off its first World Media Summit. It shows how far China has come—and how far it has to go. First, understand the problem. We all know China is a ...
Cordoba Initiative would like to thank all of our friends for their support during this historic period. The overwhelming amount of positive outreach has exceeded all of our expectations. We have received emails, phone calls, endorsement letters, and public statements from hundreds of faith leaders, city officials, and organizations. Continuous support from our neighborhood, our city, our nation, and from the international community has been resolute. We greatly appreciate their determination and our hearts have been humbly filled with gratitude with every challenge they help us overcome. We look forward to working with those who are dedicated to peace, tolerance and understanding.
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Video Highlights
What exactly is Imam Feisal doing on his trip to the Middle East? CNN's Randi Kaye reports. Watch video here
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf's speech at Intersections. Watch video here
Mayor Bloomberg: "Dialogue Needs to Be Civil." Watch video here
NY Governor David Patterson: "Can't Force Center to Move." Watch video here
Family Member of 9/11 Victim Beautifully Explains Why The Intolerant Are Wrong. Watch video here
