Policy Engagement
Political conflicts— such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Iraq war, the presence of US military forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and other regions of the Muslim World, US-Iranian polarization—are a major source of West-Muslim world tensions. Solving these conflicts means approaching policymakers in the Muslim World and the West with different kinds of information and advice from what they have previously been exposed to in order to help them make correct decisions about Muslim-West policy.
In recent months, Cordoba Initiative has significantly enhanced its presence and influence in Washington, DC. First and foremost, Cordoba Initiative has amplified its working relationships with key Members of the U.S. Congress and Senate and House Committees, the National Committees (i.e., the Democratic National Committee and the GOP Action Committee) to facilitate high-level dialogues and diplomacy.
 In addition to building relationships in Congress, Cordoba Iinitiative has developed strong connections with think tanks, NGOs, and religious organizations, all of which have persuasive authority in the Washington community. Recent meetings have been held with the Aspen Institute, the Brookings Institution, the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Presbyterian (Christian) Council, the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), Search for Common Ground (SFCG), the Pew Research Center, and the United States Institute for Peace in order to build a common platform for Muslim-West advocacy.
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Cordoba Initiative Newsletter - September 2010
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf Speaks OutSince 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.
Listen to the July 16 interview here
Bloomberg Remarks at Iftar Dinner“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.”
-Mayor Bloomberg
Read full article here
CI News Archive
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