Feisal Abdul Rauf, Imam At Islamic Cultural Center Near Ground Zero, A Voice For Moderation

New York Times:

In recent weeks, Mr. Abdul Rauf has barely been heard from as a national political debate explodes over his dream project, including, somewhere in its planned 15 stories, a mosque. Opponents have called his project an act of insensitivity, even a monument to terrorism.

In his absence -- he is now on another Middle East speaking tour sponsored by the State Department -- a host of allegations have been floated: that he supports terrorism; that his father, who worked at the behest of the Egyptian government, was a militant; that his publicly expressed views mask stealth extremism. Some charges, the available record suggests, are unsupported. Some are simplifications of his ideas. In any case, calling him a jihadist appears even less credible than calling him a United States agent.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[M Miles]

11:36 PM on 08/23/2010

Moderate?

http://bigpeace.com/files/2010/08/http___174.132.114.190_arkdev__qcontent_shariah-index-project.pdf

[realitytrumpsbull]

02:39 AM on 08/23/2010

I think that the place is a good idea, but there's going to be controversy about it, no matter how they go about it. But, if you look in the picture, the guy is wearing a suit, not wearing a bandana, not shaking his fist, burning an American flag, holding an RPG launcher, a political message banner, or one of the many other treasured Islam-associated images we've been shown in the past.
Could it honestly be, that the worm has turned, finally, in the middle east, and that people will stop abusing this faith as a political vehicle? Time alone will tell if it will again serve as an ideological vehicle. The Crusades are over, if we, as a world community, can reason together, as among civilized people, as adults, to resolve social and political problems in the proper venue, and permit people of faith to pursue that faith independent of agendas, also in the proper venue, then the interests of all will be served. But, one of the things to consider about Islam is that it is hosted in a theocratic country, where people see religion and government as one and the same.

[kenhamlett]

11:51 PM on 08/22/2010

I am a New Yorker and am quite interested in the trip by the Imam. On his trip to the various Arab nations, he will speak only to male audiences, since women in those countries are not permitted to participate in gatherings of this type. During his trip, there are certain topics that he will not mention. For example, he will not mention the oppression of women and the restrictions place on women's dress, activities and education. He will not discuss with his audiences their imprisonment and execution of people for being homosexual. He will not mention female castration at a young age or the appropriateness of arranged marriages for young girls. He will not discuss the second class status given in those countries to Palestinians. Why will he be silent? Because he will want to show sensitivity and respect for his audiences and their countries. Then, he will come back to the city where he and I live, and his ability to show sensitivity will have ended. Here, as he has done already, he will demand that the Cordoba Mosque be built exactly as he wants, with no consideration to the wishes of the other people living here. He will not want to consider that as a gay man, I will not even be allowed to enter the Mosque or the complex surrounding it. Perhaps the Imam needs to be reminded that his fellow Americans would welcome the same kind of sensitivity he shows to Arab nations!

[StevenWells]

12:32 AM on 08/23/2010

I'd think one would be grateful to reside in a nation free of the constraints you cite in those countries where Rauf has spoken.

And if I were he, I'd question why sensitivity need be shown to those who insist on treating me as though I were no different from the criminal extremists who attacked nine years ago.

If, on the other hand, NY residents - or any Americans - realize that Rauf, also an American citizen, has absolutely nothing to do with those criminals, what is there for them to be sensitive about, and why should he or the location of his facility be an issue?

[Jan Allen McDaniel]

06:03 AM on 08/23/2010

"And if I were he, I'd question why sensitivity need be shown to those who insist on treating me as though I were no different from the criminal extremists who attacked nine years ago."

I don't know what school of Isamic jurisprudence Imam Rauf considers binding in his practice of Islam, but all four Sunni schools have the same laws about jihad. Bin Laden quoted many of them in justification.

Imam Rauf has repudiated none of them.

[SadButWiser]

03:30 AM on 08/23/2010

Please do not confuse Saudi Arabia with the rest of Arab countries. In addition, the Arab Muslim world does not constitute more than 30 Muslims world. Do not forget, the world largest 3 Muslim countries had woman as Presidents and Prime Ministers. You cannot say this about the USA yet. Of course until, bless her soul, President Palin takes over.

[SadButWiser]

03:37 AM on 08/23/2010

I meant 30% of the Muslim world.

[scampy123]

11:09 PM on 08/22/2010

Obama should stand up and say to potential muslim suicide bombers, there aint no virgins for you nutters who are thinking of blowing yourselves up,get a life?
That would prove he is christian?

[check back]

10:45 PM on 08/22/2010

I don't understand what the big deal is. America has been building 'Ground Zeros' next to mosques for years.

[namdlogd]

11:15 AM on 08/23/2010

ba-zing!

[Jan Allen McDaniel]

10:07 PM on 08/22/2010

Sometimes the essence of a large-scale ideological struggle can be condensed.

One of the experts advising the Iraqis on the contents of their new constitution was the American law professor, Noah Feldman. This is Kareem Fahim quoting Dr. Feldman on his contributions to the Iraqi Constitution in the Village Voice, 6/22/04:

"I was trying to influence the issue I cared most about. This document would have to fully acknowledge the role of Islam and its compatibility with democracy," he said. "This was a new idea to the CPA people. Most had the idea that any democracy had to be secular. I'm proud of that provision. It's totally original language. I hope that will be the lasting legacy of that document."

Here is what he came up with:

“Article 2
1st Islam is the official religion of the state and is a basic source of legislation.
a. No law can be passed that contradicts the undisputed rules of Islam.
b. No law can be passed that contradicts the principles of democracy.

Now Imam Rauf is attempting to exercise the same influence in America:

"What Muslims want is to ensure that their secular laws are not in conflict with the Quran or the Hadith, the sayings of Muhammad."

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/feisal_abdul_rauf/2009/04/time_to_update_islamic_law.html

[lj9283]

11:03 PM on 08/22/2010

And how is what you have quoted from Feisal Abdul Rauf any different from a quote you would here regarding secular laws in relationship to Catholic teachings, other Christian teaching or Jewish religious teaching?

All believers in their faiths do not want secular laws to conflict their religious beliefs.

Religions do not govern this country, although Christians seem to believe it is their destiny to turn the United States in a Christian State,

[Ergon]

10:51 AM on 08/23/2010

Jan's getting increasingly non-sequiturish and O/T, but here goes: The Head of State of the United Kingdom, the monarch, HAS to be a member in good standing of the Church of England. So what?

[Cacey]

10:03 PM on 08/22/2010

What I find amazing is all the lah de dah from the right, the Fox viewers and the igrnorant attacking a Cultural Center, an expansion of a Mosque serving Americans by birth or naturalization in a redevelopment area of New York when nothing has been said about the expansion of WalMarts, McDonalds and used car lots on what is truly hollowed ground, American Civil War Battle Sites. To even allow a statute of Robert E. Lee on the grounds of Gettysberg simply amazes me.

[GeoNorth]

09:23 PM on 08/22/2010

This is the Muslim that the Bushies were looking for...and put to work in an outreach program with the State Department. For the last ten years, we heard people saying that they want to find a moderate Muslim to speak against poisoned minds of the terrorist factions within. And now because it is politically expedient, they throw him under the bus for a few votes. And amazingly, they'll get some.

[Tlaltecuhtli02]

09:14 PM on 08/22/2010

Resolution of this issue is easy. Note the following quoted sections taken directly from the Cordoba Initiative and Park51's website. It is full of the language of PLURALISM and MULTI-FAITH COLLABORATION and SHARED VISIONS.

Nice ideas if you can get it. Can we make this fancy talk real?

The way to solve this issue is to make this a truly MULTI-FAITH community center with holy spaces for the 3 Abrahamic faiths: J_udaic, M_uslim and C_hristian.

~
Cordoba Initiative Vision
“Park51 WILL BE DEDICATED TO PLURALISM, service, arts and culture, education and empowerment, appreciation for our city and a deep respect for our planet.”
http://www.park51.org/vision.htm

“Both Imam Feisal and his wife Ms. Khan (the Executive Director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, ASMA) are strong advocates FOR MULTI-FAITH COLLABORATION. They share a vision of a community center in which VARIOUS RELIGIOUS LEADERS and civil society will work closely together to foster community cohesion and advance the shared goals of moderation, peace and understanding. Through programs offered by the Cordoba Initiative and ASMA, the community center will crystallize THIS SHARED VISION OF PEACE into bricks and mortar.”
http://www.cordobainitiative.org/?q=content/frequently-asked-questions

PLURALISM, MULTI-FAITH, and religious SHARED VISIONS cannot truly be when only one faith has a holy space...

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro]

09:33 PM on 08/22/2010

Great Idea.

Can the Muslims and Buddists move into St. Pat's Cathedral too?

[Tlaltecuhtli02]

09:48 PM on 08/22/2010

Trite reply. Please see my next post in this series to get an argument that justifies this action at THIS SITE.

In short, the point is that religious radicalism in the world's three big monotheisms is rejected and recognized as extremely dangerous by the most heinous act ever committed by Muslims on 9_1_1

[StevenWells]

12:36 AM on 08/23/2010

Apparently, you're unaware that on the board along with Muslims are also Christians and Jews.

[adevarul]

07:04 PM on 08/22/2010

Will Mr. Rauf's YMCA/Mosque be gay friendly, ordain a female as imam, permit worshipers not only Christians and Jews to pray there, but Hindus and Buddhists (non "religions of the book") denounce Islamic supremacy and unequivocally condemn without reservation ALL violence associated with religion? If so, that center needs to be built ASAP! But we all know that's not what we are talking about. Prove me wrong Mr. Rauf, and I'll be the biggest supporter of this Mosque.

[GeoNorth]

09:25 PM on 08/22/2010

Maybe. Maybe not. But the question is not germane to this argument.

[Red Crow]

06:36 PM on 08/22/2010

1. It's not even a Mosque !

2. It's not even at Ground Zero !

3. There is already an Islamic Community Center 4 blocks away, this would be 2 blocks away from one corner of the giant hole. + There's over 100 Mosques already in NYC.

4. This is closer to an Islamic YMCA/Chef school than anything, with a swimming pool, basketball court, auditorium, culinary center and yes a prayer room.

5. There is already a strip club and a sex toy shop 2 blocks from the "sacred" ground zero. Plus liquor stores and a peep show ...
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/08/16/2010-08-16_a_sea_of_filth_near_ground_zer0_mosque_gets_all_the_press_but_porns_around_corne.html#ixzz0wpmc8VYR

6. There are Christian churches in Hiroshima & Nagasaki, cities nuked by Christians.

7. Timothy McVeigh was raised as a Christian ... why not ban all Churches in Oklahoma City then?

8. Even Tehran, Iran allows for Synagogues to be built, and in fact has 4 of them!

9. WTC # 2 actually had a Muslim prayer room in it, and Muslims died on 9/11 in the towers as well

10. The Pentagon (also attacked on 9/11) has had in Mosque within its walls since 9/11 - for Muslims who work in the Pentagon ...
http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/08/05/muslims_infiltrate_pentagon

[RuthlessDictator]

07:03 PM on 08/22/2010

Welcome to Hypocrite America!

[2bad]

08:54 PM on 08/22/2010

You're wasting your "breath"! The bigots have made up their minds and don't care about the rights of others and don't mind painting the entire Muslim world for the actions of a few.

[Jan Allen McDaniel]

06:11 PM on 08/22/2010

"As he talked of reconciliation between America and Middle Eastern Muslims — his voice soft, almost New Agey — some questioners were so suspicious that he felt the need to declare that he was not an American agent."

What a strange and revealing situation for an American citizen to be in.

Try to imagine an American member of any other religion being in a similar situation. I understand that he was declaring that he was not representing the American government, but the terminology is evocative.

The negative attitude of the audience--in a country that received $1.5 billion in aid from America in 2009--was so intense that Imam Rauf needed to assert his independence.

Imam Rauf suffers from divided loyalties. We are trusting him in a situation where I would prefer to see someone with undivided loyalties. Someone who would present the United States as a model for Islamic countries, not as a country that can be made safe for Islam with some minor adjustments in its judiciary.

I say we are doing just fine. Islam needs to change.

I doubt that is Imam Rauf's message.

[edgarcaycedoc]

05:57 PM on 08/22/2010

It's their property. They can build what they want. It is not "Ground Zero" and it is not a "mosque."

[Bubba1231]

06:39 PM on 08/22/2010

Im a New Yorker. I went to the site. It is WAY too close to the footprint. Period. It is completely disrespecrtful and was CLEARLY done to send a message. Yes they CAN build where they want and a German businessman CAN buikld an amusement center ner Auschwitz. Doesn't make it right.

[BigRex]

06:50 PM on 08/22/2010

two (2) blocks is too close...how about three (3) blocks? And just out of curiosity...if you're blaming all muslims I suppose you'll also support making it such that no muslim is allowed to even set foot at Ground Zero.

[RuthlessDictator]

07:08 PM on 08/22/2010

No Ground-Zero Mosques!

Umm...a porn shop there is A-OK! ;)

[Ergon]

05:56 PM on 08/22/2010

Imam Rauf, a voice for moderation;
Pam Geller, who singlehandedly started the demos against the mosque, is on the other hand,
-employed by Breitbart (nuf said)
-says Pres. Obama was fathered by Malcolom X
-Blacks are committing "genocide" against Whites in South Africa http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/south-africa-genocide-of-white-south-africans/
-Defends Serb war criminals
-Writes for Israeli settler news media.
And seems to have a hate on for the president: http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/about.html
"Atlas has broken numerous important stories -- notably the questionable and illegal foreign sources of some of the financing of the Obama campaign , the anti-Semitic posts on Obama's website, Obama's political organizing in public school classrooms, ACORN's destruction of Republican voter registrations, and many more"

Always good to check the Republican sources of the hatemongers.

[freethinkergirl]

07:36 PM on 08/22/2010

Point on!!!! Fanned!!! #377

Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin have led the barrage, battling to see who can stoke the most outrage among the Republican base. The hypocrisy of this particular breed of conservative is particularly odious.

They've consistently trashed New York as a bastion of elitism and "un-Americanism" yet now expect their opinion on a local matter to matter. They squawk about smaller government and states' rights but condemn city leaders making local decisions while suggesting the federal government invoke eminent domain to stop the mosque in its tracks.

They claim to care about the people directly affected by 9/11 but opposed the bill providing financial aid to now-ailing 9/11 first responders.

[worker beenumbed]

05:43 PM on 08/22/2010

The Muslims could consider ripping the building down and leasing the land to the city as a park...with the condition that a simple stone contain a peace loving inscription from the Koran in both Arabic and English.So there would be no winter basketball in a heated gym.The location is not AT the world trde center.