Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf
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Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is Chairman of Cordoba Initiative, having founded the organization in 2004.

In 1997, he founded the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), the first Muslim organization committed to bringing American Muslims and non-Muslims together through programs in academia, policy, current affairs, and culture. As Imam of Masjid al-Farah, a mosque located twelve blocks from Ground Zero in New York City, he preaches a message of understanding between people of all creeds. Additionally, Imam Feisal sits on the Board of Trustees of the Islamic Center of New York and serves as an advisor to the Interfaith Center of New York.

Imam Feisal has appeared regularly at the Council on Foreign Relations and the World Economic Forum (Davos). He has been interviewed by and quoted in leading print media, including BBC, CNN, New York Times, Washington Post, Frontline, and Foreign Policy. His publications include the books, Islam: A Search for Meaning, Islam: A Sacred Law (What every Muslim Should Know About the Shariah), and What's Right With Islam: A New Vision for Muslims and the West, which the Christian Science Monitor rated among its five best books of 2004; as well as articles such as “The Ideals We Share” (Newsweek, July 31, 2007) and “The End of Barbarism? The Phenomenon of Torture and the Search for the Common Good” (with Rev. Dr. William Schulz in Pursuing the Global Common Good, 2007).

Born in Kuwait and educated in England, Egypt, and Malaysia, Imam Feisal holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Columbia University in New York and a Master of Science in Plasma Physics from Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. He speaks English, Arabic and Malay.

Blog Entries by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf

Hajj: The Pilgrimage To Mecca

Posted November 1, 2011 | 11/01/11 02:50 PM ET

Here we come, O Allah, here we come!
Here we come. No partner have You.
Here we come! Praise indeed, and blessings, are Yours -- the Kingdom too!
No partner have you.

This Talbiyah, recited by more than a million Muslim pilgrims in December 1973, marked the...

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Praying for an End to the Chapter of Terrorism

Posted May 4, 2011 | 05/04/11 10:13 AM ET

9/11 created a wound that aggravated the divide between the Muslim World and the West. The demise of Osama bin Laden, coinciding with the wave of revolutions in the Arab world, is a hopeful milestone. We hope it will bring to a close the chapter of terrorism, whether committed by...

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Why I'm Honored to Be Named a Huffington Post Game Changer

Posted October 29, 2010 | 10/29/10 12:31 PM ET

Remarks from the Huffington Post Game Changers celebration.

Thank you, Arianna. And thanks also to everyone at The Huffington Post.

It is indeed an honor to be part of the extraordinary group being recognized this evening.

I would like to take to take this opportunity to thank all...

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Religious Communities Must Be Engaged in Foreign Policy

Posted February 24, 2010 | 02/24/10 06:00 PM ET

A report issued Tuesday by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs urges the U.S. government to take religious issues into consideration and to engage religious organizations in forming foreign policy.

Such a report is long overdue. Its recommendations go to the heart of what we at the Cordoba Initiative have...

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The Positive Power of Religion to Shape Policy

Posted December 29, 2009 | 12/29/09 04:13 PM ET

For decades U.S. administrations have scrupulously separated church and state. As a result, the power of religion as a partner in shaping domestic and foreign policy was lost. Yet religious organizations and the government can cooperate to achieve shared domestic and foreign policy goals without impinging on America's fundamental belief...

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What the Swiss Vote on Minarets Says to the World

Posted December 1, 2009 | 12/01/09 04:38 PM ET

On the surface, the outcome of the Swiss vote banning minarets is an issue of architecture, not religion. Minarets can be beautiful. Islam is known for inspiring outstanding architecture. The Taj Mahal in India, considered the world's most beautiful building, has four minarets. They are part of mosques built around...

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Senseless Shootings Violate Islamic Faith

Posted November 6, 2009 | 11/06/09 03:38 PM ET

I was so deeply saddened by the events at Ft. Hood, Texas, yesterday. My prayers and sympathy are with the families of those brave American soldiers who were killed and wounded in this senseless act.

What this unfortunate Army major did was against the laws of Islam, even though news...

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A Nobel Message to America

Posted October 13, 2009 | 10/13/09 12:03 AM ET

Why now? Only a few months into office, President Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Even the White House was stunned by the announcement.

Two other sitting presidents have won the prize. But Theodore Roosevelt had to broker a peace agreement to end a war between Russia and Japan...

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Religion Must Be Part of the Solution in Afghanistan

Posted October 8, 2009 | 10/08/09 05:23 PM ET

The United States has a moral responsibility to the people of Afghanistan. It is a responsibility to help them use the basic moral underpinnings of Islam to promote a free and democratic society.

In his assessment of the war, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal makes clear that simply winning battles and...

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Muslim Holidays Make Sense for New York City Schools

Posted July 8, 2009 | 07/08/09 04:42 PM ET

In New York City, Islam is the fastest growing religion as immigrants from Muslim countries combine with growing numbers of African-American Muslims.

Out of a population of 8 million, New York now has at least 600,000 Muslims, and they represent about 10 percent of the city's public school students.

Once...

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A Modest Proposal

Posted June 25, 2009 | 06/25/09 06:03 PM ET

Chalk it up to the influence of his fashion model wife, perhaps, but French President Nicolas Sarkozy seems determined to put his stamp on Muslim clothing styles.

Sarkozy apparently is responding to an unease among the French about the impact of a growing Muslim population on what had once been...

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What President Obama Should Say About Iran 's Election

Posted June 19, 2009 | 06/19/09 07:45 PM ET

President Obama said many of the right things as the turmoil surrounding the outcome of the Iranian election unfolded. After Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, spoke Friday, Obama has an opportunity to make an additional crucial point.

In his speech to the Muslim world in Cairo this month, Obama...

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Obama's Challenge to the Muslim World

Posted June 5, 2009 | 06/05/09 02:40 PM ET

The historic significance of President Obama's speech to the Muslim world in Cairo cannot be overstated.

Never before has an American president spoken to the global Muslim community. His speech marked a major shift in American foreign policy. Obama directly enlisted a religion to build global peace and to...

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What Shariah Law Is All About

Posted April 24, 2009 | 04/24/09 01:53 PM ET

We hear a lot about "firebrand" Muslim clerics calling for the installation of Shariah law. It conjures images of women being stoned and forced into hiding behind burkas and denied educations. We think of beheadings and amputations as a form of justice. And we cringe.

But it is important...

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Obama and the End of the "Clash of Civilizations"

Posted April 20, 2009 | 04/20/09 06:22 PM ET

(This article first appeared on the Washington Post/Newsweek On Faith Web site.)

President Obama reached his Muslim audience in Turkey in a way unlike any previous American president. Maybe it was his childhood in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country. Maybe it was the legacy of his Muslim father. Maybe...

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