Just as the mosque debate seemed to be slowly seeping out of the spotlight, Imam Feisal Abdul Rau was invited by the US State Department to, ironically, speak about America’s religious tolerance. His travels included a 15-day trip to the Arabian Gulf.
Now that he returned to the United States on Sunday and it seems the whole issue may reignite once again.
In an opinion piece published in Wednesday’s New York Times newspaper, Rauf said the debate about the center reflects American values, including “recognition of the rights of others, tolerance and freedom of worship.”
He also noted the support of President Barack Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, saying their statements send a “powerful message about what America stands for.”
Rauf said the community center will have separate prayer spaces for Muslims, Christians, Jews and those of other faiths.
“Cordoba House will be built on the two fundamental commandments common to Judaism, Christianity and Islam: to love the Lord our creator with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strength; and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We want to foster a culture of worship authentic to each religious tradition, and also a culture of forging personal bonds across religious traditions,” he wrote, adding that it “will also have a multifaith memorial to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.”
In the editorial, he explained his reasons for not speaking out more and sooner, saying he felt it would “not be right to comment from abroad.”
Rauf’s comments in the Times were among his most extensive on the Islamic center since national leaders began weighing in on the debate earlier this year.
For months, the debate has focused on whether the plans for the center would include a mosque just blocks north of where extremists destroyed the World Trade Center and killed nearly 2,800 people on Sept. 11, 2001.
Opponents say the mosque should be moved farther away out of sensitivity for the families of 9/11 victims; supporters say religious freedom should be protected. He said during the trip that he believes the protests against the center are linked to the November US elections. He also said US-Muslim relations are strained, and are being made worse by misinformation.
