Imam Feisal Calls On Moderates From All Faiths To Combat Extremists

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Chairman of the Cordoba Initiative also known as the “9-11 Imam”, addressed a packed room at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York today.

“The events of the past weeks have really saddened me to my very core. I regret that some have misunderstood our intentions.”

Feisal added that harmful stereotypes and the heated political climate ahead of the elections have compounded the stresses surrounding the construction of PARK 51, the Muslim community center near the World Trade Center site. He offered his heartfelt sympathy and prayers to the victims of 9-11 and their families.

He also thanked President Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for speaking out against religious intolerance.

“My goal here today is to reach out to my brothers and sisters of different faiths in America… And second, to reach out to my Muslim brothers and sisters all over the world to explain and share my love of America.”

He described his arrival to the states in 1968 and identified himself as an “American” and a “New Yorker.” 

“Every religion in the world has extremists…Sadly, Islam is one of them. But let me clear ladies and gentlemen, Islam categorically rejects the killing of innocent people.”

Feisal underscored the number of lives of Muslims who were also killed in the September 11 attacks. He urged the international community to understand how American Muslims have and continue to enrich American society. He also called on moderates from every religion to create a coalition to prevent extremists from “hijacking” the media and the true religious cause.