(no subject)
A few months ago I read a book titled What’s Right With Islam Is What’s Right With America. It struck me as a deeply wise book, full of insights into the best and worst aspects of both American and Muslim culture. Along with much historical and theological reflection, it calls for a new “Cordoba Initiative” to improve relations between Islam and the West, named after the time when all the Abrahamic traditions interwove creatively in Spain. The book made me want to meet its author, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, but he lives in New York City so I thought such a meeting unlikely any time in the near term.
Now Imam Abdul Rauf is a figure of controversy because his congregation wants to build an expanded community center and worship space near their existing building, which is near the World Trade Center location. Many people have been engaging in fear-mongering about this “mosque at ground zero.” Such people are, it seems to me, profoundly ignorant about Abdul Rauf and acting in ways that will increase tensions with Muslims both inside and outside the United States.
I have wanted to help in some way, but I haven’t had any idea how to do so. Now there’s a little thing - MoveOn is circulating a petition in support of Obama’s coming out in support of freedom of religion, a stance for which he has been harshly criticized. Please consider signing this petition at http://pol.moveon.org/freedomofreligion.
We need, I think, to support freedom of worship in this country. And we also need to support Muslim leaders like Imam Abdul Rauf, who is trying to help Muslim immigrants become good Americans and trying to heal some of the hurt between Muslims and America.
Now Imam Abdul Rauf is a figure of controversy because his congregation wants to build an expanded community center and worship space near their existing building, which is near the World Trade Center location. Many people have been engaging in fear-mongering about this “mosque at ground zero.” Such people are, it seems to me, profoundly ignorant about Abdul Rauf and acting in ways that will increase tensions with Muslims both inside and outside the United States.
I have wanted to help in some way, but I haven’t had any idea how to do so. Now there’s a little thing - MoveOn is circulating a petition in support of Obama’s coming out in support of freedom of religion, a stance for which he has been harshly criticized. Please consider signing this petition at http://pol.moveon.org/freedomofreligion.
We need, I think, to support freedom of worship in this country. And we also need to support Muslim leaders like Imam Abdul Rauf, who is trying to help Muslim immigrants become good Americans and trying to heal some of the hurt between Muslims and America.