Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf has worked tirelessly to improve relations between the Muslim world and the West. He made that evident being at the forefront of the controversial Park51 “Ground Zero Mosque,” a Muslim community center blocks away from the World Trade Center. Not to mention his fighting against the rash of Islamaphobia that spread across the nation in its aftermath, most notably from Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who proposed a “Burn the Koran Day” at his church.
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As we continue to witness the aftermath of the Osama bin Laden killing, the Imam has expressed his thoughts on how we should look at the world, after the demise of the most wanted man in the world.
In a recent Huffington Post blog, the Imam outlined what we can do as a community to make the world a more peaceful place. As the Imam wrote, “The demise of Osama bin Laden, coinciding with the wave of revolutions in the Arab world, is a hopeful milestone.” He is correct, the face of terrorism is gone and the recent uprisings in the Arab world are important breakthroughs of change and progression.
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When it came to President Obama the Imam stated, “As our president reminded us, Bin Laden did not represent Islam. The Quran explicitly states that no soul shall be responsible for the sins of another.” Islam is a religion of peace and as we watched the President deliver his announcement on Bin Laden’s death, he made it clear that Bin Laden did not represent all Muslims or Islam.
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The Imam’s most compelling statement comes when he discusses faith. He states, “I join my fellow human beings of all faith communities in praying for a more peaceful world to come.” If the world is to become a better place everyone, not one person, has to work together no matter their race, religion or gender.
