Arrival of Umrah pilgrims will start on June 11 as Saudi Arabia announces calendar for next Umrah season    Yemeni national arrested in Makkah for promoting fake Hajj campaign    Disney unveils its most advanced resort yet with a record-breaking spectacle on Yas Island    Women own half of restaurants and hotels in Saudi Arabia    IATA: Aviation sector contributes SR340 billion to Saudi economy    TGA official: Riyadh will see launch of self-driving taxis soon    Pakistan and India trade accusations as tensions escalate    Vladimir Putin welcomes China's Xi Jinping in Moscow ahead of Victory Day    Iran denies involvement in alleged terror plot against Israel's UK embassy    Denmark summons US ambassador over Greenland spying report    Saudi, Italian culture ministers meet in Venice to discuss advancing cultural cooperation    Sotheby's halts Buddha jewels auction after India threat    Salem Al-Dossary hat-trick powers Al Hilal to wild 5-3 win over Al Raed    Al Ittihad stun Al Nassr with dramatic 3-2 comeback in Saudi Pro League thriller    Saudi Arabia to host Munich Security Conference leaders' meeting in AlUla in late 2025    Alfadley announces ministry's full readiness to ensure environmentally safe Hajj    Saudi Arabia to showcase cultural renaissance at 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale    Ministry of Education approves mandatory Saudi uniform for public school students    Nissan Formula E Team's stellar performance at Monaco E-Prix, securing a win, a second place and a pole position    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Abu Omar secures spot at Team Falcons x Fatal Fury: Road to Pro tournament    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Ground Zero center
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 24 - 08 - 2010

If Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf has his way, the tensions building over the location of an Islamic cultural center two blocks from the World Trade Center site in New York will bear fruits for interfaith understanding in America. It is an attitude that is both peculiarly American, i.e. turning misfortune into success, and much-needed as part of Islam's presentation of itself to the West. The attention focused on the issue has already cleared several misunderstandings – about Muslims and Islam in the public realm.
The Imam is the driving force behind the cultural center and he has become a part of the American vernacular over the past few weeks as information and misinformation about him have flooded the American media. Much of the initial press was negative as the right-wing sought to make an issue of the cultural center. Over time, more truth has been told, but the American right has a tradition of clinging to beliefs far after their validity has been destroyed.
Still, the Imam is correct to attempt to use the controversy as a means of educating non-Muslim Americans about the meaning and spirit of Islam. He must also find a way to use the interfaith meeting in Madrid organized by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, as a means of furthering the message of Islam.
Originally, the controversy near the WTC site was a local issue. Opportunistic politicians and a national news media starved for an August story fueled the issue right into the nightly news, and now the entire US is talking about it.
It is understandable why some have misgivings about the center being located so close to Ground Zero. But it is understandable only when one accepts the ignorance behind those misgivings. So, the good Imam from New York has his work cut out for him. The cultural center is a good first step. __


Clic here to read the story from its source.