The Cordoba Initiative, “founded in 2002, is a multi-faith organization whose objective is to heal the relationship between the Islamic World and America. Working through civil dialogue, policy initiatives, education, and cultural programs, the Initiative focuses on Thought, Action and Outcomes.” [1]
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Chair
John S. Bennett, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Cordoba Initiative
Courtney Erwin, Chief of Staff and Director of Programs at the Cordoba Initiativ
Josh Martin, Program Associate and Writing and Research Coordinator at the Cordoba Initiative and ASMA Society
-——— From SourceWatch
ON THE INTERNET:
www.asmasociety.org/about/b_rauf.html
www.cordobainitiative.org/who_we_are.html
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http://www.jihadwatch.org/2004/03/feisal-abdul-rauf-blames-christians.html
“Feisal Abdul Rauf blames Christians”
SNIPPET: “Feisal Abdul Rauf, a New York imam, expects us to believe that jihad warfare was started by the West and can only be ended by the West. He is therefore either concealing or ignorant of the fact that violent jihad is a developed tradition within Islam and found in core Islamic texts (including but not limited to the Qur’an, as well as Hadith and books of Islamic jurisprudence). In those it has nothing to do with the behavior of infidels. It only has to do with the fact that they are infidels. Take, for example, this quotation from the Muslim prophet Muhammad:
When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them. . . . If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizya. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah’s help and fight them. (Sahih Muslim, book 019, Number 4294)
That is offensive jihad. It is buttressed by numerous other sayings of the Prophet, by the Qur’an, and by Islamic legal scholars. But Feisal Abdul Rauf puts it all on the West, and gets invited to Australia by Premier Bob Carr.
The US and the West must acknowledge the harm they have done to Muslims before terrorism can end, says an Islamic cleric invited to Sydney by Premier Bob Carr.
New York-based Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who impressed Mr Carr at an international conference last year, arrives in Sydney today for two weeks of meetings and public talks.
Speaking from his New York mosque, Imam Feisal said the West had to understand the terrorists’ point of view.”
Posted by Robert on March 21, 2004 9:13 AM