Feisal Abdul Rauf

Feisal Abdul Rauf
Abdul Rauf at the 2005 World Economic Forum in Cologny, Switzerland
Born (1948-10-23) October 23, 1948 (age 76)
Kuwait
NationalityAmerican
EducationColumbia University (BS)
Stevens Institute of Technology (MS)
Occupation(s)Imam, author, landlord
Known forSponsor and director of Park51

Feisal Abdul Rauf (Arabic: فيصل عبد الرؤوف, born October 23, 1948)[1] is a Kuwaiti-born Egyptian-American Sufi[2][3] imam, author, and activist whose stated goal is to improve relations between the Muslim world and the West.[4] From 1983 to 2009, he served as Imam of Masjid al-Farah, a mosque in New York City.[5][6] He has written three books on Islam and its place in contemporary Western society, including What's Right with Islam Is What's Right with America, and founded two non-profit organizations whose stated missions are to enhance the discourse on Islam in society.

He has condemned the 9/11 attacks as un-Islamic and called on the U.S. government to reduce the threat of terrorism by altering its Middle Eastern foreign policy.[7][8] Author Karen Armstrong, among others, has praised him for his attempts to build bridges between the West and the Muslim world.[9] In 2010, Sufi Imam Rauf received national attention for his plans to build Park51, an Islamic Community Center, two blocks from Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan.[3]

  1. ^ Curtis, Edward E. (2010). Encyclopedia of Muslim-American History. ISBN 9781438130408.
  2. ^ Dalrymple, William (August 16, 2010). "The Muslims in the Middle". The New York Times. p. A27. Archived from the original on December 20, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
  3. ^ a b Corbett, Rosemary R. (2016). Making Moderate Islam: Sufism, Service, and the "Ground Zero Mosque" Controversy. Stanford University Press. ISBN 9780804791281. Archived from the original on 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
  4. ^ "People: Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf". American Society for Muslim Advancement. Archived from the original on August 25, 2010. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  5. ^ Gooch, Brad (June 23, 2009). Godtalk: travels in spiritual America – Google Books. ISBN 9780679447092. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  6. ^ Eisenberg, Carol (June 8, 2004). "Man in the middle, Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf has devoted himself to rapprochement between the Islamic world and the West". Newsday. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  7. ^ Frank Walker (March 21, 2004). "West must act to end jihad: Imam". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on May 12, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
  8. ^ "Prominent American Muslims denounce terror committed in the name of Islam". 60 Minutes. IslamForToday.com. September 30, 2001. Archived from the original on July 21, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  9. ^ Rauf, Feisal Abdul (13 October 2009). What's Right with Islam: A New Vision for Muslims and. ISBN 978-0060750626.