Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf: Build the Mosque or Be Attacked

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the man who insists on building a mosque at Ground Zero, was interviewed by Soledad O'Brien last night on Larry King Live.

Even though most Americans oppose the location of the mosque, Rauf is not reconsidering his plans. In fact, he's amped up his rhetoric.

The latest from Rauf boils down to this: If that mosque is not built at his chosen location, we'll be attacked.

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Transcript

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: When did you settle upon this location, which is just about two blocks north of Ground Zero, for your new Islamic cultural center? Why that particular spot?

IMAM FEISAL ABDUL RAUF: Well, first, I must remind everybody that I have been imam of a mosque just 10 blocks from that spot, 12 blocks from Ground Zero. I've been serving that community and that neighborhood for the last quarter of a century.

When 9/11 happened, we couldn't reach our mosque in the Tribeca area. You know, and finally we came back. There was flower, letters. We're part of this community. I've served this community. And this is a community that I have worked for so long. And is important for us as Muslims, as Muslims who are in Lower Manhattan, to want to give back to the city and the country that's given us so much.

O'BRIEN: So why that particular spot?

RAUF: Well, what happened was Sharif Gamal, the owner of Soho Properties, a member of my congregation, has noticed how our -- the need for prayer space has expanded. He felt a commitment to do something for his community. And he found this particular building. And he negotiated it, acquired it, and offered it for us to use and to establish a center that would be the space for a vision that I've had for over a decade, or 15, almost 20 years, which is to establish a space which embodies the fundamental beliefs that we have as Jews, Christians, and Muslims, which is to love our god and to love our neighbor, to build a space where we'll have a culture of worship. And at the same time, get to know each other and to forge personal bonds because that's how society, how community, is built, and how we can create something that will snowball to push back against the radical discourse that has just hijacked the discourse in our country and in much of the world.

O'BRIEN: What's been created has snowballed a little bit. There's a lot of anger and hostility at that site. And there are many people who have said, why not just go somewhere else?

RAUF: I understand the sensitivity of the people. I really do. And I'm very, very concerned about it. We've reached out and are still reaching out to 9/11 families.

O'BRIEN: Did you reach out to them before?

RAUF: Yes.

O'BRIEN: To all the families?

RAUF: Not to all the families, but to as many as we could reach, especially those who are very concerned about this issue.

O'BRIEN: Before you started the proposal?

RAUF: No, not before we started, but once this thing happened. I need to remind the audience that this story first broke last December in "The New York Times." It was a front page article in "The New York Times." And no one objected. This controversy only began in May. And it began as a result of some politicians, who decided to use this for certain political purposes. And this is when it began to snowball, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: So you think it's been politicized?

RAUF: Absolutely. This is very dangerous and tragic for two reasons.

Reason number one is that it goes against the fundamental American principle of separation of church and state. This concept of separation of religion and politics or church and state has a wisdom behind it. And the purpose behind it is not to politicize religion. Because when you politicize religion, it is dangerous.

O'BRIEN: But ultimately, when you look at the polls, something like 71 percent of Americans think that even though there's a right to build there, a center that will include a mosque and other things, which we'll talk about in a minute, the wisdom of it may not be there.

RAUF: Well, here's the--

O'BRIEN: Is that political?

RAUF: Well, here--

O'BRIEN: Or is that just people saying it's sensitivity wise, it's the wrong thing to do?

RAUF: I am extremely concerned about sensitivity. But I also have a responsibility. If we move from that location, the story will be that the radicals have taken over the discourse. The headlines in the Muslim world will be that Islam is under attack. And I'm less concerned about the radicals in America than I'm concerned about the radicals in the Muslim world.

O'BRIEN: But isn't that also saying you're less concerned about the voices of opposition here?

RAUF: And if we do -- no, no, no, no. I'm sorry, I don't mean it that way. I meant it, the danger from the radicals in the Muslim world to our national security, to the national security of our troops.

I have a niece who works in the Army and served in Iraq. The concern for American citizens who live and work and travel overseas will increasingly be compromised if the radicals are strengthened. And if we do move, it will strengthen the argument of the radicals to recruit, their ability to recruit, and their increasing aggression and violence against our country.

O'BRIEN: There are Ground Zero families that I've spoken to who are on all sides of the debate. I mean, they're not of one voice, as you well know. They've said, but what about me? I can't find my son's body. And they want to build a mosque on a spot where he might be.

RAUF: Well, first of all, this is not the -- this is not that spot. This is not Ground Zero proper. This is--

O'BRIEN: It's two blocks.

RAUF: Yes. No one's body is in that location. I'm very sensitive to those feelings. As an imam, as any religious person does, we have to minister to the pain and hurt of our congregations and our ministry and our communities. And it is part of our intention.

This is why we're reaching out more to 9/11 families. We would like to have a memorial in this center for 9/11 families. Congregations and our ministry and our communities. And it is part of our intention. This is why we're reaching out to 9/11 families. We would like to have a memorial in this center for 9/11 families. We have not finalized all our plans yet. We are willing to sit down and engage and do something that will help us heal. You cannot heal a trauma by walking away from it. We have to sit down. We have to talk about it. We have to dialogue about it and find a way to move through it and beyond it.

Suddenly, Rauf is concerned about our national security. He says that moving the mosque will mean radicals will have a recruitment tool because the headlines in the Muslim world will read that Islam is under attack.

In terms of sensitivity to the voices of opposition, Rauf says, "I'm less concerned about the radicals in America than I'm concerned about the radicals in the Muslim world."

So, a mosque in that location is necessary to avoid increasing violence against our troops and our country.

That's a sleazy threat, an attempt to make the vast majority of Americans against the mosque there feel guilty. It's an effort to make Americans give in to the demands of radicals.

To me, that's not a winning argument.

If anything, Rauf is providing a reason to move it.