The leader of the controversial Islamic center near Ground Zero in New York said there was no struggle between Islam and America or between religions but the struggle lies between moderates and radicals, UAE-based the National reported Monday.
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf said rallies against the project were led by a small, vociferous minority but trusted the majority of Americans who preferred to act in the spirit of the constitution which respects the freedom of worship.
He said the debate and furor over the Park51 project – formerly known as Cordoba House, should teach Muslims in the Middle East how the freedoms of worship and the protection of religious rights are opinions are core values of the American society.
The imam is currently in a U.S. State Department-sponsored tour to Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE to promote interfaith dialogue and to discuss the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world, and Islam in America.
The planned $100 million, 13-story, glass and steel Islamic Park51 project to be located in Lower Manhattan has created a wide-national debate, with Republicans leaders such as Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich speaking against the project.
Opponents of the proposed Islamic center argue it’s insensitive to the families and memories of Sept. 11 victims to build a mosque near Ground Zero. Supporters cite freedom of religion.
Imam Feisal said Christian and Jewish leaders have spoken in support of the project and are in favor of positive, interfaith dialogue.
"However, there are also those very small, loud and vociferous voices who are beating the drum for the opposite kind of discourse. So the question becomes which discourse will dominate, not only in the short term but in the long term," he added.
Politically motivated opposition
He suggested that part of the opposition was politically motivated. "There is no doubt that the election season has had a major impact upon the nature of the discourse," he said.
Republican congressional candidates stepped up efforts to exploit the divide over Park51 in the midterm campaigns, and the Senate’s top Democrat, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, who is facing a tough re-election campaign, said he objected to the mosque being built there.
The project’s creators have also been criticized for not effectively communicating their plans to the American public but Imam Feisal rejected that criticism.
"We have been saying from the very beginning what the vision and objectives are. I’ve said it repeatedly on many television shows," he said. "But, as I said, there is a small minority that doesn’t want to hear this."