Let us commemorate the anniversary of 9/11 by pausing to reflect and meditate and tone down the vitriol and rhetoric that serves only to strengthen the radicals and weaken our friends’ belief in our values.
Cordoba House, aka Muslim Cultural Center, aka Muslim Mosque at Ground Zero (though in reality it is blocks away from where the World Trade Center once stood), has been re-visioned into a multi-monotheistic-faith center (Christian, Jewish, Muslim). Excerpts in this post are taken from today’s New York Times op-ed by imam and Cordoba House chairman Feisal Abdul Rauf. Do read in its entirety.
From the political conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians to the building of a community center in Lower Manhattan, Muslims and members of all faiths must work together if we are ever going to succeed in fostering understanding and peace.
At Cordoba House, we envision shared space for community activities, like a swimming pool, classrooms and a play space for children. There will be separate prayer spaces for Muslims, Christians, Jews and men and women of other faiths. The center will also include a multifaith memorial dedicated to victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.
I am very sensitive to the feelings of the families of victims of 9/11, as are my fellow leaders of many faiths. We will accordingly seek the support of those families, and the support of our vibrant neighborhood, as we consider the ultimate plans for the community center. Our objective has always been to make this a center for unification and healing.