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Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes

When I arrived in America, I experienced serious culture shock. For someone with a religious upbringing, the 1960s were an extremely difficult time. Even though religion was a big part of the civil rights and peace movements, in my college religion was treated as irrelevant, hopelessly stodgy, and behind the times Picture Quote #1

Americans must outgrow the unbecoming arrogance that leads us to assert that America somehow owns a monopoly on goodness and truth - a belief that leads some to view the world as but a stage on which to play out the great historical drama: the United States of America versus the Powers of Evil Picture Quote #1

God says in the Quran that there is only one true religion, God’s religion. It’s the same theme that God revealed to all of the prophets, even before Muhammad Picture Quote #1

We’ve got to be fair. You can’t say a place that has strip joints is sacred ground. We’ve got to be just. We’ve got to speak the truth. We’ve got to have justice for everybody. We’re a country of justice for all, not justice for non-Muslims only or some groups and not for others Picture Quote #1

I’ve spoken with friends who are rabbis and priests and we’ve agreed that most people have an emotional attachment to their faith, a desire to fulfill their spiritual longings, but they are not experts in understanding the history of their religion Picture Quote #1

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Islamic law is clearly against terrorism, against any kind of deliberate killing of civilians or similar ‘collateral damage.’ Picture Quote #1

The thing about the Islamic situation is we don’t have a church. We don’t have an ordained priesthood, which makes it a little complicated. But we do have a tradition of scholarship, and rules of scholarship. It’s very much like any field of knowledge Picture Quote #1

Koran says whoever believes in God in the last day shall be saved. It is a religion whose very name, Islam, comes from the word Shalom, which means peace. It’s about establishing peace. We greet each other with peace be upon you, which the Jews do in greeting each other Picture Quote #1

Religion is defined by the relationship between God and man. And Islam is the submission and the acknowledgment of the human being to the creator Picture Quote #1

The fundamental idea which defines a human being as a Muslim is the declaration of faith: that there is a creator, whom we call God - or Allah, in Arabic - and that the creator is one and single. And we declare this faith by the declaration of faith, where we... bear witness that there is no God but God Picture Quote #1

One of the misperceptions that exists in the Muslim world, which needs to be fixed, is the perception that Muslims in America are - are - are living in - in very, very, very bad circumstances. They cannot practice religion freely. It is not the truth at all. The fact is, we are practicing. We fast, we pray, we do our prayers Picture Quote #1

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Our enemy is not Islam. Islam is not the enemy of America; Americans are not the enemy of Islam. Our real enemy is extremism and radicalism Picture Quote #1

We tend to forget in the West that the United States has more Muslim blood on its hands than Al Qaeda has on its hands of innocent non-Muslims Picture Quote #1

What’s brilliant about the United States system of government is separation of power. Not only the executive, legislative, judicial branches, but also the independence of the military from civilians, an independent media and press, an independent central bank Picture Quote #1

There are moderates in Israel. There are moderates in Iran, there are moderates in the Republican Party, moderates in the Democratic Party. What we need to do is we need link all of these moderates together and to figure out a way by which this particular coalition can speak to important issues to marginalize the voice of the extremists Picture Quote #1

I am an American citizen born in Kuwait of Egyptian parents. I grew up in Great Britain, Malaysia, and Egypt and have lived in the United States since 1965, when I was seventeen Picture Quote #1

In Malaysia, where Western culture was extremely influential, I’d grown up listening to Elvis and the Beatles and watching American movies. People wanted to be like Americans. In contrast, when I got here, I saw prosperous middle-class American college students wanting to somehow join the Third World Picture Quote #1

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The truth is that killing innocent people is always wrong - and no argument or excuse, no matter how deeply believed, can ever make it right. No religion on earth condones the killing of innocent people; no faith tradition tolerates the random killing of our brothers and sisters on this earth Picture Quote #1

The battleground has been moderates of all faith traditions in all the countries of the world against the radicals of all faith traditions in all parts of the world Picture Quote #1

Sufis teach that we first must battle and destroy the evil within ourselves by shining upon it the good within, and then we learn to battle the evil in others by helping their higher selves gain control of their lower selves Picture Quote #1

Staying chaste until marriage, a commandment of my faith, was one of the most difficult challenges of my young life. I had a powerful sense that if I did not get a grip on my identity, my ethics, and my religion, I would go off the rails Picture Quote #1

I’ve spoken with friends who are rabbis and priests and we’ve agreed that most people have an emotional attachment to their faith, a desire to fulfill their spiritual longings, but they are not experts in understanding the history of their religion Picture Quote #1

I was completely surrounded by religion from a young time. I was taught by my father. I engaged in discussions with him and many of these scholars who visited and came around the dining table, the lunch table, and attended many lectures with my dad. And so I learned the apprentice way Picture Quote #1

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I’m not an agent from any government, even if some of you may not believe it. I’m not. I’m a peacemaker Picture Quote #1

Bigotry toward any faith community cannot have any place in civilized society anywhere in the world Picture Quote #1

We are not going to toy with our religion or any other. Nor are we going to barter. We are here to extend our hands to build peace and harmony Picture Quote #1

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When I arrived in America, I experienced serious culture shock. For someone with a religious upbringing, the 1960s were an extremely difficult time. Even though religion was a big part of the civil rights and peace movements, in my college religion was treated as irrelevant, hopelessly stodgy, and behind the times (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) The opposition tried to brand us as the ‘Ground Zero megamosque.’ The language was deliberately wordsmithed in order to arouse hostility against us. But the idea that the Jewish mayor of New York City and the president of the United States supported a mosque at Ground Zero, and took a lot of flak for it, raised their stature in the Muslim world. (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) Americans must outgrow the unbecoming arrogance that leads us to assert that America somehow owns a monopoly on goodness and truth - a belief that leads some to view the world as but a stage on which to play out the great historical drama: the United States of America versus the Powers of Evil. (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) God says in the Quran that there is only one true religion, God’s religion. It’s the same theme that God revealed to all of the prophets, even before Muhammad. (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) We’ve got to be fair. You can’t say a place that has strip joints is sacred ground. We’ve got to be just. We’ve got to speak the truth. We’ve got to have justice for everybody. We’re a country of justice for all, not justice for non-Muslims only or some groups and not for others. (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) I’ve spoken with friends who are rabbis and priests and we’ve agreed that most people have an emotional attachment to their faith, a desire to fulfill their spiritual longings, but they are not experts in understanding the history of their religion. (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) Islamic law is clearly against terrorism, against any kind of deliberate killing of civilians or similar ‘collateral damage.’ (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) The thing about the Islamic situation is we don’t have a church. We don’t have an ordained priesthood, which makes it a little complicated. But we do have a tradition of scholarship, and rules of scholarship. It’s very much like any field of knowledge. (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) Koran says whoever believes in God in the last day shall be saved. It is a religion whose very name, Islam, comes from the word Shalom, which means peace. It’s about establishing peace. We greet each other with peace be upon you, which the Jews do in greeting each other. (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) Religion is defined by the relationship between God and man. And Islam is the submission and the acknowledgment of the human being to the creator. (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) The fundamental idea which defines a human being as a Muslim is the declaration of faith: that there is a creator, whom we call God - or Allah, in Arabic - and that the creator is one and single. And we declare this faith by the declaration of faith, where we... bear witness that there is no God but God. (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) One of the misperceptions that exists in the Muslim world, which needs to be fixed, is the perception that Muslims in America are - are - are living in - in very, very, very bad circumstances. They cannot practice religion freely. It is not the truth at all. The fact is, we are practicing. We fast, we pray, we do our prayers. (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) Our enemy is not Islam. Islam is not the enemy of America; Americans are not the enemy of Islam. Our real enemy is extremism and radicalism. (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) We tend to forget in the West that the United States has more Muslim blood on its hands than Al Qaeda has on its hands of innocent non-Muslims. (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) What’s brilliant about the United States system of government is separation of power. Not only the executive, legislative, judicial branches, but also the independence of the military from civilians, an independent media and press, an independent central bank (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) There are moderates in Israel. There are moderates in Iran, there are moderates in the Republican Party, moderates in the Democratic Party. What we need to do is we need link all of these moderates together and to figure out a way by which this particular coalition can speak to important issues to marginalize the voice of the extremists (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) I am an American citizen born in Kuwait of Egyptian parents. I grew up in Great Britain, Malaysia, and Egypt and have lived in the United States since 1965, when I was seventeen (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) In Malaysia, where Western culture was extremely influential, I’d grown up listening to Elvis and the Beatles and watching American movies. People wanted to be like Americans. In contrast, when I got here, I saw prosperous middle-class American college students wanting to somehow join the Third World (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) The truth is that killing innocent people is always wrong - and no argument or excuse, no matter how deeply believed, can ever make it right. No religion on earth condones the killing of innocent people; no faith tradition tolerates the random killing of our brothers and sisters on this earth (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) The battleground has been moderates of all faith traditions in all the countries of the world against the radicals of all faith traditions in all parts of the world (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) Sufis teach that we first must battle and destroy the evil within ourselves by shining upon it the good within, and then we learn to battle the evil in others by helping their higher selves gain control of their lower selves (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) Staying chaste until marriage, a commandment of my faith, was one of the most difficult challenges of my young life. I had a powerful sense that if I did not get a grip on my identity, my ethics, and my religion, I would go off the rails (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) I’ve spoken with friends who are rabbis and priests and we’ve agreed that most people have an emotional attachment to their faith, a desire to fulfill their spiritual longings, but they are not experts in understanding the history of their religion (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) I was completely surrounded by religion from a young time. I was taught by my father. I engaged in discussions with him and many of these scholars who visited and came around the dining table, the lunch table, and attended many lectures with my dad. And so I learned the apprentice way (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) I’m not an agent from any government, even if some of you may not believe it. I’m not. I’m a peacemaker (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) Bigotry toward any faith community cannot have any place in civilized society anywhere in the world (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes) We are not going to toy with our religion or any other. Nor are we going to barter. We are here to extend our hands to build peace and harmony (Feisal Abdul Rauf Quotes)