The story of the "Ground Zero mosque," also known as the planned Islamic community center and mosque that isn't actually at Ground Zero, got a new wrinkle today. Park51, the organization behind the center, released word that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who was the public face for the center during last fall's political firestorm, is stepping down from his role (though he'll be staying on the board). Pratt graduate Imam Abdallah Adhami will be replacing Rauf as senior advisor.
Rauf and his wife, Daisy Kahn, will no longer be speaking on behalf of the project or Park51 as they are going to be focusing their attention on supporting the Cordoba Movement, an entirely separate initiative. The center explains their reasoning behind the change like this:
Due to the fact that Imam Feisal is focusing most of his energies and passion on launching this new and separate initiative, it is important that the needs of Park51, the Islamic Community Center in Lower Manhattan, take precedence. While Imam Feisal’s vision has a global scope and his ideals for the Cordoba Movement are truly exceptional, our community in Lower Manhattan is local. Our focus is and must remain the residents of Lower Manhattan and the Muslim American community in the Greater New York area.
Hence the appointment of Adhami. Meanwhile, Park51 adds that other Imams still to be announced will also be joining the board in the near future to coordinate the building's religious services. “This is an extraordinary opportunity to be a key advisor on a project going forward that has enormous creative and healing potential for the collective good in New York City and in our nation,” Adhami said in a statement.
We're sure that those Wal-Mart loving mosque-haters are going to love this.
