Ground Zero mosque imam Feisal Abdul Rauf began a national speaking tour last night by urging Muslims to play a role in shaping relationships with America.
Rauf gave a speech in Detroit, saying Islam should be seen as an American religion “not an alien religion.”
The imam, who last week was given a smaller role in the Islamic center project, told about 400 people at a diversity forum that a backlash against Islam that arose from the New York City mosque plan was “triggered by a mix of race, religion and politics in America.”
“Our role now is to depoliticize our faith,” he said.
“What we do here in America, brothers and sisters, is watched by the world,” Rauf said.