The world is reeling from a terror attack on a mosque in Egypt, which killed over 300 people. The mosque was targeted by extremists because it was a Sufi mosque. In this piece in the Washington Post, Imam Feisal explains what Sufism is and why that made the mosque a target of terror.
“[Sufism] is nothing more than the spiritual dimension” – Imam Feisal in the New York Times
In the wake of the deadly terror attack on a Sufi mosque in Egypt, which killed over 300 people, the world is asking why this mosque was targeted by extremists. In this article in the New York Times, Imam Feisal explains that Sufism is “…nothing more than the spiritual dimension… It is Islam, but we focus on meditation, on chanting sessions, which enable the Muslim to have his or her heart open. The myths people have about Sufis are analogous to the myths people have about Muslims.” Imam Feisal adds that the attack in Egypt was “a major sin.” Read the full article at the link below.
How Interfaith Solidarity Can Help Defeat the Evil of Terrorism
In this op-ed in the New York Daily News, Imam Feisal responds to the horrific terror attack in New York City, asserting that the United States is founded on principles of faith, which unite us as Americans and help keep us focused on higher ideals. And, when we focus on the values we share, our differences become far less important.
“…Americans need reminding that a natural religious law grounds our Republic. That fact should stop terrorists in their tracks. ‘One Nation Under God’ is not an empty phrase.
Taken to heart, it elevates us to that place of God above us. We look down upon our violent aggressions with regret. The distance from our neighbor shrinks. We’ve opened to a love we didn’t know we could feel…”
Imam Feisal: One of the Faces of New York’s Religious Plurality
Imam Feisal was included in New York Magazine‘s list of 50 New York interfaith leaders, celebrating the city’s religious diversity! Check out the full portrait series at the link below.
Op-Ed by Imam Feisal: The American Fear of Sharia Law
In this op-ed in the New York Daily News, Imam Feisal argues that the fear of Sharia law in the United States is baseless, both because the First Amendment protects against the establishment of religious laws and because, like Christians, Jews, and other faiths groups, Muslims already are able to engage with religious laws in limited aways, for instance through marriage ceremonies that are both religious and civil. Imam Feisal points to Israel as an example of a nation whose civil laws integrate with Sharia without conflict. Additionally, Imam Feisal states that there is no inherent conflict between American law and values and Sharia, as they are based on the same principles.
“…Muslim jurists have long reflected on the objectives, or purposes, of Islamic law. These include what Thomas Jefferson called life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Islamic law parses the pursuit of happiness into freedom of mind, religion, property, family and dignity.
Jefferson would not object. Originally, it was the right to property, not the pursuit of happiness, that he wanted to guarantee all Americans.
Contrary to the right-wing caricature, sharia does not presume to replace American law. It agrees with its underlying values and promotes them…”
