Jeffery Goldberg at the Atlantic knows Imam Rauf, is sure Imam Rauf is not an extremist and today he proves it.
Per Goldberg:
In 2003, Imam Rauf was invited to speak at a memorial service for Daniel Pearl, the journalist murdered by Islamist terrorists in Pakistan. The service was held at B'nai Jeshurun, a prominent synagogue in Manhattan, and in the audience was Judea Pearl, Daniel Pearl's father. In his remarks, Rauf identified absolutely with Pearl, and identified himself absolutely with the ethical tradition of Judaism. "I am a Jew," he said.
Goldberg links to the speech Rauf gave at the memorial for Daniel Pearl after Pearls murder. Below is the pertinent extract.
We are here to assert the Islamic conviction of the moral equivalency of our Abrahamic faiths. If to be a Jew means to say with all one's heart, mind and soul Shma` Yisrael, Adonai Elohenu Adonai Ahad; hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One, not only today I am a Jew, I have always been one, Mr. Pearl.
If to be a Christian is to love the Lord our God with all of my heart, mind and soul, and to love for my fellow human being what I love for myself, then not only am I a Christian, but I have always been one Mr. Pearl.
And I am here to inform you, with the full authority of the Quranic texts and the practice of the Prophet Muhammad, that to say La ilaha illallah Muhammadun rasulullah is no different.
It expresses the same theological and ethical principles and values
I agree with Goldbergs sentiment that this is proof of Rauf's moderation:
That any Muslim imam who stands before a Jewish congregation and says, "I am a Jew," is placing his life in danger. Remember, Islamists hate the people they consider apostates even more than they hate Christians and Jews. In other words, the man many commentators on the right assert is a terrorist-sympathizer placed himself in mortal peril in order to identify himself with Christians and Jews, and specifically with the most famous Jewish victim of Islamism.
It is nothing short of stunning, he knows it is a sentiment that puts him in danger, that drives the fanatics crazy, he also knows it is right. I disagree a little that it is an unusual thing to hear an Imam say. Growing up, this was the same message I was given at Mosque. One that seeks to highlight our similarities, one that seeks to further understanding.
Anyway, I think it is important people see who Imam Rauf really is, and Jeffery Goldberg has helped us see more clearly today.
Edit: Just to add some thoughts:
Nine years is not a long time. But we have to start somewhere. People who eschew hate in favor of love are who we should be turning to. I, as a Muslim, understand the heat this whole debacle has created. But if we don't start to create light instead of heat we never move forward. When do we begin to heal? If this man can, two blocks from Ground Zero, under the protection of the Constitution, start to preach a message of love, of tolerance and can turn young Muslims away from extremism and towards integration, then i think more than just allowing him to, we should support him. Yes nine years is not long ago, and our memories of that day are still vivid and horrifying, but if not now, when? If not people like Rauf, who?
Just my thoughts.
Edit: Thanks to Sara R in the comments for this video. Rauf gave a talk at TED on Compassion and Ego. It is 16 Minutes long, i just finished it. Certainly after watching it you understand why THIS man has been used by the State Department under both Bush and Obama to promote America to the Muslim world. I wouldn't normally post a video of a sermon, and i only add it here as further proof of the real, benign, elegant and somewhat beautiful message of this particular Imam, and proof of how insane Pamela Geller is.