REUTERS: The New York imam whose proposed Muslim cultural center and mosque near "Ground Zero" has stirred opposition is embarking on a U.S. speaking tour where he intends to correct misperceptions about his aims.
"The sentiment around Muslims and Islam, about who we are and what we are about, is something that cannot wait and must be dealt with," Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf said.
"We want to make it clear who we are and where we stand," he said. "We are part of this narrative for the worse, and we need to be part of it for the better."
But opponents say Rauf's debut in Detroit on Saturday before the Islamic Society of North America is indicative of his extremism, and his tour of universities and religious institutions amounts to blatant fund-raising for a widely condemned project. >>> Andrew Smith, Chicago | Thursday, January 13, 2011
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