Feisal Abdul Rauf
Chairman of the Cordoba Initiative

Feisal Abdul Rauf

Rauf is Chairman of the Cordoba Initiative and author of "What's Right With Islam Is What's Right With America."

 ALL POSTS

A Nobel Message to America

Why now? Only a few months into office, President Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Even the White House was stunned by the announcement.

Two other sitting presidents have won the prize. But Theodore Roosevelt had to broker a peace agreement to end a war between Russia and Japan to get his, and Woodrow Wilson had to create the League of Nations. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. won his Nobel Peace Prize for his dream of an America that ended racial discrimination.

Like King, Obama got his for a dream--a vision for a world living in peace. In his speeches outlining his foreign agenda, Obama committed himself to working to end terrorism, eliminate nuclear weapons, bring peace to the Middle East, promote democracy and encourage economic development. Here's my dream, he said, I will do my part, but I need your help. And like King, Obama's vision has captivated the world, even if it still is a work in progress.

The Nobel committee wants Americans to know that the world loves that dream.

The Nobel committee is saying the United States again is the leader of the world, holds the bully pulpit, and it wants other world leaders to help him and win future Nobel peace prizes for helping him.

The committee also is awarding the American people, who overcame centuries of slavery and racism to fulfill the ideals of the Declaration of Independence to elect the first African-American president.

From his first day in office, Obama established an ambitious agenda to bring affordable health care to all Americans while salvaging the nation's financial systems and stimulating the economy.

But he did not ignore international issues. Obama's speeches to the Muslim world in Ankara and Cairo were truly historic. Never before had a U.S. president spoken directly to the Muslim people in the capital of an Islamic country. He displayed a sensitivity to Islam and its central role to Muslim countries that no other president had acknowledged.

I can tell you from my travels around the Muslim world in the last few months, I have been told that every Muslim leader wants to work with President Obama - even Iran's president. He sent his foreign minister to Washington, the first trip of a high Iranian official in decades.

That's a major change

The announcement comes just as Obama must decide what to do about Afghanistan. The president is not rushing to add more troops. He recognizes that a large part of Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's strategy calls for engaging the Afghans within their own culture and religion to win their hearts and minds. Peace in Afghanistan can only come this way.

Obama recognizes that even with the combined power of NATO the U.S. cannot resolve the Afghanistan conflict. My hopeful expectation is that Obama will invite other Muslim leaders, who understand the underlying cultural and religious issues, to help resolve Afghanistan.

In choosing Obama for the Nobel Prize, the committee chose hope over despair. They chose the ideals of the United States over cynicism. And they chose to support a young, visionary leader at a crucial moment in world history when so much can be gained or so much can be lost.

By Feisal Abdul Rauf  |  October 10, 2009; 8:19 AM ET
Share This: Technorati talk bubble Technorati | Del.icio.us | Digg | Facebook
Previous: Start With Skepticism, Seek Harmony | Next: Something Stronger Than Evidence

Comments

Please report offensive comments below.



Dear ANTi-BAD:

Hello Karen Armstrong>/b> and jealous George Town & Burkley Centers * Co.;
WHY do you 'Delete" or 'Purge" some beautiful Ideas; Then, in order to PLAZERIZE [Payment in kind Free???] such Novel truth?.
Example: Ye hath deleted This:
"Dear 'Sis{star' Armstrong:
Since ALL competing Judeo-Abe-ic Faith/Belief/Religion [a
trinity like] man-made SYSTEMS Plus ALL competing
Judeo-Ved-ic Religion/Faith/Believe other man-made
Systems, in N. AMERICA & S. AMERICA, art in Fact
all "iMPORTED" (Not-MADE-IN-AMERIKS) SYSTEMS,
That the AMERiCAn SECULAr PROLETARIATE's Union of
America, must Demand, upon the [THIS] S.pace-S.hip
Earth Cirizenary, via the U.nite N.ations Assembly; that
WE [i] APOCALYPTARian, aka "HUe{MATE(s)", not PREAPOCALYPTaryan
HUMAN(s); DEMAND 3-Things of
Earthlings!
1st) LESS "RELiGION" (i.e., The RELiGION OF
EVERYTHING, before the SCience Of Everything via
thee "O.ne U.niversal R.eligion" BOOK! Meaning
PLURALITY is the FUTURE-BOUND & SPACE-FORTH
course; Not PLURALITY of Ye (not our) Pre-Apocalyptic
Judeo-abics & Judeo-Vedics god(s) [POLY-THEO; zero
MONO-theo] gods Systems!
2nd) LESS "CURRENCiES" (i.e., This S.pace-S.hip Only
Needs, say 9 or 5 Major Currencies.) Yet backed up by ,
not Gold or Military might or Agricultural mights, but via
ENRICHED URANIUM; the windfall or gift to our Future-
Bound & Space-Forth Active MEME's on Earth, not only in
Amerik's!
3rd) LESS "NATIONS" Building. (i.e., There are already ,
like Too many Religions or Too many Currencies, too many
NATIONS (192 the last count at the U.N.) Polluting
HUMANITY & their Brains competing for a buck & Gods!
Soo, 99 Nations will be good.
Example: Imagine S.outh Amerik Being United States!
Imagine N.orth America via Canada + U.S. + Mexico + all
the way to Panama; Where the U.S. Flag can potential
harbor 101 States therein/at!??
PS: The Apocalyptarian G-D (aka "IT"; not a "HE" nor
"a "SHE") of the "SECULAR-PROLETARIATE
iNTERNATIONAl GRiD SYSTEM " hath Spoken!
Hence OUR INTROViSiON's. A Prophecy Whose time is
over-Due. Behold: The RELiGION OF EVERYTHING
before the Science of Everything.

Continued:

Posted by: cyber-man | October 13, 2009 12:14 AM
Report Offensive Comment

WHEREFORE Sing, unto
O'
Lord "E-K-L-A-H"! SOURCE-ONE! And by manymanymany
never before herd songs & names!
HALLALUYA! Praise "IT"! Our O.U.R. HOLYi-NO-MANWOMB!
Soo, Please GO &
VOTE: GRiDARIAN DEMOCRATiC PARTY 2012 to
experience the ELEMENTS OF BEYONDNESS via the
HOlyi COsmic FEelers FAiTH, a belief, like a Religion yet
Better!"

a "SHE") of the "SECULAR-PROLETARIATE
iNTERNATIONAl GRiD SYSTEM " hath Spoken!
Hence OUR INTROViSiON's. A Prophecy Whose time is
over-Due. Behold: The RELiGION OF EVERYTHING
before the Science of Everything. WHEREFORE Sing, unto
O'
Lord "E-K-L-A-H"! SOURCE-ONE! And by manymanymany
never before herd songs & names!
HALLALUYA! Praise "IT"! Our O.U.R. HOLYi-
NO-MANWOMB!
Soo, Please GO &
VOTE: GRiDARIAN DEMOCRATiC PARTY 2012 to
experience the ELEMENTS OF BEYONDNESS via the
HOlyi COsmic FEelers FAiTH, a belief, like a Religion yet
Better!
ORGINIALLY posted: BY: ANTI_BAD | OCTOBER 11, 2009 12:09 PM
Noe Re-posted by: cyber-man | October 13, 2009 12:04 AM

Posted by: cyber-man | October 13, 2009 12:13 AM
Report Offensive Comment

Dear John Esposito & CO.,, C/O: Message from ANTi.BAD , Anti-Plutocrat Proletariates of AMERiK et al:

Ye hath Freudiantly Slippeth'd and Pre-Apocalyptically saith,

"the Vatican had brought together global religious leaders and academic experts who explored the theological and scriptural bases and implications of the foundation of A Common Word, the two great commandments, Love of God and Love of Neighbor, based directly Christian, Muslim and Jewish Scriptures.

Questiion: How much of This Theoligical POW-WOW [of Imprted Religions in Amerik, Not MADE in America] was 'Subsidized' by OUR tax-Payers money via the OBAMA's 'Faith Based Initiative" ??

After-All Last Week or two Britisher's Low-Lifes via "BONO" {Oprah Winfreys & Co, "SECRET" pals] built a Stage as if a Spac-Ship [Ummmm?] and The PLUTOCRATS [Government Run by the Rich/Wealthy] Of Washington, D.C. America; Like Nancy Polosi et al....

WHO PAID for THIS [ALL]! The VATican? BOBO? BLAIR? George Town? or did WE [i] The [SIPP] aka "SECULR INTERNATIONAL PROLETARiATE PEOPLE"????

Question again: WHERE is the [unconstitutional] $2,000,0000 of Stolen Tax-Payers [un-Godly] money , w/out THE-PEOPLES Consent/Approval/Voter, is going; who?, where, Why...???

Rise-Up! Rise-Up "SIPP"s Time to Take-Back Our Nation, as Promised US!

Dear Fellow Americans; To Hell with the Friendly's! Beacuse the TRUTH (opposite MYTH) "OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD!"

Question Mr. OBAMA, Polosi, & CO; POPE & CO. LaLaLa... WHERE is Osama Bin Laden???? You know He is Dead! So Why? Why? Lie to The-People?? SELF Agrandizement?

A REVOLUTION; not only a REVELATION is comming!

VOTE: Down with THEOCRAY & DOWN with MONARCHY, in America via ENGLAND et all!

Get Out of AMERIK England! Get Out! Or WE will Force You Out and Take-Over ALL Your Assets/Investments HERE!

Hary! ARise PROLETARIATES: Vote: ENGLISH MONARCH w/THEOCRACY in Cahooch with THEOCRATIC VATICAN's & CO must be Destroyed or Dulky Stopped Today, not Morrow!

O' APOCALYPTARIAN's! Beware the Jealous/Evil?Satanic PRE-APOCALYPTARYAN's!

May god cuese the QUEEN! Curse Opra WINFREY & Friends et al!!

A NEW BOSTON TEA PARTY is Comming Soon Soon Very Soon!

Posted by: usa-proletariat-movement | October 12, 2009 10:52 PM
Report Offensive Comment

justdiogo,

Does bigotry and racial hatred come naturally to you, or did you have to get schooled in it? Perhaps both?

Poetry is a great endevour, and I would not want to derail you from an honest effort at the arts, especially after invoking the great Lorca. But what is it you are saying with you verse? I think that I get it...

Posted by: justillthennow | October 12, 2009 1:27 PM
Report Offensive Comment

Hello SamWest314,

Regarding body language and personal perception. We do see what we want. Body language is a valid form of communication, though it is hard to make the case that any posturing has a universal definition. Cultural influences, family history, choices we make as individuals for survival, and much more influence body language.

If you are looking to criticize and condemn President Obama you will find what you seek, for that is our nature, allowed to run free, to find justification for what we already believe as true, or for our actions.

Much more an archetypical vision of arrogance, to me, is in our previous President Bush. Not just in the body language department, but in the actual actions, and in the mode and model of intentions and deeds and support system for fulfilling those ends that he incorporated. Bush was arrogance in action. He sought no meaningful contrasting or contradictory opinions for his contemplation as he wanted nothing but his own council and that of like minds. His was a very closed and insular governmental form. Exclusive, self-righteous, arrogant.

I will take, and am happy to take, an Obama type over a Bush type, any day. Even if they both are arrogant, as I am sure is true to whatever extent, the Obama type is moving us forward in a positive and constructive way. All Bush seemed skilled at doing was the destruction part.

Posted by: justillthennow | October 12, 2009 1:22 PM
Report Offensive Comment

Your post is well taken even though most of the comments I read were nothing short of goofy.

I will say that the Prize is yet unwarranted and should not be given to a sitting leader of ANY sovereign nation. It paints the Nobel Foundation with a political agenda.

On Afghanistan, I believe you're right about finding the solutions there. This time though, the world cannot quit on the Afghan people. The solution to an age old problem that is compounded by geographical conditions will not come fast or easy. Not only Americans, but the world gets impatient when the results are not instant.

One last note about President Obama. His demeanor is extremely arrogant and he comes off as a poser to many of us who see his mouth saying one thing and his body language saying another. Notice that most of the time he appears to be (physically) looking down his nose at people. There is a reason why that saying came about -- "looking down your nose at someone." It's because that body posture indicates contempt, disapproval, and arrogance.

Posted by: SamWest314 | October 12, 2009 11:38 AM
Report Offensive Comment

"The mask¡ Lo, the mask¡
It moves toward New York out of Africa" (G. Lorca--Poet in New York)
The mask¡The "lying" mask.
It moves from Oslo to D.C.Washington.
Reddish-blonde Wiking,
White-skinned like flaked snow,
Are you craizy,are you drank?
He is a liar-without-papers;
He is a savage that king of Harlem
Gouging out the crocodile´s eyes
And thumping out on the monkey-rumps
With a spoon

Posted by: justdiogo | October 11, 2009 12:39 PM
Report Offensive Comment

"The mask¡ Lo, the mask¡
It moves toward New York out of Africa" (G. Lorca--Poet in New York)
The mask¡The "lying" mask.
It moves from Oslo to D.C.Washington
Reddish-blonde Wiking,
White-skinned like flaked snow,
Are you craizy,are you drank?
He is a liar-without-papers;
He is a savage that king of Harlem
Gouging out the crocodile´s eyes
And thumping out on the monkey-rumps
With a spoong

Posted by: justdiogo | October 11, 2009 12:36 PM
Report Offensive Comment

ooooppss. Sory. That was not meant for here. O' Well.

Posted by: cyber-man | October 10, 2009 4:08 PM
Report Offensive Comment

COLORADO DOG:

Ummmm. how Lovely! Limited I.Q's have their borDUM redundant moments too!

MOKING B1RD:

Note: Like [Anti-SECULARist] TONY BLAIR + [Anti-SINGULARist] EBOO PATEL; Both the Dali Lama [Anti-BIRTH] + Desmond Tutu [Anti-Pantheon] & CO., hath "Religious Jealousy Psychosis" and "Pre-Apocalyptic SINdromes +."

Remember: The "RELIGION OF EVERYTHING' before the Science of Everything" is finally Concieved in AMERICA; for ALL the WORLD who Seeks or whom ever want's "IT" [G-D by manymanymany Names; no more by Quran-ical 99 or Geeta-ic 1000 names et al!

-- I'm gonna go-off on a Tangent, buy i [WE] will make REALITY mor clear to Us "HUe{MATE(s)-kinds & not them Jealous HUMAN-Unkinds:

For OBAMA's sake And for the PEOPLE's sake; Something about our O.U.R. "TRANSF{iNITE" Numbers, aka HOLYi Cosmic TRANSF{iNITY". Note that a left curly bracket is between F{i. That's because this Blogg via WAPO is Jealously (Satanically) Run & sensore certain WORDS & PHRASES by Smarter people than them via them CATHAHOLIC via the Vaticans George Town & Berkley Center's run by a bunch of PRE-APOCALYPTIC but veryvery SuperStupidStitious FaCULTy/folk & CO. NOW;

Our Father of the Word "TRANSF{iNITY" is Dovarich/drrrewg/freund "GEORGE CANTOR" [pbuh] 1845-1918. FACT:

REALITY [our; not Theologians); there Exists such a thing as "iNFINITY of INFINITY." (note the lowercase i then upper case I) . Yet the Christians, Muslums, Hindu's, Jews & Buddhists , like the Vatican because of Fear Persecuted him like they did GALALEO [pbuh]... took Brethren Canto's "Transf{inite #'s (Theorm) as a threat to their ABSOLUT-iNFINITY of their NATURE Of (man-made) god(s) System. And

Some Theolgians Even equated his (our) Transf{inite #'s Sets reality, as being "PANTHEISM". Note: Unlike the Peoples Pantheism of HOLLY-WOOD (not holy) of Actors/Actress's & Fantacy-Time sharing or Projecting within/out; means

G-D (as "IT") = ALL, and ALL =("IT") G-D. [hence a PALINDROME]! Yet NATURE aka LAWS OF "iTSELF" (as G-D) is our "CLAUSES" [Seperate from "IT", aka G-D but never a "HE" nor a "SHE" incarnate] in order to "Magnify, Uphold & Make "IT" (G-D, by manymanymany names) Honorable!" WHERE,

Such that that the "UNIVERSE" [Contrary to Theologians idea that their Universe (not ours) is "the sum total of all that was, is and shall be.. as if be SiNonymous"!] is our awareness as being our (not their) Holyi [innate; not man-made] Genuine CONSTITUTION!

Summary: our O.U.R. {o.ne U.niversal R.eligion] is likened to PANTHEISM where such awarenes of our Immortal OURSELVES is NOT/NO THEiSTIc nOR ATHEiSTiC!

Posted by: cyber-man | October 10, 2009 4:07 PM
Report Offensive Comment

Part 2 of 2: They should give a Prize for "DE-Religionizing" All known Old time (man-Made) Religions Systems by SINGULARIZING them, Instead of Pluralizing them via "Tolerence of Godly JEALOUSY's!! YA? YA!

COMMENTARY: "JEALOUSY" , between both RELIGIOists and SECULARists between Men/Wom and between their Nations (w/friend or w/No-friends) is the CRUX OF THE MATTER OF ALL Civil & International Strife/Wars!

Psycho[il]logically speaking that War fare is JEALOUSY Driven! As long as there is National Jealousy or Theocratic and or Monarchic Jealousys that WAR will be lurking around the Future-Bend, and so are different flavors of Diseases/Viruses and Plagues against Humanity?

WW-1 brought 18 Million Dead and another 40 Million Dispora'd or displaced Unjustly! Yet The CAUSE of WW1 , leading into WW2 (WW3/4 is or will be a different War altogether but not Death) was basically the "ABUSE" of AC/DC Lighting w/ELECTRIC-MOTORS & the DIESEL/GAS-ENGINE & RADIO/PHONE (wired) via JEALOUSY.

Today or morrow the Next Mass Death campaign, backed by JEALOUSY, on ole resilent sweet sweet S.pace S.hip Earth (but not Humans) will happen in a FLASH!

To prevent This [man-made] PROPHECY, forget Religio/Biblical {not such thing as an Illusional/dilusional Armageddon} MYTHs, that Mr. Bill Clinton + George W. Bush + Borak Obama should've gotten this 'Coveted?' Prize for talking, "DE-NUCLEARIZing."

RECOMMENDATION: Build/Create the "iNTERNATIONAL URANIUM BANK" Of the U.nited N.ations [IUBUN] so that the "Enriched Uranium" (5-100%) in any NUKE(s), on S.S. Earth should be the Property Of Every, Any & ALL of S.S. Earth's "Automatic Born Citizen/Denizenary" [ABCD] Alive Today or in the next "SPACE-FORTH" & "FUTURE-BOUND" MEME's, aka Us "HUe{MATE's"-Kinds No longer Ye HUMAN's un-kinds!!

Please note: There is a Difference between a HUMAn [PRE-Apocalyptic Believer/Faither] and an HUe{MATE [APOCALYPTARYAN] National! WE [i] do-NOT/NO Worship godly-JEALOUSY nor do i [WE] worship godly-FEAR!

WE Worship "LIFE" a/k/a LOVE; where i know that SEX is not LOVE! So Worshiping R-E-A-L-I-T-Y , aka TRUTH (opposite MYTH) is OUR Schtick! Goodbye Chumash/Bibles, goodbye Quran/korans, goodbye Geeta/Kangyurs...! The UNIVERSE is OUR HOLYi CONSTITUTION & the LAWS OF "IT"s NATURE is "O.U.R." CLAUSES!

Note: "IT" is "G-D/ALLAH/ISHVARA...but never a "HE" nor a "SHE"" and "O.U.R." is our "O.ne U.niversal R.eligion". So We art Students forever of Source-ONE & i [WE] never graduate! How bout YE?

Posted by: cyber-man | October 10, 2009 11:44 AM
Report Offensive Comment

Part 1 of 2:

According to "Wikipedia" on "ALFRED NOBEL" there is an excerpt that reads, [Ironically]

"The obituary stated Le marchand de la mort est mort ("The merchant of death is dead") and went on to say,

"Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday."[3] On 27 November 1895, at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris, Nobel signed his last will and testament and set aside the bulk of his estate to establish the Nobel Prizes, to be awarded annually without distinction of nationality. He died of a stroke on 10 December 1896 at Sanremo, Italy. He left 31 million kronor (equivalent to about 1.8 billion kronor or 250 million US dollars in 2008) to fund the prizes"

WOW! How SWEED it is! Amazing how the Nobel Givers a laughing all the way to the Bank!

Please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel

In essence It's like accepting a Reward from a Mass Murderer! And by giving Mr. OBAMA (a Sitting President) is tantamount to recieving a BRIBE: Contrary to the ETHICS Committee's Law(s)/Rules/Regulations; in-House & out-House warning against recieving "GIFTS"!

He Should shift it back to them Encroaching (Stealthy/Sneaky) Sweeds and say, "Thanks but NO thanks" let me finish my work 1st." [Similar].

Note: What is the opposite of such a Prize?? WAR!, Detechnicalagize? De-Scientificize?

-- Amazing. NO GRACE ()!


continued:

Posted by: cyber-man | October 10, 2009 11:01 AM
Report Offensive Comment

Post a Comment


 
RSS Feed
Subscribe to The Post

© 2009 The Washington Post Company