A US imam, at the centre of controversy over a proposed mosque near the Ground Zero site in New York, arrived in Bahrain last night.
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is on a US government-sponsored 15-day trip to Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar during Ramadan.
In Bahrain, the imam will be meeting local audiences, including religious leaders, youth and prominent personalities.
A US Embassy spokeswoman said Imam Abdul Rauf's visit was to discuss Muslim life in America as well as religious tolerance.
She said that Ramadan was a good time to focus on Muslim life in the US and increase understanding.
Imam Abdul Rauf, who will be in Bahrain until Monday, is behind plans for an Islamic centre that will be open to all visitors to demonstrate that Muslims are part of their New York community.
The centre will include a mosque, sports facilities, theatre and a restaurant.
The proposed location is two blocks from the gaping Ground Zero hole, where the Twin Towers were destroyed by Al Qaeda terrorists on September 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.
The proposal and the trip have been criticised by a group of US legislators, including Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Peter King, the ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee.
They fear that he would utilise the trip to raise funds for the proposed project, according to media reports.
However, US State Department spokesman P J Crowley said that Imam Abdul Rauf had been strictly told to stay away from engaging in any personal business and raising funds for the mosque on the trip, according to media reports.
He said that the US government-sponsored trip was under a programme run by the department's Bureau of International Information Programmes and estimated to cost about $16,000 (BD6,000).
He will get a daily $200 honorarium for the tour. Airfare is included, as well as the standard federal government per diem for expenses and lodging in each of the cities he will visit, AP reported, quoting Crowley.
Imam Abdul Rauf, the preacher of Masjid Al Farah (Mosque of Happiness) in New York, is on his second government-sponsored trip to Muslim countries.
In 2007, he visited Bahrain, Morocco, the UAE and Qatar, while in January he went to Egypt.
During his last trip to Bahrain, Imam Abdul Rauf gave a talk at Bahrain Centre for Studies and Research.
He urged research institutions, civil societies and other organisations to play an active role in helping bridge the divide between the Arab world and the West.
Imam Abdul Rauf also called on stakeholders to work together in theory and practice to promote further healthy dialogue and understanding between Muslims and the West.
He is the author of several books, including Islam: A Search for Meaning; Islam: A Sacred Law; and What's Right with Islam: A New Vision for Muslims. He was born in Kuwait and educated in Egypt, Malaysia and the US. alaali@gdn.com.bh
Source: gulf_daily_news.co
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