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believes in goin the last day shall be saved. it's a religion whose very name islam is from the word shalom which means peace. it's about establishing peace. we greeth other with peace be un you. which the ws do in greeting each other. it's a religion based upon peace. but have there been people who have -- you know, muslims who have expressed such sentiments? yes, they have. >> the 9/11 hijackers said they were acting in the name of islam. y. that is a trave ths at is a travesty. just as the inquisitors, you know, in spain were committing a travty against the teachings of jesus christ. we do have people in our faith stcommunity who have committed travesties against the teachings of islam. this is part of the -- of the -- of the war or the battle within
of what you're striving for? >> in some ways, yes. but in some ways, it's a silver lining here. >> how is it a silver lining? >> giving us an opportunity to speak out this subject in a manner that is sober. in a manner that is coherent. to look at what are all about as americans. to looat what it means to be muslim in america. to look at how we are going to -- to put back this genie of clash between the west and muslim world back into the bottle. >> there are plenty of muslims, as i've been doing research, who have said is debate does not help us. this debate makes things more dangerous for us. s is debate hurts us, what's t happening at ground zero. >> there is no doubt that this has become such a situation. and i'm deeply sensitive to that and very concerned about that. and, younow, had i known this would happen, we certainly would never have done this. >> you would never have picked that spot? >> we would -- we would not have done something that would create more divisiveness. >> then why is it hard to back up and say, and now that we've done it, let's undo it. let's just say we won't. let's pick another spot stthat' been offered? >> as i just mentioned, our national security now hinges on how we negiate this.
peace between the west and the muslim world without the engagement of muslims and western muslims in particular. >> it sounds like you're saying we're going to force a peaceful option. so i'll leave it there for a moment. we've got to take a short break. when we come back, we'll talk about that on the other side. back in a mome. i got into one of the best schools in the country! [ both screaming ] i got into one of the most expensive schools in the country! [ male announcer ] when stress gives you
on the website originally. is this a change in the face of the controversy? is this the negotiation? >> when i found the cordoba initiative after 9/11 in response to a perennial question was, how can we fix this relationship between the united states and the muslim world, i founded the cordoba initiative as a multifaith and a multinational initiative. it became very clear a very apparent that if we were going to do this, we have to have muslims and non-muslims in this country aninternationally cooperating together, addressing the fundamental causes that have caused this and are continuously fueling this >> but the controversy itself -- >> so the cordoba house -- >> -- isn't that causing to some degree an instability and a risk, a risk of safety? i mean, there's an address now that has become the flash point for a lot of aer. isn't that a risk to muslims and americans? >> there is a certain anger here, no doubt. but if you don't do this right, anger will explode in the muslim world.
congregation, has noticed how our -- the need for prayer space has expanded. he felt a commitment to do something for his community. and he found this particular building, and he negotiated it, acquired it and offered it for us to use and to establish a center that would be the space for a vision that i've had for over a decade or 15, almost 20 years, which is to establish a space which embodies the fundamental beliefs that we have as jews, christians and muslims, which is to love our god and to love our neighbor. to build a space where we'll have a culture oworship. and at the same time, get to f know each other and to forge personal bonds because that's how a society, how a community is built. and how we can create somethingw that will snowball to push back agnst the radical discourse that has just hijacked the
islam today. >> had moderate -- >> which has to be waged and which is being waged and which must be waged. >> have moderate muslims been vocal enough agast extremists? >> in the muslim world, there are many people who have been vocal, and we have been very vocal against extremists. but how to win this battle is an ongoing battle. and we must continue to wage the .attle for peace >> what is the likelihood, do you think, of another 9/11-type attack here? think of that. i hate to think of that. it >> but you've said security, national security, is of obviously great concern to you. >> it is of fundamental importance to us. i mean, look at what 9/11 did to our country. it traumatized the country. it has created a situation where muslims are under even greater suspicious. it is important for us to -- to change that discourse, to change that perception. and how can we change this perception, soledad, if we don't engage, if we don't dialogue, if we don't get to knowach other? >> engaging and dialogue and
how we speak about it. and what we do. it is important for us now to raise the bar on our conversation -- "n >> what's the risk, when you say "national security"? what's the risk? >> as i ments iod, because, if we move, it means the radicals have shaped the discourse.di the radica will shape the discourse on both sides. and those of us who are moderates on both sides, you see, soledad, the battle front is not between muslims and n-muslims. the real battle front is between moderates on all sides of all ad the faith traditions and the radicals on all sides. the radicals actually feed off each other. and in some kind of a existential way, need each other. and the more that the radicals are able to control the discourse on one side, it strengthens the radicals on the other side and vice versa. we have to turn this around. >> let me play a question from an i-reporter.ka her name is kathy cornsend. she's in fullerton, california. >> why couldn't you find another place? i just feel like there's an ulterior motive. i knowha ft's probably wrong, but that's how i feel, and i think a lot of americans feel that way, too. that you want to upset us for some reason. is that true?
>> no, it's not true. it is not our intention to create more conflict. this is our intention to say we, as muslims, we as american muslims, want to contribute to o the rebuildingf lower manhattan. we want to enhance relationships with our american non-muslim fellow countrymen. we want to forge better relationships. and we want to be part of the solution. not only want to be. we are ready.il we are willing. and we are able to be part of the solution. if the problem is perceived to lie in the muslim community, which definitely a certain amount of that is, if the at problem is pered a matter of religion, then we -- then the i solution also lies in our being engaged in this process. we are not going to achieve
about 12 blocks away from the actual ground zero, what people call the hole in the ground. i live downtown. i've seen it aot. then another one that's just about two blocks away. why do you think this structure's causing all this controversy now? >> well, there's a certain amou of anti-islamic sentiment in this country. >> why now? >> and we have seen it in the attacks upon mosques in various spots in the country in e last several weeks. h it is clear that this issue is not just about our center, which is an attempt to create petween muslims and non-muslims. but this has aroused a certain anti-islam sentiment wch is unfortunate in this coy. but we need to look at it. we need to have a discourse about it. and we need to make sure this doesn't dominate the discour between us.be
enemy. we are not your enemies. but this is what jesus taught us to do. and i would like to suggest that, you know, we all have to live by the highest principles of our faith traditions. as i mentioned, it's important -- i want chstians to live, to be perfected christians and i want muslims to be perfected muslims and jews to be perfected jews. if we don't do that, if we judge each ondther by the worst of th other's behavior and the best of our own, where are we going? >> on that note we'll take a short break. [ drums playing ] [ male announcer ] 306 horsepow. race-inspired paddle shifters. and f-sport-tuned suspension. all ailable on the new 2011 les is. it isn't real performance unless it's wielded with precision.