PRESS STATEMENT FROM: The Cordoba Initiative

NEW YORK, Jan. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf wants to meet the people of America where they are, to help build broader connection and understanding among all people of faith.  To make that vision a reality, he is stepping back from the day-to-day details and operations of Cordoba House, so that he may focus on the broader vision of both the Cordoba House and the Cordoba Initiative.

The Cordoba Initiative believes that all people of faith are joined together by a common hope for peace.  In order to create lasting peace, moderate people of faith must join together to promote greater understanding and relations among all faiths. Imam Feisal and Daisy Khan will be sharing the message of the Cordoba Initiative on a national speaking tour that starts with events over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, followed by a formal launch of the speaking tour next month.

Imam Feisal and Daisy Khan will both continue in their roles with the Cordoba Initiative.  They will also continue their leadership work in creating the Cordoba House, the proposed community center in Lower Manhattan which will serve as a platform for multi-faith dialogue.

To learn more about the Cordoba Initiative, please visit: www.cordobamovement.org.

Founded by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the Cordoba Initiative is a multi-national, multi-faith organization dedicated to improving understanding and building trust among people of all cultures and faith traditions. In 1997, he founded the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), a non-profit organization dedicated to building bridges of understanding between the general public and the Muslim community through dialogues in faith, identity, culture and arts. Daisy Khan is Executive Director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

SOURCE Cordoba Initiative