(Arabic: فيصل عبد الرؤوف, born 1948) is an American Sufi[1] imam, author, and activist whose stated goal is to improve relations between the Muslim world and the West.[2] From 1983 to 2009, he served as Imam of Masjid al-Farah, a mosque in New York City.[3][4]
He has written three books on Islam and its place in contemporary Western society, including What’s Right with Islam Is What’s Right with America, and founded two non-profit organizations whose stated missions are to enhance the discourse on Islam in society. He has condemned the 9/11 attacks as un-Islamic and called on the U.S. government to reduce the threat of terrorism by altering its Middle Eastern foreign policy.[5][6] Author Karen Armstrong, among others, has praised him for his attempts to build bridges between the West and the Muslim world.[7]
In 2010, Sufi Imam Rauf received national attention for his plans to build Park51, a Sufi[8] Islamic Community Center, two blocks from Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan.
