The Interfaith Council of Greater Portland (ICGP) was organized shortly before 9/11 by leaders in our local religious communities who wanted to build deep, positive relationships among all faith traditions. Our participants include Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and others. We are deeply committed to the principles of freedom of religion and equal treatment under law.

The ICGP has been profoundly troubled by the recent controversy that has arisen in regard to the proposed building of an Islamic mosque and community center two blocks from Ground Zero in New York City. We note with sadness that many Americans are blaming ALL Muslims for the actions of the few that brought harm to us on 9/11. Muslims themselves have been the target of these terrorists and many of the ones that died on that day were Muslims. Terrorists have also been targeting Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries. In so doing they are acting against the teachings of Islam and their actions are in spite of Islam, not because of it.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the founder of the Cordoba Institute which is proposing the Park 51 Community Center, has been a central Muslim leader in New York City for many years, promoting religious pluralism, religious freedom, democracy and women's rights. He has no connection or sympathy whatsoever to the 9/11 terrorists, and is outspoken in denouncing religious violence and intolerance. Attacking leaders like Imam Rauf and other innocent, law abiding people simply for being Muslim, plays into the hands of violent extremists. It confirms their argument that America hates Islam and undermines the effectiveness of those in the Islamic world who argue for peace and co-existence.

Muslim Americans are our friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens. They are not our enemies. We understand that every religious tradition, including our own, has unworthy adherents and unpleasant episodes in its history. We also understand that dialogue and mutual understanding is not possible if only the best of one tradition is contrasted with the worst of the others. We believe that those who are attacking the building of the Park 51 Community Center in New York City are in danger of repeating the unfortunate errors of our country's past in which we characterized Irish, Italians, Jews, Eastern Europeans, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and untold other immigrants as being too different or too inferior to every become "real" Americans. We further believe that those who are attacking the building of the Park 51 Community Center in New York City are doing great harm to our nation and to the world by fomenting fear and creating divisions and distrust which inevitably lead to increased violence and hatred.

This center, contrary to being disrespectful to those who died at the World Trade Center, symbolizes the core American values of religious freedom and interreligious understanding that the terrorists sought to destroy on 9/11. Imam Rauf is the very example of a religious leader we need to encourage, not denigrate. If we are serious about promoting peace in the world, we must seek out partners in every religious tradition who seek to build bridges of understanding with one another. Imam Rauf is such a partner. This happens not through sound bites, headlines, and blaming others, but through friendships built as we engage with one another with humility and respect.