Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness: a spreading idea

Leader Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf

A speech made in Cairo, Egypt by President Obama in 2009 is still ringing in the ears of democracy-supporting Persians in Iran. Muslim leader Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf said at a conference in Seattle, Washington that he is “hopeful” Iran will release the two remaining imprisoned hikers in Tehran.

At the conference Friday, the Imam spoke on Islamaphobia and the “Arab Spring”- a desire of the Middle Eastern people to live in democracy. He recognized the countries have been suffering in centuries of colonial and authoritarian rule and feel that the “Arab Spring” is lasting.

He feels it will move country to country, similar to the way the French Revolution was sparked by the American. “My feeling is that Gaddafi’s days are numbered,” he said of the ruler that has ruled Libya for four decades.

Feisal Abdul Rauf was Imam of Masjid-al-Farah, a mosque in New York City from 1983 to 2009. In 2010 the Imam proposed the creation of an Islamic Community Center, Park51, located two blocks from Ground Zero.

The Community Center drew instant controversy due to its religious affiliation.

“They understood our vision,” the Imam said about the community board in support for Park51. “They knew this would be open to all the community, they knew me personally. They knew the opposition came mostly from outside the community.”

A new generation in the Arab world is arising called the “Arab Spring” that has been using the tools of globalization to further their quest for democracy.

‘We want what this guy [the US] has’ is the mentality of supporters of the “Arab Spring.” President Obama has tried to implement the values of what the US has since the start of his presidency. He has drawn similarities and common values between the Muslims and Americans.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are the values that everyone wants, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf pointed out. Those are the values President Obama has shown the world the US embodies.

It takes a lot for people of another nation to recognize the positivity in another way of life. The Imam is conveying to Americans that people of Iran have realized the way of American life is positive and that Persians want the same things: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.