US to send New York mosque imam to Mideast
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The State Department says it's sending the imam behind controversial plans for a mosque near the site of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York's twin towers on a religious outreach trip to the Middle East.
Spokesman P.J. Crowley said Tuesday that the department is sponsoring Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf's visit to Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, where he will discuss Muslim life in the US and promote religious tolerance. He says the imam had been on similar trips dating back to 2007 and that plans for the upcoming tour predated the current controversy. (AP)
