Ground Zero mosque doubles down, adds new Imam with more to come, Rauf and Daisy Khan out

• New York City Imam Abdullah Adhami named new Ground Zero mosque imam.
• "Other Imams still to be announced will also be joining the board in the near future"...

1/14/11, "The organization planning to build an Islamic community center near the World Trade Center says the imam who has been the public face of the project

• will be playing a reduced role.

The nonprofit group Park51 announced Friday that it had named a new imam to lead religious programing. It says co-founder Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf will focus on other initiatives.

• Rauf announced late this fall that he is starting a global movement that would fight extremism and promote better relations between people of different faiths.

He is starting a national speaking tour Saturday in Detroit.

"Due to the fact that Imam Feisal is focusing most of his energies and passion on launching this new and separate initiative, it is important that the needs of Park51, the Islamic community center in lower Manhattan, take precedence," the group said, according to NewsCore.

Park51 said Rauf would remain on the Islamic center's board. It says the group needed someone who could be more focused on local matters.

The group named New York City imam Abdullah Adhami as its new senior adviser."

'With NewsCore'

• 1/14, "New imam named for Ground Zero Islamic Center," AP, Caruso

Daisy Khan, wife of Rauf, is also no longer involved promoting the Ground Zero mosque

• solo photo of imam Adhami from Bill Warner
• group photo with Adhami, 8/27/10, from MSNBC

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