Rauf: 'It is a requirement of Sharia to follow the laws of the land' and to skip court hearings

"Islamic jurists have said from the earliest of times... that wherever Muslims are a minority, they are required to follow the laws of the land. It is a requirement of Sharia to follow the laws of the land."
Ground Mosque developer, Feisal Abdul Rauf, speaking before the Council for Foreign Relations - September 13, 2010

From the New York Post - September 15, 2010:

While the Imam behind plans for a mosque near Ground Zero was jetting around the globe and advocating for his Downtown project, a pair of dilapidated apartment buildings he owns in New Jersey fell into such disrepair that cops have to stand watch in the event of a fire.

The fire watch, at taxpayer expense, was revealed during a court hearing today when Union City lawyers asked to have two buildings owned by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf placed into receivership so that rents could be used to fix dozens of violations, including inoperable alarms and sprinklers.

Rauf skipped today’s hearing as did his wife Daisy Khan. Their lawyer, Tomas Espinosa, said he didn’t know why the Imam didn’t come to court...

"Islamic jurists have said from the earliest of times... that wherever Muslims are a minority, they are required to follow the laws of the land. It is a requirement of Sharia to follow the laws of the land."
Ground Mosque developer, Feisal Abdul Rauf, speaking before the Council for Foreign Relations - September 13, 2010