William Rodriguez, 9/11 survivor and global peace advocate, will be a featured speaker at IIF 2008 in Dubai, UAE and he will be speaking on the topic “The World Peace Movements”. A regular attraction at the International Islamic Fair ever since the inaugural IIF 2006, Rodriguez’s heartfelt presentation on his personal experience has awed audiences whenever he recount events on that fateful day in New York when the World Trade Centre collapsed and the US “War on Terrorism” was launched. The conflicting reports surrounding 9/11 has given rise to many unanswered questions as to what really happened and why. A documentary on Rodriguez entitled “Last Man Out” was released in 2007.
William is a native of Puerto Rico, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the State of New Jersey. Employed for 19 years as a maintenance worker at the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York, Rodriguez helped fifteen (15) persons from the WTC to safety. As he was the only person at the site with the master key to the North Tower stairwells, he bravely led firefighters up the stairwell, unlocking doors as they ascended, thereby aiding in the successful evacuation of unknown hundreds of those who survived. Rodriguez is believed to be the last person to exit the falling North Tower alive and ever since that terrible day has worked in a variety of capacities and through several different organizations, to help others who were affected by the atrocities committed. He has continued in these labors, notwithstanding the fact that, due to the loss of his employment, he was unable to earn a living, and was even homeless for a time. His story became an example of compassion and dedication. Rodriguez became an expert on disaster management and goes around the world giving lectures on facing adversity among other themes.
His international travels has taken him to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the International islamic Fair IFF 2006 and IIF 2007, the Global Peace Campaign 9/11 Conference in Japan in August 2006, the Islamic Propagation Society International and Universiti Sains Malaysia, in Penang in July 2007 and at the Global Peace and Unity Conference in London in 2007 and again in October 2008. Speaking to an audience in IIF 2007, Rodriguez declared that he had converted to Islam. For more information, please visit his official website www.william911.com
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