Because he saw an opening for someone to give the 'moderate' view on lecture circuits and in the media, for societies confused and ignorant about Islam, desperate to find Muslims who didn't have reactionary notions and ideas? Lucrative work, and some kudos and profile involved in that.
the problem with Islam is neither Muslim intellectuals nor CONVERTED MUSLIM intellectuald like Hamza Yusufs and Hamza tortillas but fellows like Chris Hedges of West and East...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J_t7fuaPWw And that problem is there since the beginning of Islam . Such pacifists add voice to Islamic intellectuals consequently to Islam ., But those days are numbered as more and more Muslims and non-Muslims become familiar with Islamic scriptures, Islamic history and the origins of Islam..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naEj915VU20 Indeed since the alleged death of Prophet of Islam, Islam is running between Ignorance and Extremism at worst and Sufism & sufi singing at best