Obama the self-hating Muslim
One day, Barack Osam ... er, Obama, is a madrassa-educated closet Muslim whose outward Christian faith is merely overcompensation. Next thing you know, the Democratic presidential candidate is hurting Muslims by being seen at every kind of worship house but a mosque.
Some of the recent criticisms of Obama are more fair than others; take the Times Op-Ed today by Salam Al-Marayati and Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs, which rakes both John McCain and Obama over the coals for alienating Muslims in their rush to draw support from Jewish groups:
Just one day after Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton dropped out of the Democratic race, Sen. Barack Obama rushed to receive the blessing of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Last week, his campaign volunteers rushed to remove Muslim women wearing head scarves from a Detroit rally. Though Obama apologized, Muslims felt stung by a candidate supposedly running on a platform of inclusion and change.
But the snubs aren't limited to Obama. Sen. John McCain recently dismissed a Muslim American businessman from an important campaign committee. In March, McCain visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem but made no similar visit to the adjacent Muslim holy site, the Dome of the Rock. And although both candidates have made frequent stops at churches and synagogues, neither has made a campaign stop at a mosque.
Some pundits, however, spare the rod on McCain. In the New York Times today, columnist Roger Cohen employs the "campaign stop at a mosque" criticism, but aims it only at Obama. For Cohen, the stakes are high — a casual drop-in by Obama to a mosque could save (wait for it) ... the world!
As Andrea Elliott chronicled in an important article in The Times, Obama has visited churches and synagogues, but no mosque. He had to apologize after two Muslim women wearing head scarves were barred from appearing behind him at a recent rally in Detroit.
Obama should visit a mosque. He has repeatedly shown his courage during this campaign; Americans have responded to his intellectual honesty. One of the important things about him is the knowledge his Kenyan and Indonesian experiences have given him of Islam as lived, rather than Islam as turned into monstrous specter....
Fear-mongering about Islam is a global industry. It thrives on ignorance. Obama has a unique power to break the cycle, not least by emboldening moderate Muslims to denounce terror. Nothing would do more in the long run for the security of the world.
It must be beyond frustrating for Obama that his exotic-sounding name and globe-trotting childhood saddle him with some kind of "responsibility" just as much as they lend themselves to foolish rumors. Just last March, the Pew Research Center released a poll showing all kinds of confusion over Obama's religion: 10% of Americans thought he was a Muslim, a whopping 79% had heard rumors to that effect and barely half could identify his true faith, Christianity.
Considering how the faith pendulum has swung from an irrational fear of his inner Muslim to furor over his exclusion of Muslims in a matter of a few months, I'm surprised Obama hasn't decided to become an atheist — but that conversion would really ruin his chances.
Photo: Associated Press
What an irresponsible and pointless article.
Posted by: Kimzilla | June 27, 2008 at 11:36 AM
SandraL regarding your comments I would recommend you watch a little film about an hour long called "Obsession". It is very informative and have many Arab born, Muslims; not Islamist, interviewed explaining that this is not separate wars: Iraq War, Afgan War, Kenyan conflict, etc. but one War with many battle grounds. Wake up PEOPLE!!! Don't care what religion you are, either you are with the extremists or you are willing to have a voice against them, including in your own community, church, temple, mosque, etc. Guilt by association is real! If you know of somebody that does wrong and you don't report it you then condone it which in turn says it's okay with me. For instance if you are with somebody and they shoplift, you will both be picked up once you leave the store. Both are GUILTY....if you are at a party where drugs are being used and there is a bust...you are picked up and booked. BO can say what he will about not knowing that this kind of preaching was in Trinity Church but then it raises the question of did he really attend? If you attend a group meeting even monthly you hear the talk or if you prefer call it GOSSIP. Everybody knows if there is an illness, an affair, a problem....yet you want me and the rest of the thinking public to believe he didn't know that there was extreme racism in his home church? You have got to be kidding me. Again just check out the movie because it also will let you know this is not a new war, it's been going on for years...the battle grounds have just gotten further reaching and the level of violence and terrorism more extreme.....no OBAMA 08!
Posted by: Janie | June 27, 2008 at 11:25 AM
What an amateurish blog. Grow up- loser.
Posted by: PulSamsara | June 27, 2008 at 11:19 AM
Mike. you're attempting to equivocate nationality with a religion, and one that doesn't even apply, since Obama is not a Muslim.
Most Nazi's were white Christians, yet we had no problem electing a white Christian even during WWII. King George was a white Christian too.
It would appear your emotions (fear) are clouding your reason.
Posted by: Mark | June 27, 2008 at 11:13 AM
First, there perhaps cannot be a more irresponsible article by a supposedly good responsible 'paper'. While claiming statistics about what people believe, you have irresponsibly fed the rumor mill, in my mind, to obviously further your agenda. You have chosen to do that instead of actually saying what Obama is. You stoop so low as trying to tie his name to a real villain to further confuse your readers. Of course you can don the garb of 'The LA Times Opinion' and practice your first amendment rights with impunity and be smug at the ad revenues pouring through every volatile headline you can dream up - but then that is your real intent here - not a thoughtful opinion, much less objective journalism!
Shame, LA Times, shame on you. Trust me, just as I have seen through your bias there are thousands out there who have seen through this sham opinion. Shame on you.
Second there is the picture of the senator donning a traditional garb over the western clothes (observant people have not missed that either). One can argue that it is a muslim dress, but I would suggest that people in various parts of the world dress differently even if they share a religion. No muslim from the middle east dresses like that and if you consider the middle east the seat of Islam, then that garb is not a muslim garb. In fact it is one of the many traditional African attires. Besides dressing up does not make you a different person or change your religion. By that argument, Peter O'Tool in Lawrence of Arabia is an Arab. His possible religion and extremist views can be talked about ad nauseum furthering that illusion.
Third: the reality of the collective American anti Islamic sentiment. Anti Islamic sentiment is not an exclusively American one, I can assure you of that. However it seems to be more pervasive here, unlike in the rest of the world. Given that, what should a person who is trying to become the next president of this country do? Commit political suicide?
If you lived in various places, visited various places in the world, had a variety of religious and geographic influences in your life, you will see that you will become a more open, more tolerant, more accepting person than most. However that also depends on your upbringing. If you were taught not to be open, it would be much more difficult for you to be so, although not impossible. So muslims or even others who want him to 'show' his inclusion in every aspect should just remember this: Do you want him to simply show this or do you want him to be president? And I am asking this question based on the reality of the most pervasive American sentiment I mentioned earlier. I have no doubts about his openness. I would even say that even McCain is an open person when it comes to religion. However insisting that Obama include veiled supporters or visit mosques when he is actually trying to win the presidency here is to damn him one way or the other.
And that seems to be the point of such an article as this one. Raise a rumor to the point of such abhorrent absurdity that may push the target of the article to react one way or the other, knowing he will lose either way (besides, of course clicks and ad revenues)!
Not convinced? Here is one: McCain was never a ... you know, I had to stop here because I could not bring myself to stoop so low. I know there is no substance to the rumor I was about to put forward, but I know the damage that I can cause, however limited my reach (and that is not arrogance, mind you) because somebody with the intention to damage McCain can carry it to its abhorrent absurdity.
Sadly however you were not troubled by such conscience and decided to abuse your reach by publishing such an article as this.
Posted by: Vinny | June 27, 2008 at 11:10 AM
Hey Great post!
Way to bring out the crazies and further demonstrate just what a bad idea it is to allow public posting to these blogs.
Thanks for the journalistic excellence.
Posted by: Brad | June 27, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Sandral, I don't recall Muslims speaking out and condemning the acts of 911 after it happened... so for nearly 7 years after it happened, they HAVE sat in silence.
Here are some facts:
He is both political & religious power
He will be able to charm the world to follow him.
He has a church that makes war with the saints
He is in a "Christian" church mixed with Babylon
(current day Babylon is about 90 miles south of Baghdad... modern day extremest MUSLIMS)
He seeks to tamper with and change the laws of the times.
He is a powerful and influential speaker who seemingly arises from nowhere
(how many people (outside of Illinois) really knew Barack Obama BEFORE 2004?
Now... take the "He" from every beginning sentence above and replace it with "The Antichrist"
these facts were taken right out of the bible!
Posted by: Adam | June 27, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Dueling chain e-mails claim he's a radical Muslim or a 'racist' Christian. Both can't be right. We find both are false.
Posted by: FactCheck | June 27, 2008 at 11:04 AM
This cannot be repeated enough.
Constitution of the United States, Article VI, section 3:
"...no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."
Vote for who you want to, but do it for the right reasons.
We are only given two choices for President, and as I see it, it's a choice between continuing the same path, and a chance at changing the agenda. I know which choice I'm making.
Posted by: Mark | June 27, 2008 at 10:59 AM
SandraL wrote:
>Amir wrote:
>> The reponse of most of the US Moslem community is a
>> deafening silence.
>Perhaps if we A) stopped intimidating them, and B) gave them
>a freakin' voice, we might hear something
>other than "deafening silence". I know many American
>Muslims, and every one of them is horrified by the
>events of 9/11. Thing is, after nearly 7 years, they've
>pretty much given up saying so because the rest of us
>aren't even listening - we're too busy making ignorant
>comments like yours to hear them.
Hear, hear. Well put Sandra.
It is a real shame that Obama, as a candidate of change, is shying away from really being different from the political establishment. His wishy-washy responses to separation of church and state to his downright deplorable distancing of muslims have been the biggest disappointments of his candidacy. That being said, he's been a heckuva lot more progressive than any other candidate. Let's hope that after he's elected (let's face it, he's gonna be elected), he is more forthright about embracing all faiths, AND THOSE OF NO FAITH OR BELIEF.
Posted by: ACanuck | June 27, 2008 at 10:57 AM
Paul Thornton - you are an agent of intolerance.
Your article seems to stem from deep rooted fear and hate.
I hope you find peace.
...until then, try as hard as you can not to make you ignorance and xenophobia so obvious.
Posted by: Troy | June 27, 2008 at 10:49 AM
A mere seven years after 9.11, a young man who was may still be Muslim runs for US president. People have doubts.
In another universe, a mere seven years following Pearl Harbor, a Japanese-American runs for president. People are outraged.
Back here again in the real world, in 1948, no Japanese American could have possibly won... or even run for US president.
But for some strange reason, in 2008... we are supposed to simply ignore our natural instaincts and forget that Obama was once, and may still be a Muslim in a world where Islam is in large part a self-sworn enemy to democracy.
You figure it out.
Posted by: Mike | June 27, 2008 at 10:48 AM
AMIR is that your TRUE name ???
DOUBT IT !
if it is : your ignorance and self-loathing is palpable ... seek medical help;before you hurt yourself.
Posted by: AJ | June 27, 2008 at 10:47 AM
Obama is not Muslim. I realize that republicans can't win an election by just focusing on actual issues (thus this garbage) but this post is especially uneducated and ill-imformed.
1. The photo looks like he was trying on African wear for a media event, which lots of politicians have done.
2. Eluding that Obama shares a connection with Osama is an insult and its uneducated. Call Mr. Obama "Osama" is disrespectful, and though you might think it's clever, it's not.
3. Even if Obama was Muslim, assuming he would somehow have sympathy for jihadists is stereotypical and ignorant.
Stick to the issues and keep this garbage off a media mainstream web site.
Posted by: robert | June 27, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Is this the best you can do Mr. Thorton --attack a man on his name. The reason why you do that is because you don't have anything else to report that could potentially be of importance so instead you report garbage for a tabloid effect. Good job!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Nimo | June 27, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Look, the guy's running for office. When you're running for office, you reach out to those whose votes you most need. You need to reach out to them and let them hear your voice because if you don't, your opponents are going to define who you are to those people for you, and it won't be a flattering or even accurate definition. So Obama is focusing on getting his message to the groups that are critical to this election. He could take his time visiting every cult in the country, why shouldn't he do that to based on the same reason that he's running on an inclusion campaign. Maybe you guys in the press should pretend that he's not about inclusion because he hasn't visited every single christian sect, buddhist temples, Hindu temples, church of satan, etc... It just gets absurd real quick, of course the guy is going to do what is required to win the election. He wouldn't be worth voting for if he didn't.
Muslims in this country, tend to be kind of separatist towards the mainstream. I remember once when I was younger, a young Arab lady and I had very strong attraction to each other and her family put an end to it because I'm not a Muslim. That's their right, but when your sub-culture works to insulate itself from the mainstream, it is your sub-culture's fault when the mainstream ignores it.
Unity isn't just about people reaching out to you, it's also about you reaching out to them. I just don't see American Muslims doing that much. Though I have to say the comments here about them not denouncing extremism are extremely ignorant and such people should use Google and educate themselves. It's not American Muslim's fault the mainstream media barely report their denouncements. Besides, Americans would rather see rock throwing haters in the middle east than learn that American muslims actually love America and don't agree with crazies in the middle east. That's why they live here and not there.
Posted by: Benjamin | June 27, 2008 at 10:41 AM
I think we're going to get exactly what we deserve in this election - as we do in most. Vote McCain!!!
Posted by: Get What you Deserve | June 27, 2008 at 10:40 AM
The bottom line is that all faiths evolved from nothing more than stories. Might be true, might be false, certainly lots of imagination and dedication involved. However, religion has shown to be a divider of humanity, and sanctions killing in the name of God.
All faiths purport to know, with absolute certainty, the story of how we came to be as we are. Reality is that no one really knows for sure, beyond what has been observed and recorded in history and by scientific means.
Any religious story will do, they're all essentially the same...as long as there is a mass coercion, repitition and mind control to achieve support. I prefer the Superman myth best, and will await further developments.
I can live with the uncertainty, and prefer it to the imperfect absolutes of organized religions.
Posted by: Dan | June 27, 2008 at 10:33 AM
The first sentence of this article isn't opinion; it's libel. What was Obama *ever* a "closet Muslim"? The Urban Legends section of about.com sums it up pretty well:
"We are asked to believe that Senator Barack Obama, who for 20 years has professed to be a practicing Christian and has spoken publicly of his "personal relationship with Jesus Christ," is in fact secretly a Muslim and has lied all along about his true religious affiliation."
"No proof is offered by those who make these claims -- no sightings of Barack Obama attending a mosque, no pictures of him reading the Koran, praying to Mecca, or observing Islamic holidays with his family. The entire case, such as it is, rests on a confused and error-ridden recitation of Obama's upbringing and purported childhood influences. It also rests on -- or exploits -- a deep fear and mistrust of the Muslim faith."
If you have a problem with the man's previous church affiliations, fine. His former pastor leaves much to be desired. But concocting a BS conspiracy theory that he is or ever was a practicing Muslim is ridiculous and unfounded -- and certainly demonstrates the intolerance in this country for those who practice the religion of Islam.
Posted by: TJS | June 27, 2008 at 10:32 AM
This 'once a Moslem always a Moslem' stuff is total baloney. I live in Turkey, and my wife is Turkish. She was born a Moslem, technically, but she is an avowed athiest. Nobody in this mostly Moslem land tells her this 'once a Moslem always a Moslem' stuff. That's a bogus lie coming from the far-right wingnut freak-cases. And it's those far-right wackos who are the biggest terrorist danger to America---if we ever get nuked, it will probably be a Timothy McV type rather than and Al Q type. They're the ones who might actually get their hands on stuff because they've infiltrated our government and military for years now.
Posted by: stan | June 27, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Wow, the ignorant bigots are out in force today.
Learn a little about comparative religions before you post please. You're proving your ignorance to the world.
Posted by: Mark | June 27, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Aspergirl - What, no one was listening to you on the WaPo website so you came here instead? All the sh*t you post is full of outright lies and right-wing talking points - how do you sleep at night knowing that you are such a complete shill and moron?
Posted by: Heather | June 27, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Articles like this are fine examples of the failure of mainstream media. They repeat misinformation, over and over again, giving it legitimacy and allowing the more bigoted, ignorant and misinformed folk an opportunity to repeat the misinformation yet again.
Radical fundamentalists, whether Muslim OR Christian, have caused death and suffering. The second worst terrorist attack in America was from a white, right wing, ex-military Christian.
I'd suggest focusing on the radical fundamentalism, and tthe determination to reduce reality to simple black and white as perceived by nomadic tribesmen over 1500 years ago. We have learned so much since then, and come a long way.
That said, Obama is not Muslim, has never been Muslim , and even if he were, it would make no difference, Allow me to quote the Constitution of the United States, Article VI, section 3:
"...no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."
Please stop violating the Constitution, and encouraging others to do so.
Posted by: Mark | June 27, 2008 at 10:21 AM
I agree that the silence from the US muslim community
about terrorism has been deafening.
Maybe instead of complaining of slights from presidential
candidates US muslims should recognize the problem
and show for courage in condeming terrorist attacks.
Posted by: joe | June 27, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Obama was conceived by one Muslim and raised by another. That's a fact. I don't care because I'm not voting for him, but don't try to lie about it.
Posted by: KMB | June 27, 2008 at 10:17 AM