Comments on: American Muslims Object to Obama

By: Elif

Elif — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:56:54 +0000

I do not understand one thing, why being a Muslim is any different than being Christian or Jew or atheist as a matter of fact. Why name of Islam is trying to be associated with terrorism and terrorists all around the world when indeed these do not represent Islam at all and when indeed guns to these terrorists are provided elsewhere. Yes I agree ”Non-terrorist Muslims” are poor in getting their voices heard but is this enough to label Islam or Muslims as terrorists? Why aren’t Muslims then trying to label US diplomats as terrorists because they cause a lot of innocents’ deaths during their invasion of Iraq to control Middle East oil. I totally disagree with the idea of sympthazing terrorists because this is indeed a response to western world politics. There is no excuse what so ever for killing innocent people and this can never be associated with jihad. The people that are trying to do this in the name of jihad are in total denial and I agree this is the part that shoud be stressed more. I was born in Turkey, I grew up in Turkey as a Muslim, I am still living in Turkey as a Muslim and I can say that although religion was a mandatory course in my time, I was never put pressure on aything about religion as calculus being a mandatory course in first year of college did not make me a mathematician. I am proud of being a Muslim and if Obama was exposed to any Islamic education when he was young (I can not say he had not been or he had been since I did not make any research about it) and now him being ‘accused’ for only even not being a Muslim but having been exposed to Islamic educations makes him ashamed, I feel sorry for him.

By: Kemal

Kemal — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:37:14 +0000

"Sorry. No cleansing allowed. I’ll embrace my "Muslim" brother Obama with all the mud splattered over my body. That should be a fair price to pay for trying to avoid the smears by smearing the smeared :)))"

I’m with you all the way sister!

"I remember NYT did have an article about this issue addressing Obama both to call upon his "accusers" for their bigotry AND to use this opportunity to address moderate Muslims out there to condemn terrorism done in the name of Islam (let’s not use "Islamic terrorism") more strongly."

This, ironically, would have been in keeping with his theme of "Change."

"And he has done neither."

Which is why he’s probably just another maniacal egomaniac narcissist like every other person who wants to become President of the U.S. Is there any more thankless job in the world?

By: Nihat

Nihat — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:24:36 +0000

In all Muslim countries, religion course is mandatory for children and yes you do learn to recite prayers.

And that’s wretchedness of it all. I guess I was lucky in that, at my time (in Turkey), religion courses were once optional, then obligatory, then optional again, but nobody made us recite nothing.

By: Selin

Selin — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:04:23 +0000

Maybe I should be more clear about what "exposure" means. For all practical and social purposes, U.S. is a Christian country. There is a tremendous exposure to a lot of Christian things, the least of which is Chrismas. But curiously, atheists who grew up with exposure to Christianity don’t seem to notice it, because it’s such a vital part of the social fabric that the influence is ignored. You need to belong to a different religion to realize how "Christian" America is. Same is true for Europe - the entire continent.

Now, given a fair amount of Christian exposure even in the U.S., should I go on to explain how one gets "exposed" to religion in a Muslim country? In all Muslim countries, religion course is mandatory for children and yes you do learn to recite prayers. This is the least of the "exposure", though.

I grew up in Turkey which is the LEAST, least, least "Muslim" country AND my family was pretty much atheist. And I cannot, in good conscience, deny exposure to Islam during my childhood. If I did, I would be lying. And I will NOT accept somebody who grew up in Indonesia, of all places, to swim in denial of that fact and get away with it. Even if it’s for a few years.

If it supposedly makes no difference whatsoever whether he is Muslim or had Muslim exposure or what not, why do people work SO hard to dispel the slightest "accusation" of any relationship or exposure to Islam? If I were an Obama supporter, I would just accept the social or even mandatory "exposure" and further hope that such things could be used by my Messiah to increase interfaith dialogue.

However, an Obama supporter I’m not. And if Obama is trying to "wash" himself from these "Muslim" smears, then I’ll do my best to try to pull him back to the "mud" his fellow Muslim brothers and sisters find themselves in. Sorry. No cleansing allowed. I’ll embrace my "Muslim" brother Obama with all the mud splattered over my body. That should be a fair price to pay for trying to avoid the smears by smearing the smeared :)))

By: Nihat

Nihat — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:39:50 +0000

Why he can’t be a Christian because he truly means it?

Because some Christians don’t like it.

By: Michael Merritt

Michael Merritt — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:33:35 +0000

Maybe he just did it because he knew it would help his career.

I’ve seen a lot of people use this reasoning for him doing it; that he’s only a Christian out of convenience. Yet, this doesn’t make much sense. Seeing as how he was still a community organizer and just entering Harvard Law at about the same time as starting with the UCC, this explanation doesn’t wash.

Why he can’t be a Christian because he truly means it?

By: Nihat

Nihat — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:31:06 +0000

Re: "Source please"

Claudia, it’s common knowledge. I should say ‘almost’; it was on mainstream TV a couple of times. But the thing is, the school officials who verified his being listed as muslim in their records also explained that such was a pretty common practice. His father (step) was Muslim; so the kid was Muslim for all practical purposes they were concerned with. (And these practical purposes are most probably as innocuous as having to write something in a blank field on a form.)

By: Claudia, Assistant Editor

Claudia, Assistant Editor — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:21:40 +0000

What difference does his mothers faith have to do with anything
? She didn’t raise him. I want to know his "white" grandmothers religion? She raised him. Talk about a disfunctional family. Now he’s raising racist kids. I wonder if his kids love their white great-grandmother?

Gotta love those "low information" voters. But KansasGirl, wasn’t he born in Africa? Maybe he’s an animist! Yeah, that’s the ticket, an African Muslim Intolerant Christian with racist kids! Just look at Malia and Sasha, you can see the hate burning in their eyes!

Gawd…

Even if Obama went to a state school in Indonesia, it did include lessons on religion. He was listed as Muslim there

Source please

By: A. A. B.

A. A. B. — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:14:47 +0000

Even if Obama went to a state school in Indonesia, it did include lessons on religion. He was listed as Muslim there, and occasionally went to mosque with friends. So I’d say he was at least a "cultural Muslim" in his childhood. Back in the US, he didn’t care much about religion. I am not sure whether his adoption of Christianity was because he liked JeremiahWright and his teachings. Maybe he just did it because he knew it would help his career.

By: KansasGirl

KansasGirl — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:12:55 +0000

What difference does his mothers faith have to do with anything
? She didn’t raise him. I want to know his "white" grandmothers religion? She raised him. Talk about a disfunctional family. Now he’s raising racist kids. I wonder if his kids love their white great-grandmother?