Sunday
Aug222010
UPDATED US Politics: Obama is a Muslim (This Time They're Serious)
Sunday, August 22, 2010 at 8:42 
UPDATE 22 August: Reverend Franklin Graham, the son of legendary preacher Billy Graham and a prominent evangelist in his own right, stokes the flames in an interview on CNN: "I think the President's problem is that he was born a Muslim, his father was a Muslim. The seed of Islam is passed through the father like the seed of Judaism is passed through the mother. He was born a Muslim, his father gave him an Islamic name...."Now it's obvious that the president has renounced the prophet Mohammed, and he has renounced Islam, and he has accepted Jesus Christ. That's what he says he has done. I cannot say that he hasn't. So I just have to believe that the president is what he has said....The Islamic world sees the president as one of theirs."
Juan Cole takes apart Graham's claim: "Unlike in Judaism, one is not born a Muslim. Rather, children of Muslim parents who embrace Islam typically recite the confession of faith around puberty and undertake to fulfill the obligations of Islamic law at that time."
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzKs2b34rjQ[/youtube]
US Politics & Religion: A Way Forward on and beyond the Islamic Cultural Centre (Ezell)
UPDATE 0945 GMT: Chris McGreal of The Guardian profiles Pam Geller, whose blog Atlas Shrugs has been instrumental in promoting the notion of "The Islamization of America" and in converting the proposed Islamic Cultural Center in New York City into a crisis.
UPDATE 0900 GMT: And the Serious Parodies Keep Coming. James Taranto, has been given cover for years by The Wall Street Journal to re-work news into a cudgel against "liberals" --- one of his latest ventures is to endorse the "reporting" of The New York Post, "The developers of the Ground Zero mosque are refusing to flat out reject cash for the project from Holocaust-denying Iranian nuke nut Mahmoud Ahmadinejad".
So rather than consider how we have gotten to the point where CNN would post the large headline at the bottom of the TV screen, "W.H. [White House]: PRES. OBAMA ISN'T MUSLIM", Taranto sees Liberal Conspiracy: "The agenda behind these polls [showing 18% of Americans believe the President is a secret Muslim], and the liberal media's reporting on them, is to portray critics of President Obama as kooks and idiots."
Ever since November 2008, less than three weeks after the birth of EA, we have tracked --- tongue firmly in cheek --- the shocking story that Barack Obama is in fact a Muslim. We first brought you the truth courtesy of our favourite on-line encyclopedia, Wikipedia. We were there when Obama outed himself (at least for our fellow "journalists"), "The Muslim world is filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives." We were there for the Obama bow-down to the Saudi king.
We were even there for the revelation --- which, thanks to the liberals who dominate the US media, never appeared --- that Obama was actually Osama.
However, amidst the current whipped-up controversy over the Islamic Cultural Center in New York City, perhaps it's time to suggest that this is not a tongue-in-cheek matter. The Washington Times, the second-largest newspaper in the US capital, allowed its staff member Jeffrey Kuhner free rein in Friday's edition. And they did so with the doctored photograph posted above:
President Obama has revealed his true nature. After 20 months in the Oval Office, he still remained a largely unknown figure. A picture is coming into focus now, and it should trouble all Americans. It is widely known that Mr. Obama is a post-national progressive. Yet he is also a cultural Muslim who is promoting an anti-American, pro-Islamic agenda. This is the real meaning of his warm - and completely needless - embrace of the Ground Zero Mosque.
At an Iftar dinner celebrating Ramadan at the White House, Mr. Obama told Muslim-Americans that he supports the building of an Islamic community center and mosque just two blocks away from where the Twin Towers were destroyed and nearly 3,000 Americans were murdered on Sept. 11, 2001. He later tried to back away from those comments. Mr. Obama said he was defending the right of religious freedom but not the "wisdom" of erecting the mosque.
Nonetheless, Mr. Obama has been clear: In his view, the Ground Zero Mosque should be built. There was no good practical reason even to comment on the issue. He had been silent for weeks as the controversy gathered steam. The overwhelming majority of the American people oppose the mosque - especially the families of the Sept. 11 victims. Politically, it is a loser - for him and his party. Yet he could not keep his mouth shut. Why?
Answer: For Mr. Obama, defending Islam has been a key priority of his presidency. In his famous speech in Cairo, Mr. Obama apologized to the Muslim world for the alleged "sins" and "mistakes" of America - even though no country has done more to liberate Islamic peoples than the United States, including campaigns in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. His aim was to engage the Islamic world on its terms and norms rather than defend America's values and national interests.
Mr. Obama openly bragged about his "Muslim background" and that his family had "followers of Islam." He spoke of his youth in Indonesia, his study of the Koran and the call to Islamic prayer. In short, he discovered his inner Muslim in an attempt to ingratiate himself with the Arab street. The message was: I understand you, and I will usher in a new era of Islamic-American relations.
This Mr. Obama has done with a vengeance. He is the most Muslim-friendly president in the nation's history. He wants the detention center at Guantanamo Bay closed. He demands that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, be tried in civilian court - with the full legal and constitutional protections given to U.S. citizens - several blocks from the World Trade Center site. He has ordered that the words "Muslim extremist," "Islamic terrorist" and "jihad" be cleansed from national security documents. He is openly anti-Israel. And he is prematurely withdrawing combat troops from Iraq, threatening to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Israeli military and intelligence officials concede that the administration - through diplomatic back channels - has told Jerusalem that Washington will not bomb Iran's nuclear facilities. The Jews are on their own in confronting the Holocaust-denying dictator President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mr. Obama's tepid sanctions have failed to curb Iran's relentless march toward acquiring the nuclear bomb. This weekend, the Iranian nuclear power plant at Bushehr will begin fueling with enriched uranium. Thus, theocratic Iran is on the cusp of becoming a nuclear power. It is only a matter of time before radical Islam also has the bomb.
Mr. Obama has done everything possible to appease the Muslim world - including, now, backing the Ground Zero Mosque....
Read rest of article....
Reader Comments (22)
WitteKr,
Well-taken points. Unfortunately --- because of its location --- Wash Times gets more exposure and thus has more potential impact than its ranking would suggest. Unlike Fox, which is viewed by many as propaganda rather than news outlet, the newspaper also has the cloak of being in the field of journalism.
S.
RE The First Amendment was designed to protect the majority from the tyranny of a religious minority favored by the federal government.
Question: does the celebration by the White House with a limited number of guests and staff of Christmas, Easter, Passover (Seder dinner), Ramadan (Iftar dinner), and who knows if they do Divali too, constitute "the tyranny of a religious minority favored by the federal government"?
If any minority is favoured by the federal government it's Jews and their lobbies.
He spoke of his youth in Indonesia, his study of the Koran and the call to Islamic prayer. In short, he discovered his inner Muslim in an attempt to ingratiate himself with the Arab street. The message was: I understand you, and I will usher in a new era of Islamic-American relations.
http://www.pandorabraceletdiscount.com rel="nofollow">Pandora Bracelet
Pam Geller is unfortunately very good at unleashing and using already existing passions and prejudices:
From the article: "But while Geller has inserted herself into mainstream politics in America, she has also aligned herself with far-right causes across the globe including the English Defence League in Britain, white supremacists in South Africa and Serbian war criminals".
When people express concern about foreign terrorism and extremism gaining footholds inside the US, they should also have operators like Geller in mind:
"While mainstream politicians in Britain and other parts of Europe generally steer clear of the likes of the EDL, Wilders and Serbian war criminals, Geller is providing a bridge between foreign extremists and prominent politicians in the US."
Swing to the opposite end of the ideological spectrum and we get The New York Times and Isabel Kershner. And Fox News is the only news organization that actually questions President Obama's policies. The White House can rest easy. It has a largely complicit media, with frothing leftists like Keith Olbermann -- the Obaman pit bull.
If Obama is not a Muslim, a Jew, or a Christian, then what is he? We keep rambling on about what he's not, but we haven't answered the question.
Here, the AP has a set of accepted facts and approved terminology.
http://www.ap.org/pages/about/pressreleases/pr_081910b.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.ap.org/pages/about/pressreleases/pr_...
Dave
"If Obama is not a Muslim, a Jew, or a Christian, then what is he? We keep rambling on about what he's not, but we haven't answered the question. "
I am no lover/supporter of Obama - but am wondering why you need an answer to a question like this. Is it so that you can "pigeon hole" him. If so - place him in the "young, naive and inexperienced" pigeon hole
Barry
Dave and Baz,
Obama is actually green- green behind the ears!
Dave,
You forget Chris Mathews; the fellow with thrill ups his legs for Obama.
I don't care if he subscribes to a faith or not. I just care about the issues. But, like many Americans, I am curious. He claims to be a Christian, but hasn't darkened the doors of a church since his presidency began. Where's Billy Graham? Heck, even Richard Nixon invited Billy Graham to the White House. Ronnie met with Graham many times and it didn't bother Nancy and her astrologist friend. Perhaps the dates for his visits were arranged in accordance with the positions/alignment of the planets. Either way, Reverend Graham's visits have been a White House tradition for decades. I suspect Obama is a Deist.
Americans have always wanted to know which creed their president professed. Many Americans believed that Abraham Lincoln was Catholic. Some thought FDR was a Jew.
That was very interesting, Dave. Thanks for posting. I didn't realise you can find these internal guidelines on news agencies' internet sites. And the Fact Check the AP includes underneath its instructions is actually the same one I posted here on 08/20/2010 09:57 AM in another thread - but I found it on the Fox News website! :-)
http://enduringamerica.com/2010/08/19/us-politics-a-way-forward-on-and-beyond-the-islamic-cultural-centre-ezell/#comment-70166498" rel="nofollow">http://enduringamerica.com/2010/08/19/us-politi...
I don't know if this will clear matters up, but for what it's worth.... At the Leadership and Compassion Forum, hosted by pastor Rick Warren at Saddleback Church on August 16 2008, Warren asked a number of questions to both candidates Obama and McCain.
Here's Obama's answer to this question: What does it mean to you to be a follower of Christ?
Warren: ... Now, you’ve made no doubt about your faith in Jesus Christ. What does that mean to you? What does that mean to you to trust in Christ? What does that mean on a daily basis? I mean, what does that really look like?
Obama: Well, as a starting point, it means I believe in — that Jesus Christ died for my sins, and that I am redeemed through Him. That is a source of strength and sustenance on a daily basis. I know that I don’t walk alone. And I know that if I can get myself out of the way that, you know, I can maybe carry out in some small way what — what He intends. And it means that those sins that I have, on a fairly regular basis, hopefully will be washed away.
But what it also means, I think, is a sense of obligation to embrace not just words but, through deeds, the expectations, I think, that God has for us. And that means thinking about the least of these. It means acting, well, acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with our God. And that, I think, trying to apply those lessons on a daily basis, knowing that you’re going to fall a little bit short each day, and being able to kind of take note and saying: 'well, that didn’t quite work out the way I think it should have, but maybe I can get a little bit better'.
It gives me the confidence to try things, including things like running for President that — where you are going to screw up once in a while.
http://trevinwax.com/2008/08/17/obama-mccain-with-rick-warren-at-saddleback-forum-video/" rel="nofollow">http://trevinwax.com/2008/08/17/obama-mccain-wi...
Over the Easter holiday this year, Obama did invite some 90 Christian leaders to the White House for a prayer breakfast and he spelled out exactly what he believes. The relevant part starts at paragraph 8, "For even after the passage of 2,000 years, we can still picture the moment in our mind’s eye...."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-easter-prayer-breakfast" rel="nofollow">http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/rema...
Among the names of guests released by the White House were Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston; Bill Hybels, senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago; Kirbyjon Caldwell, senior pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston; Peg Chemberlin, president of the National Council of Churches; Sharon Watkins, president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Julius Scruggs, president of the National Baptist Convention of America; Israel Gaither, national commander of the Salvation Army; Carol Keehan, president of the Catholic Health Association; and Nancy Wilson, moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches. Although SBC President Johnny Hunt's name was not released by the White House, he did attend the breakfast, his office said.
Scott,
Thanks for the update. I was just about to post something on this together with Juan Cole's excellent rebuttal. I was truly surprised at Rev F. Graham's ignorant statement, which he pronounced with such a air of authority. The blind leading the blind is what is causing so much error and confusion as to Obama's religious faith.
RE Cole: "Those Americans who insist on seeing Obama as a Muslim are ‘othering’ him, and probably are using religion as a proxy for race."
Professor Akbar Ahmed, the chair of Islamic studies at American University, made a comparable point, which may be just as true as Cole's: "...it is the environment, the social environment in which we are living. To suggest that President Obama is a Muslim, which he is not -- he is a Christian -- he has said that again and again -- is really to associate him with Islam.
And Islam today has an atmosphere around it of distrust, of hatred, of paranoia. And the tragedy is that that is the real target, the bigger target because that is what we're seeing on the global stage. And we're hearing Islam is evil. It's equated to Nazism and so on."
From: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1008/20/acd.02.html" rel="nofollow">http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1008/20/...
In his own words from his book, the president makes it extremely clear where his loyalties lie! “ Quote from Obama’s book: Audacity of Hope: 'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction..'"
The man's religion aside, his loyalties are clear and they are in fact extremely pro Muslim. Or could it be that as in his entire presidency so far, his own words in his own book are also just a bald faced lie?
Juan Cole is being very "cute" and disengenuous- he tells the truth, but not the WHOLE truth!!
“Unlike in Judaism, one is not born a Muslim. Rather, children of Muslim parents who embrace Islam typically recite the confession of faith around puberty and undertake to fulfill the obligations of Islamic law at that time.”
I wonder what are the statistics of young children ( born into an Islamic society) approaching puberty who have declined to "recite the confession of faith around puberty and undertake to fulfill the obligations of Islamic law"
Religion is an insidious form of brainwashing (in all societies) - which even those who are religious cannot see. This brainwashing - conducted during childhood - is what makes most people Christian, Buddhist, Animist, Jewish, etc. -- except of course for those very few who adopt a faith after achieving adulthood - OH, wait, you aren't allowed to do that in one religion, at pain of death!!
Barry
Insane! What, the president has to pass the religious test now? .. not to mention the fact that he didn't even meet his birth father until he was a teenager. & Graham makes these remarks about Islam like he's an expert? and this is supposed to apply to every individual case and be the end all of all debates because he's Billy Graham's son? WTF? What's worse is that this is coming from a supposed NEWS network? That's it, I'm clicking my heals. There's no place like home! There's no place like home!
This is total bullshit. Your quote that Obama would "stand with the
Muslims" comes straight out of a misleading chain e-mail with a
scurrilous collection of falsified, doctored and context-free Obama
"quotations" that http://FactCheck.org" rel="nofollow">FactCheck.org debunked back in June 2008. Here's what
they had to say about this particular quote:
A second false quote has Obama saying he would "stand with the Muslims,"
words that don't appear in his book. What he actually said is that he
would stand with American immigrants from Pakistan or Arab countries
should they be faced with something like the forced detention of
Japanese-American families in World War II:
Misleading e-mail: From Audacity of Hope: "I will stand with the Muslims
should the political winds shift in an ugly direction."
Actual quote from "The Audacity of Hope" [pg. 261]: "Of course, not all
my conversations in immigrant communities follow this easy pattern. In
the wake of 9/11, my meetings with Arab and Pakistani Americans, for
example, have a more urgent quality, for the stories of detentions and
FBI questioning and hard stares from neighbors have shaken their sense
of security and belonging. They have been reminded that the history of
immigration in this country has a dark underbelly; they need specific
assurances that their citizenship really means something, that America
has learned the right lessons from the Japanese internments during World
War II, and that I will stand with them should the political winds shift
in an ugly direction".
Obama did not say he would side with "the Muslims," which could easily
be read as meaning he would side with the world's Muslim population even
if it meant working outside the best interests of the United States. He
said he would side with "them," referring back to his mention of
immigrant communities and specifically to "Arab and Pakistani
Americans." Furthermore, he was speaking of an "ugly direction" like the
mass internment of Japanese Americans. This false quote goes hand in
hand with the equally false rumor that Obama is a Muslim.
http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_obama_write_that_he_would_stan" rel="nofollow">http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_obama...
d.html
Link to http://FactCheck.org" rel="nofollow">FactCheck.org page above:
http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_obama_write_that_he_would_stand.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_obama...
Bruce Feiler writes:
Perhaps the most surprising thing about the news this week that 1 in 5 Americans believes that Barack Obama is Muslim is that so many people greeted the news as a surprise. Americans taking out their discrimination toward minority religions on the president of the United States is as American as apple pie; the custom has been going on as long as there has been a presidency. George Washington was the subject of widespread grumbling that he was a more loyal Mason than he was a Christian.
Find out what other presidents were accused of: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-feiler/obama-a-muslim-lincoln-a-_b_688527.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-feiler/obam...
Maybe you can provide a translation so we can see what you mean?
oh sorry, I pasted the persian link, actually the article is political satire, unfortunately the English translation doesn't do the original justice =(
here is the translation
http://www.fozoolemahaleh.com/en/2010/08/27/mullah-obama-welcomes-you-to-the-world-of-islam/
Thank you for your comment, unfortunately you are right the humour is lost.
We know about that article, thank you for the link.
Regards
Fozoole