Barack Obama is not a Muslim.
We know this because he has told us so. We know it because there is no credible evidence to suggest otherwise.
We know it despite a campaign of lies and whispers from various bloggers, pundits and head cases.
Barack Obama is not a Muslim. But, what if he was?
Same guy, same charisma, same inspirational idealism. But also, a Muslim. Not a crazy Muslim. Not a guy prone to strapping bombs to his chest in hopes of meeting virgins in heaven. A Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-type Muslim. A Dave Chappelle, Ahmad Rashad, Shaquille O'Neal-type Muslim. A guy you like and admire who just happened to be, you know ... Muslim.
Would it matter? Should it?
The question bears answering because of the creepy, are-you-now-or-have-you-ever-been attitude toward Islam that seems to be seeping into the public dialogue lately. As in that campaign of lies and whispers that keeps showing up in my inbox - claims that Obama won't salute the flag, took his oath of office on a Quran, belongs to a terror cell and other assorted idiocy.
NBC News anchor Brian Williams has apparently been getting the same e-mails. In moderating a recent Democratic debate, he asked Obama about rumors "that you are trying to hide the fact that you're a Muslim ..."
The senator laughed a heard-that-a-few-times-before laugh. Then he replied that he is a Christian, that he is a victim of Internet rumor, and that he trusts the American people to "sort out the lies from the truth."
What bothered me is that, by its phrasing, Williams' question presupposed there is something wrong with being a Muslim. And Obama's answer left the presupposition unaddressed.
What if he was a Muslim? What then?
A 2007 Pew Research Center survey found that 43 percent of us have a favorable opinion of Muslims (make it Muslim-Americans and the number rises to 53 percent). Which may sound not so bad, except when you compare it to favorable ratings of other religious groups. Jews, for instance, are at 76 percent. Even evangelical Christians manage 60. And that ranking for Muslims represents a 5 point drop since 2004.
It's no mystery why the nation's opinion of Muslims is becoming less favorable. In a word, terrorism. And frankly, Americans are right to fear Muslim fanatics who embrace violence as a means of getting what they want.
But see, the key word there is not Muslim. It's fanatic. Yet some of us still think Muslim is the brand name for crazy. Me, I think the only difference between religious fanatics here and in the Middle East is that Middle Eastern nations tend to be theocratic (i.e., the word of the holy book has the force of law) and to be intolerant - sometimes, violently so - of dissent. So no one dares tell them no.
But if Pat Robertson, to name an American Christian fanatic not quite at random, had the force of law behind him and the ability to silence those who disagree, don't you think he would be as scary as the scariest ayatollah in Iran?
I do. That's why I would never want him to be president. Which is not quite the same as saying I'd never want a Christian to be president. I just prefer my presidents - regardless of their religion - reasonable. And sane. That seems a fair standard.
Yet it's a standard some of us now discard. The ongoing whisper campaign against Barack Obama, against his very American-ness, is a shameful appeal to ignorance and fear. Against that, I offer a simple statement the world's most famous and well-loved follower of Islam made just after the Sept. 11 attacks.
"I am a Muslim," said Muhammad Ali. "I am an American."
That says it all. Or at least, it should.
Comments
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Ragingbear (anonymous) says…
What if George Bush was actually Lord Xenu? What if Hillary Clinton were a mutant gopher? What if cows developed intelligence and used us as a source of milk instead of the other way around?
It just makes you wonder why this guy is even employed with garbage "editorials" like this.
merrill (anonymous) says…
An interesting thought posed by George Alligator the unknown to anyone editorialist.
"Billary has been slow to get the message, so the party has dropped that 16 ton weight in the form of Ted Kennedy. The Clintons are going to pipe down, clean up their act and concede graciously.
With candidate Obama on the ticket you are going to see black voter registration like you wouldn't believe in Florida, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Louisianna Mississippi ... The GOP is going to have to fight like hell on its home ground and with no financial advantage. The press LOVES Obama. If Romney gets the GOP nod, the Solid South could break. Republicans in Congress would have to caucus with the Marxist Libertarian Party just to get in out of the cold..."
So will the Clintons concede graciously?
thebcman (anonymous) says…
What if George W. Bush had a brain ???
RonBurgandy (anonymous) says…
Great article.
antney (anonymous) says…
People are still questioning whether Obama is black enough, I can't imagine if he was Muslim.
In this nation of lingering racism, intolerance and bigotry (as seen from comments above), we see a candidate rising from all this resistance to be a front runner for President. The American Dream is being realized by an African-American, abandoned by his father, raised by his single mother, tempted by drugs, yet earned his way through America's top colleges and now has the audacity to run for President. Its scaring the hell out the establisment and they'll say anything to stop his ascession.
Go Barrack!
RonBurgandy (anonymous) says…
I love people that make such stupid statements only because they enjoy the attention.
satar (anonymous) says…
Its just kills me for as long as this country has been around and even before. that we still have a hang up on race...
Stain (anonymous) says…
When Christians decided to become a political party they opened themselves up to criticism of their political activity. It has nothing to do with their faith. If they cannot stand the political heat, they should stay out of the political kitchen. They do not get a free pass just because the are of a certain religion.
satar (anonymous) says…
you said it stain
Left_handed (anonymous) says…
It's only an issue if he was, and for political reasons has covered it up and lied about it. Then again, as a democrat, he is probably immune from any ill effects from lying. To me it doesn't matter, because he's a dangerous socialist and I wouldn't vote for him under any circumstances.
Why is it if blacks vote in droves for a candidate merely because he's black it's not racist, but if whites vote for his white opponent it's racist? Interesting world we live in.
bangaranggerg (anonymous) says…
What if I hadn't read this crap? I'd have that 5 minutes of my life back.
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
Left_handed (Anonymous) says:
"Why is it if blacks vote in droves for a candidate merely because he's black it's not racist, but if whites vote for his white opponent it's racist? Interesting world we live in."
___________________________________________
Who says its "racist?"
And what evidence do you have that such things even happen?
Seems your imagination may be running away with you a bit.
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
logicsound04 (Anonymous) says:
"If whites vote for a white candidate 'merely because he's white', it WOULD be racially-biased."
___________________________________________
And what you're saying, logic, is that if blacks vote for a black candidate 'merely because he's black'... it would **not** be racially-biased...???
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
Okay. I'll agree with that.
Really, satar nailed it @ 9:26am: We really should be beyond all this.
And the salient points of Pitts' commentary are here, for those that missed them:
_____________________________
"But see, the key word there is not Muslim. It's fanatic. Yet some of us still think Muslim is the brand name for crazy. Me, I think the only difference between religious fanatics here and in the Middle East is that Middle Eastern nations tend to be theocratic (i.e., the word of the holy book has the force of law) and to be intolerant - sometimes, violently so - of dissent. So no one dares tell them no.
"But if Pat Robertson, to name an American Christian fanatic not quite at random, had the force of law behind him and the ability to silence those who disagree, don't you think he would be as scary as the scariest ayatollah in Iran?
"I do. That's why I would never want him to be president. Which is not quite the same as saying I'd never want a Christian to be president. I just prefer my presidents - regardless of their religion - reasonable. And sane. That seems a fair standard."
_____________________________
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
It's obviously a big enough fear for you to engage in your usual brand of mental masturbation, RoseyRedPaw...
guesswho (anonymous) says…
What happened to freedom of religion in this country? The president should appreciate all religions
I wish religion would be taken out of all presidential politics, whether the candidate is or is not a Mormon, Catholic, Jew, Atheist, Agnostic, Muslim, etc. We are not electing a dictator or king (queen), presidents can only do so much with dealing with congress and the Supreme Court.
Get over it.
pace (anonymous) says…
Who cares about rather he addressed the question correctly or what if he was a Sufi. He would have to be a witch to bring us health care, repair the economyand address the environmental needs. He looks better than Bush. He at least looks like he will try. Maybe if we replace congress and the senate with people not on the take.
50YearResident (anonymous) says…
As long as we are fighting Muslims anywhere in the world, there will never be a Muslim elected as President.
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
Funny, I though it was a WOT... not a WOM or a WOI...
Logan5 (anonymous) says…
"A 2007 Pew Research Center survey found that 43 percent of us have a favorable opinion of Muslims (make it Muslim-Americans and the number rises to 53 percent). Which may sound not so bad, except when you compare it to favorable ratings of other religious groups. Jews, for instance, are at 76 percent. Even evangelical Christians manage 60."
I wonder how atheists ranked in the poll.
satar (anonymous) says…
They don't rank us...
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
As I mentioned elsewhere... Condi Rice would make a great running mate for any of the candidates...
Confrontation (anonymous) says…
I honestly don't care what religion Obama is, since people of every religion can be equally trusted/distrusted. The conservatards are trying to claim things that aren't true, as usual. It scares the good ol' white boy network to have a powerful black man in the arena. Not surprisingly, it also scares them to have a powerful woman in the arena, regardless of her color. Nothing could be worse than the trash we have in the top office right now. Right, Dubya?
jonas (anonymous) says…
"Or Obama remains a Christian and Islamic radicals could show us a jihad like no other jihad ever seen before and we are looking in our rearview mirrors and Obama's people are forced to finally and frantically dial W and Dick's numbers, who I personally hope will not answer the phone and not be available for comment. Cheney will likely have died of a heart attack, I'm guessing somewhere within app. six months of leaving DC. Bush will fade from the scene for-who knows how long. The certainty is the you_know_who's are blaming all of this on W and Dick-*STILL*."
I find this scenario a trifle unlikely, save for the last line.
dorothyhr (Dorothy Hoyt-Reed) says…
"As long as we are fighting Muslims anywhere in the world, there will never be a Muslim elected as President."
Well, so far that is not a problem, because obama is not a muslim!!! don't believe that lies!
satar (anonymous) says…
I think that the last type of president we need is a Christian since most of them lie also.;.
00jester (anonymous) says…
"Why is it if blacks vote in droves for a candidate merely because he's black it's not racist, but if whites vote for his white opponent it's racist"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
What a blanket comment with absolutely no foundation. If black people vote for him beacuse of his "blackness", it would be more based on the fact that he can relate to them more then other canidates and and possibly do something to help their current situation.
As long as we are fighting Muslims anywhere in the world, there will never be a Muslim elected as President.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ya, it's a good thing we haven't fought any Christians ever, using this logic, we could never have had a Christian president, or wait, didn't we have one?
more_cowbell (anonymous) says…
"If he is president, one of several variations of scenarios could evolve."
right_thinker,
(regarding said scenarios) wet dreams much?
Speakout (anonymous) says…
You guys certainly can take a story and make up your own fairy tale in response. No one goes after people who converted away from Islam. Why would anyone bother? Who cares? I mean if a person wants to believe in something else, that is their choice and they can deal with their God about that. Get a grip Right thinker. You are such a dreamer.
kneejerkreaction (anonymous) says…
This was Bill's big chance for a legacy beyond Monica Lewinsky. First Man married to First Woman President would have pretty much taken Front Row Seating and Monica would have been relegated to some other row in the rear of Bill's legacy stadium.
Personally, I don't think the guy deserves to be remembered for anything but the louse he is/was.
The fact that he's now blowing it (no pun intended, but a pretty good one anyway) for Hill, is only poetic justice.
KU_cynic (anonymous) says…
Grammar police:
What if Barak Obama were a Muslim? is the correct phrasing.
Sorry, Pitts, can't blame the L-JW editors for the slip, as it's in your copy, not just the headline.
RalphReed (Ralph Reed) says…
right_thinker (Anonymous) writes:
"Obama is a Christian. He is considered a murtadd (apostate) by the Muslim world:.in summary, they want his head on a platter."
"If he is president, one of several variations of scenarios could evolve."
(http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/jan...)
*****
rt, i agree with your first sentence in the quote. The rest of your comment has no basis in fact and is simply a digest of several conspiracy theories. You did put them together well though, very concise.
**************
Dollypawpaw (Anonymous) writes:
"Its not if he is black enough, the question is, "is he white enough".
Liberals racist infatuation with the color of people is deplorable."
*****
dpp - from my viewpoint the infatuation of which you speak is not "liberal, racist infatuation". Most of the attacks are coming from the GOP side of the fence (past masters at attack ads). So, the infatuation is coming from the opposite end of the spectrum; using your words it is "conservative, racist infatuation".
**************
Dollypawpaw (Anonymous) writes:
"I wonder what the white male Protestants that started this country would have to say about that stain."
******
Jefferson was a diest (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism)
Franklin was a deist (http://www.adherents.com/people/pf/Be...)
George Washington - not sure - (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W...)
John Adams was "Unitarian, which was a non-trinitarian Protestant Christian denomination during the Colonial era." (http://www.adherents.com/people/pa/Jo...)
Note, from the same article on John Adams. "Adams was aware of (and wary of) the risks, such as persecution of minorities and the temptation to wage holy wars, that an established religion poses. Nonetheless, he believed that religion, by uniting and morally guiding the people, had a role in public life." That's a very interesting comment.
John Q. Adams was a Unitarian like John Adams. (http://www.answers.com/topic/john-qui...)
Should I continue dpp?
*******************
Agnostick (Anonymous) writes:
"Really, satar nailed it @ 9:26am: We really should be beyond all this."
*****
Nothing more needs to be said. Except that we're not.
**************
I'm me. Who are you behind your hood of anonymity?
BigPrune (anonymous) says…
Barak Hussein Obama is NOT a muslim. His name has nothing to do with it, either. Just ask Jose Padillo I mean Abdullah Al Mujahir.
Jimbo (Robert bickers) says…
My only concern about Obama's religion is other people's perceptions of it. If a radical Muslim theocrat decided that Obama was an apostate - even though that idea is patently false - it puts him at greater risk than any president in history. That shouldn't be an issue at all, but it unfortunately is.
overplayedhistory (anonymous) says…
What will some of the repugnant people on here do if we actually have a President who inspires people and keeps it in his pants.
My parents who are life long republicans are registering as Dems and voting on Feb 5 for Obama.
All you have to do even if you are registered as a republican is show up to the proper place and register as a Democrat and vote.
This is probably the only time your vote in this state will count.
If you are on the fence, please watch Obama's SC victory speech on Youtube. Tell me after you watch it if you think there is anyone you would rather have go to the floor of the UN and try to repair the damage that has been done.
Race does not matter. Race is not why he is the best candidate. Electing the first Brown President because he was the best choice would show the world something about the American people.
kidmystic (anonymous) says…
and don't forget when hillary was called a b*%ch in front of mccain and he laughed it off; and the media couldn't have cared less. muslims, women, i thought this kind of stupidity was over. but put a non-white, non-male candidate in front of these conservatives and it's obvious how far we still have to go. god forbid a gay man or a (in a scared whisper) atheist, ever gets attention. makes me sad.
Newell_Post (anonymous) says…
What if Barack Obama were a Mormon?.
Speakout (anonymous) says…
He Would still have my vote. I like this man for all his good ideas and I think he can bring about the change we Americans need.
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
http://www.cthulhu.org/
kidmystic (anonymous) says…
yeah, the guilt vote is the only thinkg keeping him in this. and don't forget--the economy is better off now than 8 years ago...we're winning the war in iraq...
when things don't match up with your world view, just put on the blinders and deny everything!!!!!!!! (wasn't that bush's re-election slogan?)
kidmystic (anonymous) says…
ps-good point on the mormon comment.
i'm not a fan of romney, but as long as he's not a 'mormon terrorist', he should get a fair shake from all voters; be judged on his ideas and his record. that should be enough to do him in : ) same with huckabee. the fact that he was a pastor shouldn't be an automatic negative. of course, the fact that his past leads him to believe that gays are going to hell and people with HIV should be removed from society...that and abolishing the IRS should qualify him as nutty as a squirrel turd.
BigPrune (anonymous) says…
I have read every book Oprah has endorsed. If she wants King Tut (Obama) to take the whitehouse, then I must follow her. I worship the grounds she walks on. Now, if only she didn't have 80 pounds of crack, she would be a real looker.