Obama Islam Smear Changes Stripes
When the Islam smear against Obama first came out, it was based on the idea that he is currently, a Muslim.
Then the Pastor Wright controversy put that mess to rest, since Obama's affiliations to an obviously Christian Church became front and center.
Now there is a new Islam smear. This one says that Obama was a Muslim -- and as a result, he is going to arouse the wrath of Muslims around the world who are going to want to kill him for apostasy (converting away from Islam, punishable by death).
This new version comes to us via Edward Luttwak in the New York Times.
Luttwak says:
As the son of the Muslim father, Senator Obama was born a Muslim under Muslim law as it is universally understood. It makes no difference that, as Senator Obama has written, his father said he renounced his religion. Likewise, under Muslim law based on the Koran his mother's Christian background is irrelevant.*
With few exceptions, the jurists of all Sunni and Shiite schools prescribe execution for all adults who leave the faith not under duress; the recommended punishment is beheading at the hands of a cleric, although in recent years there have been both stonings and hangings.
There are fundamental problems with views like Luttwak's.
First of all, under orthodox Islamic law, the punishment for apostasy can only be carried out by the state. Luttwack, with his facile understanding of Sharia, clearly doesn't understand this. The clerics Luttwack is talking about can't just stroll up to Obama and stick him in the sand. They have to go through the established procedural norms of Islamic criminal law which is inherently tied to the functioning of a state apparatus. This means that a country like Saudi Arabia or Iran or Pakistan would have to indict Obama on apostasy charges in their courts. Obviously this is not going to happen, because none of these countries have jurisdiction over Obama. Not only is it asinine for any of these countries to make such an indictment, it doesn't make sense under international law -- which, in case Mr. Luttwack has forgotten, is what the world is suppose to abide by. Luttwack's affirmation of Islamic law over and above international law should raise concerns, not only about his expertise, but also his allegiances.
Second, it may be true that there will be fanatics who believe that they can flout the rules of Islamic law and try to assassinate Obama without permission from a state. However, these people probably want to assassinate American presidents regardless -- so considering their opinion is a bit farcical. Is there a functional difference between a fanatic that wants to kill our president because he is a Western Cowboy and a fanatic that wants to kill our president because he is a Western Apostate? Luttwack's article is solid fear-mongering.
Third, people that appear to be Muslims, but don't follow Islam and choose another religion, are permitted under Islamic law to leave Islam without penalty. A major case in Malaysia recently handed down -- a woman who was Muslim for some time in order to marry an Iranian was permitted to go back to Buddhism -- is an example. Obama, unlike the Malaysian woman, didn't even make a profession of faith to Islam, so it makes even less sense for him to be considered an apostate.
Fourth, Islamic law recognizes abandonment by the biological father. Obama's Kenyan father abandoned Obama. As such, any religious imprimatur he may have had over Obama -- which is already a stretch since the man was an atheist -- is null and void. In such a situation, Obama's mother's religion is controlling. She was not Muslim. Even if someone makes the argument from patriarchy: that Obama's paternal grandparents were his rightful guardians, that would fail since they also constructively abandoned him.
There is a corollary issue here: what about the fact that Obama's second father, the Indonesian, was a "non-practicing Muslim." Doesn't his faith transfer over to Obama? The answer is no. Under Islamic law, step-fathers do not acquire ownership over the child. Their relationship to the child emanates from their relationship to the child's mother. Again, Obama's mother was not Muslim. If a practicing Muslim man marries a Christian woman with children from a previous marriage, her children wouldn't automatically become Muslim. Here, the new father wasn't even practicing.
Luttwack and the other fake experts promoting this new smear do not understand Islam. Religion is not hereditary as it is in Judaism. Islam is not a race. Just because a child has a Muslim father -- which, again, Obama didn't -- doesn't mean anything unless the child is being raised as a Muslim. At the time of birth, Muslims engage in a symbolic act -- of saying the Call to Prayer in the child's ear -- that renders a child Muslim. If Obama's father was agnostic/atheist, then he wouldn't have done such a thing.
No call to prayer in the ear, not raised as a Muslim, born to an atheist father, and then abandoned to a Christian mother both by father and his family, equals not Muslim. Obama is right to say he had no religion until he became a Christian.
Those who actually study Muslims see that there are millions of inter-religious marriages -- between Muslim men and Hindu women for example -- in which the children are being raised as pantheists, or even, Hindu. When these children grow up, they aren't killed for being apostates (though some Muslims do thumb their noses at the father for "allowing" his children to be raised non-Muslim).
By the way, Boris Johnson, the new mayor of London, who has a Turkish grandfather, is often smeared the same way Obama is in Luttwack's article (see the picture at the bottom). In the case of the UK, the smears come from the ultra-right BNP party. Great to see that the New York Times has followed suit. I recommend that we begin calling the Islam smear what it really is: smearing immigrants.
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Excuse me. This is the United States of America.
What is Barak Obama's religion?
Anything he wants it to be. We have the 1st Amendment which says of religion "no law . . .prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
The Constitution also prohibits religious tests for any office.
In other words we, as Americans, are guaranteed the right to see God in any way, shape, or form we desire. Or to reject it outright.
Baraks religion is between himself and his God.
It is none of our DAMN BUSINESS!!
US is the most powerful country in the world and yet for some weird reason politics and religion are tied like no other country in the western world.....Even in a very religious country like Mexico(90% of the population are catholics),religion has never been an issue to elect a president....
Thanks for the info.
I find the NYT's article such a sham... as if even if there were any grounds for their stupid argument... fundamentalists are really distinguishing between the apostate and the head of the infidel satanic government of the USA...
This might be something that excited the world of Hannity, but common Americans are much more intelligent than that... but it doesn't hurt to have an article like this pointing out the stupidities of the NYT. Shouldn't a newspaper that considers itself serious actually check their facts before printing?
Actually Obama faces more danger from people right here in America good old fashion blue blooded American that put out article smearing him with Islam these Narrow minded ignorant people running around with degrees (our education has truly failed some of us), religious fanatics they are no more safe for our democracy than Islamic extremist. In fact I would say they POSE More of a danger because at least with Islamic extremist you know what to expect you are under no illusion but these people that believe that someone with a muslim sounding name and who's father was a muslim should not be President fo the US are the TRUE DANGER to America because they masqurade sp? as patriots when in reality they are a danger to democracy and the US way of life. These are the people we should TRULY fear and who Obama should fear. Its the fascist that make their way into our culture and into government thankfully they American people are seeing that more and more and what do they become even Nastier with their silly smear guilt by association guilt by what your father's religion NONSENSE. Because someone from Hamas said they like Obama for President it means Obama is a Hamas sympathizer. The American people is smarter and some of them dont eve even have degrees.
Carol
Quote
"This means that a country like Saudi Arabia or Iran or Pakistan would have to indict Obama on apostasy charges in their courts."
I beg to differ, not a single country in the world is an Islamic state. Even if u take a very liberal point of view and include Saudi Arab and Iran, noway you can include Pakistan as an Islamic state. As for Iran and Saudi Arab, the reason I don't call them Islamic state is cuz they are hypocrites, sharia law is only for the masses, not for the elites and this nullify the Sharia's basic principle that is no one is above the law.
That is the problem of 3rd world and not only so called Islamic countries. No respect for law, Interntional law take precedence over sharia Law as per Quran.
Well you are right of course, Ali but consider the writer, it is not the first time that he has gone after immigrants.
Although dismissed as false and racially divisive, by scholars and others, he blamed the LA riots, on 'immigrants', after the Rodney King court fiasco in which all of the police involved were acquitted. At that time his target was Hispanics. He tried to stoke the racial tension between Hispanics and African Americans.
He is typical of the right-wing in this country and the supporters of the Likud party in Israel.
They have no cause to want Obama in the Presidency, particularly given his expressed concerns about the Likud and the fact that he is willing to reach out and 'talk' to all.
Facilitated by the NYTimes, he delivers the same rationale (complete with deliberate perversions of the truth) that the right-wing, Likud supporters like Daniel Pipes has been using, trying to kill support for Obama among American Jews.
He is what he is, a right wing, nasty piece of work.
The blame and sum of all my disgust lies with the NY Times that enabled him in this smear job on Obama and Muslims.
You go, Mr. Eteraz. Thank you you for the information. Much appreciated.
First thing on Obama's agenda should be to educate Americans on Mid East history. I'd wager most Americans know nothing of Europe's colonial past in North Africa and the Mid East. Than again, it's a little more difficult to bomb the shit out of someone you sympathize with. While the Holocaust is as heavily publicized as a tragedy can be, most people remain appallingly ignorant about Muslim suffering at the hands of England, France, and the US. Well, one must look no further than our current state, for the people who have suffered the most in the past decade and a half have been muslim. The damnation that 9-11 brought landed squarely at the foot steps of the Arabs. 9-11 represented the green light needed, to completely disregard Muslim and Arab life, and it's our Gov't's unofficial stance that Muslim life is worth less than Jewish or Christian. For every one killed of "ours" we kill a thousand of theirs.
Tasies you say
“First thing on Obama's agenda should be to educate Americans on Mid East history”
The Palestinians know their History and that Jerusalem was the political/spiritual capital of the Jews. Yet, they still bomb the shit out of them. I hear they even get to go to heaven for doing that.
This Muslim bashing is ridiculous and a shameful thing. As an American of Japanese ancestry, I can relate to the anti Muslim hysteria that the fear mongering cretins in this country are practicing.
We spout this drivel that we are the greatest nation on this earth, yet we have so many small minded fascists that will stoop into the gutter to get their way.
The Obama campaign is an inclusive one, so we welcome all voters of the Muslim faith, the vast majority who are law abiding and patriotic, into the coalition. This is the best way to answer the mental midgets that infest the Clinton and McCain campaigns.
Yes, what you say is correct..............Please remember this: Your grandparents where sent off to concentration camps because of their ethnicity by a LIBERAL democratic administration (FDR) and not by the so-called rightwingers that are bashed on this blog.
Just curious Karate Kid, What do you feel about the Allied powers aboloshing the emperor-worshipping religion of the Shinto-sun god cult as a condition of surrender after WWII? Remember, the Khamakhazis were the suicide-bombers of their day, believing they would go to paradise. Temples and shrines throughout Indo-china and Korea were destroyed as it was tought by the Imperial religion that the Japanese race were decendants of the sun-god and had eminant domain over the world. People forget the religious nature of the war of the Japanese - it was like a jihad
Luttwack's article is nothing more than sleazy backdoor fear-mongering.
Something I'm certain McCain and/or his backers will pounce on at the earliest opportunity.
We as Americans must tolerate all religions and races. People, please don'[t let the republican fear mongers goad you into thinking they can save you from a Muslim or terror attack. The whole thing is just stupid. Obama is a Christian, but if he wasn't so what? So what that Mitt Romney, a mormon was running for the republican nomination; who cares?
Everyone is welcome into an Obama campaign; everyone, even Luttwack.
Independent for Obama '08
Mr. Luttwak is Jewish like majority of Jewish Americans prospect of having Mr. Obama becoming next president of United States makes him insecure especially with the Israel policy. Frankly this is a genuine concern for all Jews around the world thinking that an American president that may have some sympathy for the Muslims will make the Jewish people out of balance no matter how many times Mr. Obama pledges his alliance to American protection of the state of Israel this insecurity will not go away. I do not think that Mr. Obama will get the Jewish vote and that will not cause him to get elected, but he will sure continue to get bad press
After all NYT is published in NY and needs the Jewish support to continue publishing so it has to address this insecurity of majority of its customers. I think if Mr. Obama gets elected it will be a joy for all the Muslim no matter what his religion be on the contrary if he is to be beheaded this will be done by a fanatic Jews ( what happened to Mr. Robin) rather then a Muslims since like Mr. Luttwak they are more insecure about him then anybody else.
This is pitifully xenophobic.
"[...] on the contrary if [Obama] is to be beheaded this will be done by a fanatic Jews (sic) [...]"
I hope you're not under the impression that your anti-Semitism is in any way excused by the Muslim-baiting by Obama's enemies? If you think what they're doing is wrong, then you ought to be disgusted with yourself for your own display of religious bigotry. And if you're interested in the truth, and not just fomenting religious hatred, I suggest you do some homework about the preferences of Jewish voters. There isn't a single poll that shows them giving John McCain anywhere near a majority. They decisively favor Obama in greater numbers than just about any demographic group other than African-Americans. That's because they're too smart to be fooled by the likes of Lutthwak, and too committed to progressive, liberal principles to be driven away from a great candidate like Obama, even by direct hatred like yours.
Truth hurts I think it is time that we talk about the root of the problem rather scaremongering each other, with he is a Muslim even when he says he is not just the few days a go they were all over him with his Christian pastor , the only people concerned with him being Muslim are the ones feel most insecure with him being president can you be honest and tell us who will AIPAC supports for president is that going to be Obama look who is Joe Lieberman supporting case closed , whether you like it or not Jewish people genuinely can not trust Obama since he may have some sympathy toward the Muslims and if this insecurity is not cured he will not have their vote , but this time it will not matter he still can win without the Jewish vote unlike the 2000 al gore who had to chose Lieberman to win the Florida, that is why you see the pointed attacks from likes of NYT. You need to learn or if you are learned be honest
The Times Editorial page isn't worthy of being called fish wrap anymore. Did News Corp already purchase the Times in a secret deal?
If i was in church I would say, Amen
Now on a positive NOTE:
If it gets out that Muslims are going to try to kill HIM... well that should get him the southern white vote!
If your enemey is my enemy... hey your OK.
Regards
I'd like to point out that so-called international Islamic law does not have jurisdiction over American law for American citizens. Obama is an American citizen, period.
Luttwack's arguments are not even worth trying to dispute. I thought the NY Times was better than this - hate speech/writing seems to be passing for journalism these days!
This is how it works..... Obama's enemies get an article like this published in the New York Times. Then during the General Election Campaign; They will have an ad that says:
The New York Times says:
"Senator Obama was born a Muslim under Muslim law as it is universally understood"
This is the Swiftboat setup ........................
while the vast majority of muslims are not terrorists, the vast majority of terrorists are muslim.
Exactly where are you getting your information from?
Those killed in the name of Christianity far out numbers all the those killed in the name of all other faiths combined. Read your history.
Oh sir, you know not what you say.
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