Now You Can Say It, President-Elect Obama: "So What If I Am a Muslim?"
Ever since President-Elect Barack Obama became a serious candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination for the presidency, the right and the ultraright, the Fox News, and the ill-informed segment of the population which follows Fox's "fair and balanced" news and analysis used Mr. Obama's middle name and the fact that his grandfather was a Muslim against him. In such propaganda, being a Muslim is tantamount to being evil, having ill will towards the United States, and someone who could not be trusted, especially with the highest office of the land.
As a supporter of Mr. Obama, I was often disappointed that he did not confront such bigotry. His standard reaction to the accusation of being a Muslim - one also enforced by his camp - was always, "I am a Christian; I have never been a Muslim." It really bothered me and people like me when, for example, last June Mr. Obama's aids removed from the front row of a rally in Detroit a few Muslim women with their Islamic hejab - cover for their hair - because they did want them to be seen in photos with Mr. Obama.
Although people like me never liked the way our President-Elect handled the "issue" of his Islamic "heritage," and even though my like-minded friends and I have been apprehensive about what he may do in the Middle East and the Islamic world, we wanted, more than anything else and above all, Mr. Obama to be elected the 44th President of the United States. The thought of living in a Bush-3 regime under John McCain was just too painful and frightening, and the dream of breaking the racial barrier with all of its consequences was too enticing. Pragmatism and the realities of America in the post-9/11 era also dictated our silence. We put our worries and unease in the backburner.
Now, however, our candidate has won by a landslide. Now, he does not have to worry about the accusation of being a closet Muslim as a campaign issue. Now, the elections have shown that the people have moved, to a large extent, beyond race as a barrier to the highest office of the land. Now, our President-Elect has won a mandate for fundamental changes, part of which should be cultural.
Mr. Obama is not, of course, a Muslim. He believes in the Christian faith. As a practicing Muslim, I have the highest respect for his faith. In my mind, Jesus Christ is the all-time symbol of kindness, forgiveness, and sacrifice for the sake of others. Thus, as a follower of Christ, Mr. Obama should set the record straight about the injustice that has been done to true Islam in this country.
Mr. Obama should now use the same eloquence; the same type of powerful speeches, and the same cool, intelligent, deliberate manner with which he mesmerized us all, to lead the people beyond the bigotry of hating Muslims, simply because they are Muslim. He should simply declare:
So what if I am a Muslim?
Not only will this simple declaration go a long way towards healing the wounds of over a billion Muslims that have been inflicted upon them by the Bush administration, but also move America in a progressive direction, and do wonders for its distorted image among the 1.3 billion Muslims, the very population that the U.S. needs in order to defeat the terrorists.
The reality is that, the true Islam has been incredibly distorted in the West, and the United States, under George W. Bush, has done its share. Our President-Elect can take an important step to correct the injustice done to the true Islam.
You see, unlike the common propaganda, the Qur'an - Muslims' holy book - advocates understanding of, and open exchange of opinion with, the Jews and Christians. After all, the three religions share common principles inherited from their common Abrahimic roots. The Qur'an's views towards the followers of what it calls the "People of the Book" (Christians and Jews) are nothing but peaceful, compassionate, and respectful.
God told Prophet Muhammad to inform "the People of the Book" that,
O People of the Book! Ye have no ground to stand upon unless ye stand fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord.
In instructing Muslims to show respect to the people of the previous religions (Christianity and Judaism), the Qur'an informs them that,
If only they [Jews and Christians] had stood fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that was sent to them from their Lord, they would have enjoyed happiness from every side.
A theme repeated many times in the Qur'an is that, Muslims must join in friendship with the followers of other religions, and refrain from discussing subjects that may cause division. The Qur'an instructs Muslims to emphasize the common themes, and to clearly declare that,
We believe in God [Allah], and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in [the Books] given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them.
The Qur'an orders Muslims that they should "not argue with the followers of earlier revelation, except in a most kindly manner."
These are not what only people like the author extract from Qur'an, nor are people like the author the only ones who interpret Qur'anic teachings in an enlightened way.
Voltaire, the great French philosopher, was initially anti-Islam. But, after studying the Qur'an, he wrote very highly of Prophet Muhammad.
Johannes Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's "greatest man of letters," declared himself indebted to the great Persian and Muslim poet, Hafez (the word Hafez means someone who has memorized the Qur'an completely), and said,
If this is Islam, are we not all Muslims?
Gustav Leberecht Flugel, the eminent German Orientalist, published an edition of the Qur'an in 1834 (which was again published in 1893 after his death). Theodor Noldeke, the "extraordinary professor" (as he was called in Germany) of Semitic studies, published several books on Islam and Qur'an. Both scholars praised the excellence of the teachings of Prophet Muhammad.
Karen Armstrong, the British renowned religious scholar and author of several books on Muslims and Islam, has spoken very highly of Islam, particularly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. She has declared that,
All the great traditions [religions] are saying the same thing in much the same way, despite their surface differences....They each have in common an emphasis upon the overriding importance of compassion.
True, Islamic teachings have been abused by the fringe of the fringe Islamic groups to "justify" crimes against humanity, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks and other crimes. But, such abuses have happened, and are still happening, with all religions, not just Islam. George W. Bush, an evangelical Christian, claimed that God told him to attack Iraq.
We must remember that both "reason" and "light" are repeated exactly 49 times in the Qur'an - and often together - indicating that the Qur'an believes that it is only through reason that one finds light and enlightenment.
So, President-Elect Obama, at the dawn of a new era in the history of this great nation, please help instill a spirit of understanding between the West and Muslims. Please lead the nation move beyond religion-based bigotry by simply declaring that,
So what if I am a Muslim?
Please lead the effort to change the culture of bigotry and hate.
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There is no place in the world for a religion..
Here in the US, women are not forced to "cover up" lest they be beaten, stoned to death or labeled as "loose" and therefore deserve to be gang-raped. Please don't make me list links to these atrocities, because they do exist much to my horror.
I believe President Obama had the women removed so as not to fuel any more fears that he will steer our society in that direction. You shouldn't feel "disappont
There is no place for religion in government. Look what it's done to women throughout history.
Others have posted that 6,000 clerics met in India to denounce terrorism. I haven't heard any mention of them denouncing their systemic terrorism of women though, so I'm not impressed. Until Islam cleans up their act and condemns this they will get, and deserve, no respect from me. How about some of those famous "fatwas" issued against men that abuse women. Think that might at least begin to get some of these knuckle-draggers' attention?
Your article was very good and I agree with you. While it was imperative to get Obama elected, he now needs to take a strong stand against anti-Muslim bigotry.
Your choice of verb tense however, is misleading. "What if I am a Muslim" should read "what if I were a Muslim." There is a big difference in meaning between the two, and I don't understand your choosing the incorrect version.
I always wonder why the Hagia Sophia is no longer used for Christian worship.
The Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque in 1453 when Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks.
It was found to be severely dilapidated and in great need of stuctural and foundational support when the first Sultan ordered for it's clean- up, repair and brought in architects from around the Islamic world to aid in it's structural and architectural renovation. Succesive rulers continued architectural upgrades.
It is now known as the Ayasofya Mosque.
Muslims are super active in their communities and volunteer and give to charity and are very generous. I think though that the "good things" are not covered by the media and not given any importance. However, Muslims realize that if we want a better profile and visibility we need to start working harder to become journalists, writers, etc so that WE can better share stories with fellow Americans. That's why there is a push to award scholarships to kids to pursue law, journalism and public policy so that we are making a difference in these critical fields and helping others!
Fundamentalists and most other religious people are quite certain that they have the one true belief and that all others are wrong, and by extension, evil. It is precisely this certainty that is the mother of the world's hatreds.
I just don't like the extreme folks of any religion who believe that they are correct and anyone with a different opinion is wrong . Those folks are not tolerant of other religions and have bastardized their own religion !
Sarah Palin, anyone?
I am not a Muslim. But I cant wait for January 20 when I hear......
NEWSFLASH: RELIGION IS PRETEND
I sure hope you're right. Do you have any evidence to back that claim up?
None at all.
That's the point.
Since he's betting eternity on that, he'd BETTER be ABSOLUTELY certain.
American Islam would go a long way in helping itself by being PRO AMERICAN. There was very little said shortly after 911 and lots of excuse making. Islam is its own worst enemy; because it is hard to tell apart Radical Islam and "real" Islam.
Did we demand that all Christians apologize for the Oklahoma City bombing? You can't blame a billion people for the actions of a few. Also, please define "pro American." Does it mean agreeing with the ideals of the founders of our country (freedom of expression, etc)? Or does it mean agreeing with every policy and action that our government takes?
Can you tell the difference between radical and normal Christianity? Use the same method for Islam.
“Disobedience to tyrants is obedience to God.” - Benjamin Franklin
There was a HUGE outcry from "real" Islam after 9/11. Good grief, you obviously have the internet, just do a search for "muslim reponse to 9/11".
Living a life with blinders on and falsely condemning someone is what is unAmerican.
Hear hear. And the outcry continues: http://www
Wow, you could not be more off base.
Most people who describe themselves as Christian would be shocked and dismayed if they traveled to a foreign country where the predominant religion was Muslim and everywhere they went in that country people assumed that they (1) regarded as Jews and Muslims as inferior to Christians, (2) believed dinosaurs coexisted with humans after God created the world in 4004 BC, (3) believed in the Rapture. Fortunately, most Muslims are not intolerant.
Christians in the USA who assume all Muslims are intolerant and seek to destroy our country, are the intolerant ones.
What about the injustice that Islam has done here? Like the first World Tade Center attack in Febuary 1993? Or the big one on September 11, 2001?
I have a Bible verse for you, Muhammed:
Matthew 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
They are beholding the beam; you are just not listening. 6.000 clerics in India last week, haven't you heard? Demonising an entire religion will not help fight extremism.
They are beholding the beam (6000 clerics in India last week, for example), it's just people like you who are not even trying to help them with it.
Islam itself as a religion,.
Deluded, fanatical, evil individuals that were part of an intolerant, radical section of Islam flew those planes.
Don't confuse the religion with the idiot fringe that practice an extreme version of that religion. What you state is the moral equivilent of condemming all right-to-lifers for bombings on Abortion / Family clinics. Do you condem all Evangelical Christians for those attacks?
That could be the single most ironic post I've seen on HP in a very long while.
Using Mt 7:3 to condemn is beyond the pale. You are doing EXACTLY what Christ was asking you not to.
So right you are! A testament to tre's ignorance.
What about the injustice that Christianity has done here? Most crimes in the US are committed by Christians, but you don't see me invading Vatican City.
Also, think about that Bible verse for a second.
Most crimes in the US are committed by Christians!? Can you prove that? Muslim terrorists say they are doing that for Islam. Tell me when a robber stealing you TV has ever said he's doing that for Jesus.
I'm sure there are bad Christians, but they've never blown up sky scrapers.
On Larry King on Sunday, which was a collection of excerpts from his interviews with Obama, the latter said precisely this as far back as 2006. I forget his precise words, but that though he was a Christian, the fact that people used the word 'Muslim' against him was insulting to Muslims, as there was nothing wrong in being a Muslim.
I agree, Mr. Sahimi. I have been to Afghanistan and Iraq and met muslims, from many, many countries. I have found all of them to be ordinary people. And I would agree that Islam is very poorly understood by Americans. The fact of the matter is, there are, as there are in Christianity, Muslims who are not all that Muslim. By that, I mean "secular" Muslims. In the USA, it is just as annoying to have Christian fundamentalists trying to make us all live by their beliefs as it is in Asian countries to have the Muslim fundamentalists trying to make all citizens live by their beliefs. Until ALL people come to understand that their religious beliefs have NO place in government or secular society, the problem will continue. But I acknowledge that Muslim Americans are every bit as patriotic as Christian Americans. I've know many in the US Army. I think that Americans would be shocked to learn that the US Military employs Muslim chaplains as well as Christian and Jewish ones. And where that Muslim Chaplain is assigned, he is the only clergyman ministering to the troops on a daily basis. Christian Americans need to get over themselves.
I don't believe that it's Obama's job to fix Islam's image. Muslims COULD be out, getting involved in things that would generate positive exposure, like charity or volunteerism. Imagine a bunch of Habitat for Humanity houses, made by an all or nearly-all Muslim group of workers, which were then donated to a city or town or whatever. Imagine a giant Goodwill drive of donations and clothes, put together by an Islamic organization.
I say 'imagine' because these things are not happening. Sure, there might be Islamic charity... for other Muslims. But the Islamic community needs to come out from its isolation and actually BECOME members of the American community. That includes respecting other's individuality, abandoning the notion that Sharia law is acceptable in the USA, and presenting a better and more public face than hooded militants waving and shooting rifles into the air.
How someone got it into their head that President Obama should be responsible for fixing something that Muslims themselves won't fix is beyond me to understand.
This country was founded by those who were persecuted for their beliefs. They travelled in small boats on the open ocean for months to get here and practice their religion in their own manner. Now the neocons have turned a religion into a weapon to vilify and divide America. Luckily, this time around, we the American people voted for the country to remain free for everyone to come and enjoy the freedoms that America's founder's envisioned.
actually, they came here because they were persecuting others, which didn't sit well with the brits.
ACTUALLY, they were being persecuted BY the Church of England for being separatists and not attending the govt. run church on Sundays which carried a fine with it. They moved several times before finally relocation to the Americas.
The Quakers didn't persecute anybody. Mostly, they just wanted to openly talk.
It's long passed the time when all religions get a free unquestioning ride. They must address their bigotry,hatred ,discrimination and a whole host of other base issues.
No tax exemption for those cults that discriminate against women.....
I think you missed the point of the article. Perhaps a visual may help your own 'base issues'...
http://www
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