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.

Comments

[NotMcCain]

Millions of McCain-Palin supporters in the U.S.. are CONVINCED he is a Muslim.

These are the same people Palin frightened with thinking he was a terrorist (and for whom "Muslim" is code for "terrorist" and "anti-American").

They KNOW this about him and are convinced he will "put on a turban" his first day in office.

Let's let them get used to who Obama really IS, before we get them used to who he really ISN't.

(These are not the brightest people in the world, we're talking about. Let them LIKE and respect him first--THEN saying, "So what if I were....?" will carry some weight).

I loved what Colin Powell said. He didn't need to include that, but it absolutely needed to be said. (I was just surprised and disappointed that more leaders didn't say it).

I think Obama will find better ways to show respect for Muslims--through progressive and respectful policies abroad and through inclusion in government and public policy here at home.

But...like any prejudice, ending it will take some time. and will need to be more than just lipservice and symbolism

[samerbayer]

As a muslim I'll take the statement of the well respected Colin Powell over a statement from unknown president like Obama (I voted for Obama by the way)

[markess]

In Colin Powell's very moving endorsement of Obama, he stated exactly what you expressed. I found that to be one of the more important points he made. "So what if he is a Muslim"
One thing that sickens me about how ready the Republicans are to use their faith as a way to claim righteousness, is how wrong they often are in doing so. Nothing could be more anti Christian than the spirit of their attacks. It seems to me that Obama has kept religion away from politics. I believe that's the way it should be.
Just last night I saw an article suggesting that Obama is the son of Malcolm X, complete with a morphing graphic to illustrate how alike they look. The comments to this article were inflammatory to the point of absurdity. Conspiracy theory to the worst degree.... I think it's a time to cool down on the inclusion of faith with politics. Why feed the fire? I'd rather see people's faith contributed with the strength of true righteous spirit, and this election has progressed in that direction. I hope it will continue without the ignorance, hatred and bigotry that nearly leaped out of control with even more widespread incidents during the campaign. Understanding will come and it should come with as little government intervention as possible. Let the haters hate without audience, perhaps then they'll see that God is their only audience, and that he's not approving of what he sees.

[Chris Rodda - Huffpost Blogger]

Something that popped into my head this morning is that when a president is sworn in, they always use their full names in the oath of office -- including their middle names. So, I think we can all look forward to Chief Justice Roberts asking our new president to repeat, "I, Barack HUSSEIN Obama do solemnly swear..." That should drive a few of the wingnuts over the edge!

[FaceYourFears]

..." That should drive a few of the wingnuts over the edge!

These folks are filled with hate and anger towards Sen O., the last thing we need is for them to be driven over the edge.

[bostongreen]

definitely agree, this is no laughing matter. i shudder to think of the things that go through the heads of palinites during swearing in ceremony.

[Freesia2]

As a Christian, the handling of all things Muslim in this election bothered me. I had a few exchanges with a couple of nice Muslim people here on Huffington Post and I could feel their anxiety. I didn't blame Obama because the fact is that until we catch Osama Bin Laden (and thank you - not - George Bush for putting that on the back burner) and make some inroads in dealing with the extremists, Americans are frightened and they aren't even sure what all that entails except somehow the fear came in it's largest example one horrifying September morning from "Muslims". They froze with fear at that point and time stopped.

Obama is a good man. He sees the world with an open mind and open heart I think, and I believe that if ever there were a President to help us wade through this confusion and fear, it is Obama.

Meanwhile, from a Christian, I can appreciate how you feel and I hope the world gets sane and that America makes you feel more welcome and more respected. Just like not all professed Christians are good, not all professed Muslims are bad. How often we're both defined by someone else or the poorest examples. .

It's just going to take some time. Keep heart.

[chitown]

After reading this post, I looked up Mr. Sahimi's bio. He is a highly-educated individual, and as his post illustrates, he has a brilliant command of the English language. Nevertheless, I suspect that he is not a native English speaker.
For Obama to say " So what if I AM a Muslim?" would be tantamount to admitting that he lied about his religion, that he was just pretending to be a Christian to get elected. To express the sentiment that Mr. Sahimi feels so deeply, Obama would say "So what if I WERE a Muslim?" - which is in essence what Colin Powell said on Meet the Press.
Either way, it would be a waste of time and energy. There is nothing Obama could say that would satisy the bigots and the haters. If Muslims want to improve the perception of their religion in the US, it's their mandate, not his.

[joshuahmcdonald]

This is exactly what I was thinking as I read the post. While the sentiment is valid, the wording of the main thesis, "So what if I am a Muslim?", has connotations that aren't accurate.

That said...SER­IOUSLY?!?! SO FREAKIN' WHAT IF HE WERE A MUSLIM????!!!!

This issue bothered me throughout the entire election process...­and I am the most agnostic of agnostics.

[klondiker]

I think you mean, "So what if I WERE a Muslim."

We are still talking hypotheticals here. He's not actually a Muslim - not that there would be anything wrong if he were. But, there's nothing wrong with pointing out that he's not.

[Dogmanger]

And there's nothing wrong with pointing out that there's nothing wrong with him pointing out that there's nothing wrong with being a Muslim.

[lastrefuge]

Please lead the effort to change the culture of bigotry and hate. Ummmm, baby steps, brother...­.

Although I comprehend your rationale, alternatively, there is no need for President-Elect Obama to declare his religious preferences ever again-and especially after having won the day. It would be a precedent-setting disappointment for me if Obama had lied for political opportunity as a "closet Muslim".

I'm uncertain the remaining red states have instituted Qur'an 101 studies. I like the way you think but changing the official language of the U.S. to Spanish probably should not be a priority either.

I'm just looking for a collective sigh of relief on defending the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Let's all be comfortable defending our rights to worship in our own fashion, keeping our religious views personal, respecting our brothers beliefs and ardently maintaining the separation of church and state.

[RonCanada]

I too would like to see him make a statement as clear as Colin Powell's.

[MPeter]

This way past. He does not have to say anything. We need him to begin to clean up the mess we are in. Campaigning and trying to please interesr groups is over. It is time to unite and repair this country at home and abroad.

[Catewood]

Actually, he said that very thing during an interview with Larry King. He is very aware of the many Islamic-Americans who are part of out country, too.

[drsmc41]

I agree with you 100%, and I am a Muslim. I wish President- Elect Obama had said something, but like you, I understood. I used to cringe when he declared, "I'm a Christian," not because he's a Christian, but because it seemed as if he was "dismissing" those who were Muslims. At least, he is now in office, and that's the bigger picture. Now, I feel the possibilities are truly endless.

[boophus]

This is why I refer to him since election as President-Elect Barack HUSSEIN Obama