Comments on: A Muslim Like Obama

By: captainjohann

captainjohann — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 09:17:40 +0000

A very informative and useful post.In India also Muslims ask the same question with regard to Gujerat. They are so obsessed with Isreal/palestanian conflict and Bush; that they forget the creeping fundemntalism in Majority community is DUE TO THIER OWN COMMUNITY’S fundementalist’s ACTIONS. for example syed shabuddin who headed the babri Masjid protection committte used to call himself “Muslim Indian” and he neither protected the masjid nor he understood how this singular action has been creating insecurity amongst the majority community therby paving the way for NDA government . i will include the Imam of /delhi bukhari in this list.Today we find MIM of Hyderabd is doing similar thing.this MLA of MIM(majlies India Mushrwat)beats up female doctors, tries to kill taslima nusreen in Hyderabd and made Sania Mirza to apologise for being a woman and entering the mecca masjid.He will win the hyderbad seat due to uneducated mulsim masses for these bravado undemocratic and unlawful actions.But he is creating millions of RSS workers throughout india.

By: Shekhar Krishnan

Shekhar Krishnan — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:40:43 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA-451XMsuY

By: Panu

Panu — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 12:06:23 +0000

Actually, it reminds me of Anti-Semitism as it is practiced in Eastern Europe today. There are almost no Jews left in those countries, but if you are a liberal, you are accused by the nationalist Right of being a Jew. They even give you a Jewish name. If your name is, say, Kowalski (the most common Polish surname, which means, of course, “Smith”, with a -ski added), when they write screeds about you, they’ll add a Jewish-sounding name which begins with a K: “Jan Kowalski, whose real name as everybody knows is Kowalstein…”

By: sepoy

sepoy — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:47:47 +0000

Islam Fu, foo.

By: Anil

Anil — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:45:09 +0000

Obama, a member of a congregation of the United Church of Christ in Chicago, has had to address assertions that he is a Muslim or that he had received training in Islam in Indonesia, where he lived from ages 6 to 10.

“Training”?

By: Uzer

Uzer — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:43:22 +0000

Forgive my simplicity, but wasn’t it Obama who wanted to invade Pakistan if he got elected? Does that a tolerant country make?

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:13:47 +0000

apprehension of Islam, not Islamic apprehension

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:11:51 +0000

The rumors about Obama’s faith, then, are not just manifestations of a post 9/11 Islamophobia or a peculiar xenophobia about his African father. They are, in fact, uniquely American - based on our long history of mis-trust and mis-apprehension of a faith that we associate with our own ‘Others’.

I mostly agree also. In America, especially in politics, any notable who isn’t Christian is held under a microscope. Those slandering Obama seem to be taking advantage of post-9/11 fears Rudy-style because it’s easy to do. The rumors may be uniquely American because it’s an American election, but I don’t think the Islamic apprehension is uniquely American.

Luckily we have good blogs to turn to since most major media outlets have turned their backs on all things ethical.

I’m assuming the Malcolm X (really, Elijah Muhammed) quote was placed for irony.

Here’s to hoping Obama can beat the neocons in both parties.

By: Desi Italiana

Desi Italiana — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:01:30 +0000

“They are, in fact, uniquely American - based on our long history of mis-trust and mis-apprehension of a faith that we associate with our own ‘Others’.”

Hmmm… but I am not sure that the public imagination, most Americans associate African Americans with Islam; the connection usually with selected actors (Malcom X, Farrakhan, etc). In fact, I think very few people know about the historical tidbit you posted here, so I don’t think it’s some historically deep seated anxiety towards Muslims. Sure, African Americans and Islam are associated especially in Chicago, which is something I haven’t seen so much elsewhere in the US like in Cali.

By: Desi Italiana

Desi Italiana — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:51:46 +0000

I remember reading somewhere that as much as 30% of slaves brought from Africa could have been Muslim…

“The rumors about Obama’s faith, then, are not just manifestations of a post 9/11 Islamophobia or a peculiar xenophobia about his African father. They are, in fact, uniquely American - based on our long history of mis-trust and mis-apprehension of a faith that we associate with our own ‘Others’.”

I mostly agree with you, but I do think the post 9/11 has a lot to do with those rumors re:Obama. At the moment, not many people are hearing similar statements about other faiths, but could a non-Christian (and its various denominations) run for president without his/her religion being an issue in general, both pre and post 9/11? I doubt that most Americans would vote for a Native American who is not Christian, or someone who is Hindu, Sikh, atheist, etc. Yet Obama has been targeted for a supposed affiliation. And for other political spheres, Ijaz’s Muslim faith has been singled out, as well as Faisal Gill.

By: thefos

thefos — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:49:47 +0000

That is a lot of information. I don’t know if I could pass any of your classes.

Although we still have a long way to go, I do think that Obama’s presidency will pave the way for our country to move toward a more tolerant dialog.