Posted on 01/14/2008 9:11:02 AM PST by processing please hold
1. Was Barack Obama a Muslim?
The issue of Barack Obama's possible Muslim past has re-emerged with conflicting reports about the presidential candidate's childhood in Islamic Indonesia.
The controversy was initially touched off in early 2007 when several media outlets reported that Obama had attended a radical madrasa, or Islamic school, when he lived in Indonesia.
Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs quickly countered with a statement: "Senator Obama has never been a Muslim, was not raised a Muslim, and is a committed Christian."
The reports about the radical madrasa turned out to be false. But in March 2007, Gibbs amended his previous statement, telling the Los Angeles Times: "Obama has never been a practicing Muslim," the key word being "practicing."
Obama, his Kansas-born mother and Muslim stepfather moved to Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, in 1967, and Obama lived there from ages 6 to 10.
The Times sent a reporter to Jakarta to investigate Obama's childhood years there, and published an article on March 16 that included these details:
* A close boyhood friend of Obama, Zulfin Adi, said Barack "was a Muslim. He went to the mosque." * Obama's first-grade teacher at a Catholic school, Israella Dharmawan, said: "Barry (Barack's nickname) was Muslim. He was registered as a Muslim because his father was Muslim."
* In the third grade, Obama transferred to a public school, where he was also registered as a Muslim. At the school, Muslim students attended weekly religion lessons about Islam.
* In his autobiography, "Dreams From My Father," Obama mentions studying the Koran and describes the public school as "a Muslim school."
More recently, Middle East Forum director Daniel Pipes wrote on FrontPageMag.com that his research led him to conclude that "Obama was born a Muslim to a non-practicing Muslim father and for some years had a reasonably Muslim upbringing under the auspices of his Indonesian stepfather."
But on Jan. 2, the liberal organization Media Matters for America (MMfA) took issue with Pipes' report, criticized him for relying too heavily on the Times article, which it claimed was "disputed," in an effort to "revive Obama-Muslim falsehood."
Media Matters cited a March 25 article by Kim Baker in the Chicago Tribune that challenged several assertions in the Times story. Barker wrote that boyhood friend Adi "was not certain" about his statements regarding Obama's childhood and that he "only knew Obama for a few months."
The Media Matters Web posting stated: "Additionally, the Tribune reported that 'interviews with dozens of former classmates, teachers, neighbors and friends show that Obama was not a regular practicing Muslim when he was in Indonesia.'"
Media Matters also said that "Pipes did not note that Obama's Indonesian stepfather, Lolo Soetoro, has been described in the Tribune as 'much more of a free spirit than a devout Muslim.'"
Pipes fired back with a FrontPageMag.com article on Jan. 7, titled "Confirmed: Barack Obama Practiced Islam."
Pipes asked if any of the information from the Chicago Tribune article refutes "my analysis, as MMfA contends. It raises questions about two details in the Los Angeles Times account — the accuracy of the Catholic school's registration form and the reliability of Zulfin Adi as a source on Obama. But on the larger issue of Obama's religious practices during his Jakarta years, it confirms the Times account."
Pipes concludes: "Therefore, what MMfA calls the 'Obama-Muslim' falsehood' is in fact confirmed by both articles as truthful and accurate."
And he adds: "All this matters, for if Obama once was a Muslim, he is now what Islamic law calls a murtadd (apostate), an ex-Muslim converted to another religion who must be executed. Were he elected president of the Untied States, this status, clearly, would have large potential implications for his relationship with the Muslim world."
Why do we care about this? What I want to know is that a president will kick Muslim @ss if that is required, so what he is today is most important. Muslims hate apostates even more than they hate non-Muslims (yeah, I know, it’s the religion of peace). If it has to be a Dem in ‘08, maybe it’s best if it’s one who rejected Islam in favor of Christianity.
By the way, did you hear the news that Hillary has challenged Obama to one final debate, this coming Friday, in Fort Marcy Park. Principals only.
Kenya
Oh Jeez. there are a lot of Christians that are free spirits too; but they are still Christian.
I will not be voting for a Muslum and a man who will not admit he is half white. So there.
Yeah, I’ve been hearing all this crap about Obama being Muslim or once being a Muslim. I really doubt he has anything to do with Islam at present. What I would like to see investigated is that church he belongs to. What are those folks all about?????
Obama’s black supremest, liberation theology worries me far more than his childhood ties to Islam.
Because Obama will kick America’s ass and his being a Muslum is important.
Years ago they would have used the term mulatto—— but that’s not a cool word because mulo in Spanish means mule, a cross between a horse and a donkey (and is infertile) At least we know Barack isn’t infertile (has two cute kids) but his politics are definitely a cross between a donkey and a horse’s rear end. (an ass & an ass?)
He is a member of the UnAmerican Democrat Party who have sabotaged our missions in TWO war theaters.
We should be building gallows in DC, but instead we are taking this kid seriously.
“his being a Muslum is important.”
Why?
Excuse me, I usually don’t cuss and I apologize.
If he is a Muslim, he’s not a very devout one.
Have you ever heard of, Al-Taqiyya? Permission to lie to infidels.
Is he going to have to worry about some crazed extremist accusing him of apostasy?
Where did you hear he won’t admit that he is half white? I believe he has issues about his mom and men.
Obama should not be considered in ANY event for President...but since he is a good orator, and looks young and fit...those who are already hooked on the marxist dole and kool aid will vote for him just like they did Kerry. We just have to get out the vote against him or Hillary like was done with Bush in 2004.
Just the same, regardless of all of the obvious and immediate practical reasons for him being defeated...if enough Americans are willing, in a time of war against radical Islam, to take the chance on electing an individual named Barack Hussein Obama as their President, then we deserve what we get as a people as a whoile. Just like we would have had we elected someone named Isoroku Tojo-san or Adolf Kraut during World War II...but that would have never happened.
I am increasingly convinced that Obama is a covert Black Muslim and that the church to which he belongs is a Black Muslim front carefully concealing its real identity. Watch the movie “Malcolm X”, then watch the behavior patterns of Farrakan. Obama has learned the Black Muslim craft well. The phony smiles, the oleogenous posturing — all that’s missing is the bow tie. Somewhere in Obama’s background is a Black Muslim “Mrs. Ivanova” (read the novel “The Charm School). It’s all very disconcerting.
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