Obama = Osama, or, Complete Idiocy

The Christian right-wing yahoos are preying upon the ignorance of the American people again, by drudging up this notion that Barack Obama is a Muslim.

For God's sake, Obama's sake, my sake, and your own sake... and hell, a bottle of sake for that matter...

BARACK OBAMA IS NOT, AND HAS NEVER BEEN, A MUSLIM.

Yes, his father is Kenyan. His mother was from Kansas, and was white.

Yes, his middle name is "Hussein." Hussein is a very common name in Arabic, a language local to the part of the world in which Kenya lies. In fact, Swahili has an enormous number of loanwords from Arabic.

"Hussein" is also his father's middle name, and his grandfather's name. He didn't choose it, anymore than you chose to be Caitlin (even through you may not be Irish), Yvette (even through you may not be French) or David (even though you may not be Jewish).

His first name, Barack, is in fact, both Swahili (the native language of Kenya) and Arabic. It means "blessed." Incidentally, "Hussein" means "handsome." KInda like "Beau" (a French name) or "Kevin" (an Irish name).

"Obama" is no more related to "Osama" than "Pitt" is related to "Shit." They rhyme. BIg deal.

Barack Obama used to live in Indonesia as a child. The rumor persists that he attended a "Muslim" school. He attended a completely non-religious institution in Indonesia. The fact that a majority of the children in attendance were Muslim is simply because the majority of Indonesians are Muslims, period. His Indonesian school was no more Muslim than Hillwood High is a "Christian" school. The school was not administered by or subject to any religious body.

Today, Barack Obama attends a United Church of Christ Church in Chicago. It is unapologetically Afrocentric, the way a Greek Orthodox Church may be unapologetically Hellenocentric, or the way a Coptic Christian Church may be unapologetically Egyptocentric, or the way the Roman Catholic Church may be unapologetically Eurocentric, for example. Since the man is a first generation American of direct African lineage, why would he not want to belong to a church that stresses the cultural significance of Africa?

As for the idea that the Christian church he attends is a "front" for the Nation of Islam (NOI), understand this: the NOI is both Afrocentric and Muslim. Obama's church is Afrocentric and Christian. The leader of Obama's church, who has been influential in Obama's spiritual life, has played footsie in the past with Louis Farrakhan of the NOI, but Farrakhan is not in any way associated with the Church-- he's a Muslim. It's a Christian Church. Anybody see a problem there? Obama has also publicly disagreed with the giving of an award to Farrakhan by Jeremiah Wright's daughter.

Understand: Obama's pastor's daughter gave an award to Farrakhan, which he denounced publicly. If that makes him a Muslim by extension, then follow this logic: my therapist's son is a McCain supporter, that must make me a Republican! Not!

It is rumored that Barack Obama won't say the Pledge of Allegiance. That's bunk. He has in fact he pledge in the Senate.

It is equally slandered that Barack Obama placed his hand on the Qu'ran to take his oath of office. That was, in fact, Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison (who, incidentally, swore to uphold the Constitution with his hand on a copy of the Qu'ran that was once owned by Thomas Jefferson... I'm pretty sure he wasn't a Muslim, but you never know). Those who say Barack Obama is the one who swore on a Qu'ran have adopted a "they all look alike to me" worldview concerning Blacks, I guess.

And in closing, even if Barack Obama were a Muslim (which he isn't, and never has been), isn't that his right as an American? And shouldn't we listen to the man, and not the crazed paranoid hype people keep slandering him with?

So, let's get this straight once and for all, and please, tell anyone who might have the screwed up notion that Barack Obama is a Muslim, to check their facts. While you're at it, call their fear out for what it is: racism, pure and simple. Xenophobia. Fear of what's different. Small-mindedness.

Yep. Call a spade a spade. And yes, I said it.