Barack Obama: 'My Muslim Faith' Gaffe
Verbal Gaffe Spurs Scurrilous Rumors
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Stephanopoulos reminded Barack Obama that McCain himself has denied spreading the rumors. "You're absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith," Obama said, before being corrected by Stephanopoulos.
The slip of the tongue has caused a firestorm on the Internet, with accusations being made about Barack Obama being a Muslim. It is true that Obama's father was a lapsed Muslim and that Obama's middle name is "Hussein", a common Muslim name. But it is not true that Barack Obama is Muslim.
Clearly Barack Obama meant to say something like "My alleged Muslim faith" instead of "my Muslim faith." Clearly he was referring to how the people spreading the rumors think of him and not how he thinks of himself.
In fact it is well documented that Barack Obama attended the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago for many years. This attendance spawned a legitimate scandal due to the fiery, hate filled sermons of that church's long time pastor, Jeremiah Wright. Barack Obama, who regularly attended Trinity and even took his wife and young children to hear Jeremiah Wright's sermon, denied having remembered some of Wright's more pungent pronouncements, such as when he cursed America. Barack Obama was eventually compelled to repudiate Jeremiah Wright, who has since retired as pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ.
Of course being a Muslim does not necessarily make one a jihadist and should not disqualify one from being President, any more than being a Catholic, Mormon, or Evangelical should. While some of the more mawkish pronouncements of the Muslim faith being a "religion of peace" are debatable, Islam is a religion of very strict rules, even when waging jihad against enemies of the Muslim faith.
The Koran suggests that noncombatants and that even the infrastructure of the enemy are to be spared. Deliberate suicide is forbidden. Martyrdom consists if dying in battle against an enemy and not deliberately blowing oneself up and taking innocents with one.
It should also be noted that some of the most stalwart allies of the United States in the War on Terror have been Muslims. Tribal fighters in Anbar Province, Iraqi soldiers and police officers, Kuwait, and American Muslims who have volunteered to serve are prime examples.
In a strange way, it might have been better for Barack Obama if he actually had been a moderate, anti Jihadi Muslim rather than a member of Jeremiah Wright's church. Obama could have used his candidacy to explain how the jihadists are not representative of the Muslim faith and could have rallied Muslims of good will to more openly oppose the terrorists.
Instead, Barack Obama must spend his campaign under the burden of having been a member of a church where actual hate was preached, hate of a type that should not be allowed in any place or worship, whether it is a Christian church or a Muslim mosque.
Source: Oops! Obama says 'my Muslim faith', Matthew Nickerson, Chicago Sun-Times, September 8th, 2008
Barack Obama's Hate Mongering Pastor--Jeremiah Wright, Mark R. Whittington, Associated Content, March 14th, 2008
Published by Mark Whittington
Mark R. Whittington is a writer residing in Houston, Texas. He is the author of The Last Moonwalker, Children of Apollo, Dark Sanction, and Nocturne. He has written numerous articles, some for the Washington... View profile
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15 Comments
Post a Commentstop being such an airhead ignorant ! who assured you that muslims did bomb the towers !? check yr spelling for terrorist first you ignoarnt then accuse people for something they did with a prove if you got any !!!!!! stupid red necks!
Even if he secretly dislikes white people, I think it's time for a change. I mean how many presidents do you think we've had who have hated blacks? He might relate to his African/Muslim heritage but we also should recall that he's half-white. Voting for him might send the powers that be a message. At least, that's what I hope.
@Maggie - you are so wrong. White politicians have gotten away with a lot of racism. Look at Strom Thurmond and his Black daughter. McCain's "celebrity" ads had a tinge of racism. Even Clinton's 3AM ad did. White *people* hold on to racist thoughts, and aren't criticized over it that much. There's a story accusing Palin and Alaskans in general about using crude, racist language.
Wow, you sure got a lot of hateful comments on this article. It wasn't a gaffe so much as Stephanopoulos doesn't understand plain English and corrected the statement - in error. Obama was addressing the claim that he was a Muslim - so he said the issue of 'my Muslim faith', as in 'my so-called Muslim faith'. I'm sorry to put this out there for what it is - but if he were a white Republican member of the Church of Christ with a name like Bob Jones - people would have heard him correctly, said what a ridiculous claim it was. That this issue brings out the ugly underbelly of American intolerance for people of the Muslim faith makes me so sad as an American. I hope none of the folks commenting below in this manner call themselves Christians, because they sure aren't acting like Christ.
If Obama is a Muslim, he should own up to it. The mere fact that he lies should bering concern to the table. The fact that he chose to go to a white hateing church for 20 years is no secret however, but the fact that he took his two lovely daughters to hear that hatered should bring concern to the table. The fact that he chose to buddy with Bill Ayers should bring concern to the table. If Obama was white, these facts alone would have disqualifed hm from running for president. Personally when I see his black supporters grabbing their crotches and rapping hatred toward whites, I can't imagine voting for more of the same. If America has truly put racism behind them, people will not vote for a racist and that my friends is Obama and his wife (not sure if the children have been infected as yet or not.) Neither of our choices for persident are ideal but give me more of the same rather than a radical who would idealize hatered for any race in America and one who lies so smoothly. I'll
How many Muslim (terrorest moles) are in this country, waiting to be called to wreck havoc in or to America? Spies moles and terrorest are everywhere. Bet on it. Remember those Americans who sold atomic secrets to Russia? Rember 9-11, when the so called good Muslims tore down the towers. Remember when they tried to blow up the towers the first time? Poeple forget. I don't
McCain/Palin now ahead in the polls. The odor
from B.O. is beginning to overwhelm.
I do not trust this man as he is a confirmed lier and deceaver. America wake up if you vote for him you are voting your freedom away.
You're right, Adejo, it's not a gaffe. If you're a Christian can you imagine making this mistake, i.e., ,mistakingly saying "my Muslim faith"? It would never happen. It would be like if you're an American of European descent making a gaffe by saying "my Chinese heritage." More and more I'm convinced that this guy really is the Manchurian Candidate. This is really getting weird and scary.
Excuse me for interrupting, but when we've finished w/ this could we spend a little time talking about the $100 billion Fannie Mae Freddy Mac bailout. I think it's going to affect us a bit more.