Obama’s Muslim Fans Need Some Straight Talk
The radical Islamic world has unrealistic fantasies regarding an Obama administration.
Muammar Qaddafi has scored so many loony tunes as Libyan despot that his recent musings about love and expectations from “our American Kenyan brother Obama” could be tossed into that same loony bin — except that it is widely shared out there in the world beyond Libya.
The happenstance of Senator Obama’s skin color, his Muslim father, and his middle name of Hussein have led millions, most especially in the Arab world, to think of him as a “brother,” from whom much is expected as leader of the U.S.
True, Mr. Obama’s cultural diversity is hugely beneficial to the U.S. image as a melting pot and much more. That an African-American, Harvard-educated man of opulent origins emerges as potential leader of the U.S. speaks volumes. Where else can millions of voters make such a resoundingly liberating choice free of the tribalism, xenophobia, and bias tearing at much of the world?
But frothing phantasms over how Mr. Obama’s “imagined persona” — as a Muslim or a third world person — are already crowding this view, fanning out of the airwaves of Al-Jazeera TV into effervescent Arab websites and public opinion polls, all murmuring about miraculous turnabouts and new alliances.
An Obama administration shall deliver a free Palestine, a defanged Israel liberated enough of its Jewishness to welcome millions of returning Muslim Palestinians, instant friendship with Iran’s mullahs, a handover of the Golan Heights, and prompt departure from Iraq.
Mr. Obama needs to burst these bubbles, as none of this is likely.
The U.S. bonds with Israel transcend any administration and the ascending Islamism of the past decade has become an existential challenge to Western civilization, of which the U.S. is guarantor. That fight is Obama’s as well as McCain’s and that of all future American leaders.
The Obama transformation fantasy has spread within America’s estimated ten million Muslims and the approximately 110 million of Europe, when you count Turkey too.
There a growing expectation hovers that his “humanitarian and multicultural” penchants shall finally swing behind the desired option for Muslims to spin out of secular society and live in a separate world of Sharia laws.
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Youssef M. Ibrahim, a freelance writer and risk consultant, is a former New York Times Mideast correspondent and Energy Editor of the Wall Street Journal. He can be reached at ymibrahim2004@yahoo.com.
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29 Comments
1. David Thomson:Barack “Barry” Obama is benefitting from white guilt. Many people are overly eager to prove “I’m not a racist.” Needless to add, this sentiment is not entirely a bad thing. It only becomes a problem when this is virtually the sole reason to vote for a candidate. Obama is a self hating American. His background and public statements clearly indicate that he perceives the United States as an imperialist aggressor crapping on the dark skinned victims of the Third World. Their rage and bitterness is supposedly justified! The election of Obama will be similar to throwing gasoline on a fire. Those who hate the United States will feel immediately embolden to commit further violence against the West.
Jun 20, 2008 - 12:19 pm 2. Alice Roddy:Is there not a danger that, if jihadists come to take Obama at his word that he is Christian, they might assassinate him, or attempt to?
Jun 20, 2008 - 4:07 pm 3. Valerie:The Kerry campaign saw fit to attempt to act in a diplomatic capacity with foreign nations. For example, they attempted to influence the outcome of the Australian election. We already know that Nancy Pelosi has visited Syria, and former President Carter has visited Palestine, but we do not know what, representations they have made to these foreign leaders. We do know that both of these people are highly partisan and have in the past been willing to far overstep the traditional boundaries of their stations. The Obama campaign has contacted at least the government of Canada to make representations of their future plans. Has the Obama campaign, or its surrogates, contacted any other foreign governments, and have they made any promises other than the campaign’s promise to Canada not to change NAFTA? I have a right to a truthful, comprehensive answer to this question before I vote.
Jun 20, 2008 - 5:46 pm 4. Audacious:We can only hope…
Jun 20, 2008 - 6:58 pm 5. Brian H:I was struck by the precise applicability of the old “80-20″ rule: 80% of the problems are caused by 20% of the people!
Jun 20, 2008 - 11:38 pm 6. Don Cox:Why is Obama regularly referred to as “black”? One of his parents was African, the other a white American. At least from the POV of an African, I would expect him to be referred to as “white”. He seems to be more influenced by his mother than his father.
Jun 21, 2008 - 4:53 am 7. Alan:Don Cox, in America people with even one black parent are simply considered black. The best theory I know of for this is that people who have one black and one white parent tend to look black to white people. Barak Obama has made this point, when he said something to the effect of “no one said ‘look at that half black guy’” when they saw him walking down the street. In Africa, a person who has only one black parent is not necessarily considered black.
Jun 21, 2008 - 6:49 am 8. Alan:While I don’t doubt the unreasonable expectations that much of the world has for Obama, the effect on America’s image should not be understated. Many people, particularly Muslims and Arabs, have a very distorted picture of prejudice in America. I am an American living in Canada at the moment. Most of the people I know are Muslim. When I’ve talked about America with Muslims, particularly older Muslims, I get the impression that they think the KKK is still an important force in American politics. They dismiss out of hand the idea that someone “like them” could be elected to public office in the US. Raising awareness about people like Keith Ellison would probably have some effect on this kind of thinking, but nothing could change world opinion on this issue like electing a visible minority president. The European media will do all they can to undercut the boost to America’s image, by publicizing real and imagined racism during the general election. But regardless of Obama’s actual policies, the mere fact of a black president will force many people to reevaluate their view of the US.
Jun 21, 2008 - 7:06 am 9. jay kactuz:A President Obama will change nothing. He may make noises that the Muslim world likes, but no matter what Obama does, Muslims will still hate the West and non-Muslims. By the way, they need us so as to have someone, something to blame for all their problems. There will still be the same faults and problems in Islamic societies so Muslims will continue to blame everything on others. Since “Islam is perfect” and “Muslims are the best of people” anything that contradicts this must be the fault of (insert name of evil infiel here). I have even made a list of excuses I have found that Muslims’ blame their woes on…
http://www.kactuzkid.com/blame.html
Islam is a religion of hate and violence. You cannot be for Islam AND Democracy, or Islam AND human rights. Look around and see how Islamic societies operate. At best, they let infidels live as long as they keep quiet and are subservient. Have you ever seen a Muslim condemn (or even want to talk about) the 26 raids by Mohammad on peaceful villages, or the plunder, murder of opponents, enslavement of men women and children, torture, rape of captive women, wife beating, etc… These are all found in Islam’s own traditions (hadith). That should tell you all you need to know about Islam.
If Obama wins, nothing will change.
The bottom line is that the Muslim world needs to look at the hate and violence in Islam. The problem is not Barack Obama or John McCain. The Muslim world needs to be honest about the hate and violence taught in the Quran and hadith and the discrimination and human rights abuses in their societies.
I have no faith this will happen. The future will not be nice, with or without President Obama. I blame Islam and the denial (or deceit) of Muslims about the source of their problems.
Kactuz
Jun 21, 2008 - 10:11 am 10. ronnor:To vote for Obama just to placate the view of the United States isn’t to smart. When it comes to our safety, when it comes to the Presidency, when it comes to the Commander-in-Chief I want some one who has experience already, who knows we have real enemies and you don’t nuance them, you kill them. Senator Obama is a fine man I’m sure but he doesn’t have the qualifications to run a small city or business much less the business of the most powerful country in the world. While he is learning the ropes of not trusting your enemy one of our city’s will end up as a fire ball.
Jun 21, 2008 - 10:24 am 11. Dave:If the cost of having the world *maybe* re-evaluate their view of the of US is that we suffer due to his inexperience and foolish ideas, then it’s nowhere near worth it. Make no mistake, if all these foreign leaders are falling over themselves to be happy about his arrival, it may not be because they think he’ll *give* them anything; it may well be because they think they can *take* whatever they want from him.
Most of those same leaders aren’t idiots; they stay in power due to their understanding of how to manipulate people. Don’t think Mr. Inexperience won’t fall for the same tactics from them as their own people.
Jun 21, 2008 - 10:26 am 12. Russell Zagrodzky:With a large and dedicated following in the Muslim world, it would be possible for much of Obama’s “$500,000,000″ in campaign contributions to be of foreign origin.
Jun 21, 2008 - 12:16 pm 13. Mars vs Hollywood:That fight is Obama’s as well as McCain’s and that of all future American leaders.
Unfortunately, that requires Obama to show up for the fight, which is quickly looking less and less to be the case.
My fear is that a President Obama would do just enough (or, if you like, NOT do just enough) to make his foreign fans feel “betrayed”, while still not taking the aggressive steps America will need to to prevail in this fight.
Jun 21, 2008 - 12:48 pm 14. RE:Russell,
Technically, foreign donations to US political campaigns are illegal.
on the other hand, Bill Clinton showed us how ineffective a deterrent those laws are.
Jun 21, 2008 - 1:32 pm 15. Paul M Hupf:Senator Obama increasingly demonstrates that he is a Marxist. His rejection of public financing is a threat to our political system. It raises an inference that he will receive money from abroad, from sources inimical to the interests of the vast majority of United States citizens. These sources will mask their true objective by nice sounding names, but the result will be the expectation that access to Obama will mean hostility to the interests of the United States of America, its citizens, and in a broader sense it means a broadened attack on Western civilazation, an attack gthat is already in process.
Jun 21, 2008 - 2:34 pm 16. b:@Alan: ” They dismiss out of hand the idea that someone “like them” could be elected to public office in the US… But regardless of Obama’s actual policies, the mere fact of a black president will force many people to reevaluate their view of the US.”
You know what Alan? A white bread honky like me stands no chance of getting elected president or sultan or dictator in their damn countries, so wtf should I care about their double standard db? I don’t see the rest of the countries in the world basing their politics on changing my view of their (*actually racist*) political systems.
Jun 21, 2008 - 8:17 pm 17. European:If you look at it in a objective way. Obama is most likely not going to be a successful president. There is no proof that he has had any kind of success in governing anything. The only reassurance of his competence is that he seemingly has the ability to put words together in an intelligent way.
Thinking of the importance of the job in question, it would be an understatement to say that it is unwise to take such a risk when choosing the right person for the job of being President of the United States of America.
Jun 22, 2008 - 2:40 am 18. Andrew Ian Dodge:His position on home-grown drilling is going to be a problem down the line as well. The Obama love-fest from the world-wide left and Muslims is most amusing to watch.
Jun 22, 2008 - 4:30 am 19. GW Crawford:He likely will do the same sort of thing as Carter: hamstring American military, ostracize allies, sit with foes, allow America to be humiliated without retaliation
And, if anyone quesions him, that topic will be declared off-limits (like his crazy ex-pastor, crazy wife, crazy friends and a penchant for throwing those who actually raised him under the bus)
Jun 22, 2008 - 8:23 am 20. Will Becker:The Jihadists know Barako is’nt a Christian,he’s safe from them at least.
Jun 22, 2008 - 3:24 pm 21. John Samford:“Why is Obama regularly referred to as “black”? One of his parents was African, the other a white American.”
Evidence please! Somewhere out there a passport of his fathers is floating around that sets him as Arabic. So NObama would be better described as half Arabic/half white.
Jun 22, 2008 - 3:32 pm 22. lgkick:Only there is no way the USA will elect an Arab Muslim as President, so Ohhhh…..BAMA is now half Black/half white and a nutbag Christian.
Obama is the only choice that makes sense at this time for the US. We can’t afford another 4 years of Bush’s presidency under another republican. Obama will be the next president and he will make a difference in the US foreign policy. Of course Muslims don’t expect that Obama bring about a free Palestine but they can hope that there won’t be another war against another Muslim country based on lies and deception. That’s all they want.
Jun 22, 2008 - 7:55 pm 23. Michael Lonie:Voting for Obama makes sense only if you want a replay of the Carter Administration. If you liked the Iranian hostage crisis of Carter you’ll love what Obama will bring us. If you liked Carter’s stagflation, you’ll love the Obama economic policies.
Igkick, Bush didn’t lie. It is itself a lie to say he did. He went with the best intel info he could get. The world is better off with Saddam hanged.
As for Saddam and nukes, which is what I assume you are referring to in your false accustation, Saddam was prepared to restart his nuke program as soon as the heat of sanctions was off. He could have bought much of what he needed to do so off the shelf from the A. Q. Khan network, which was only broken up (insofar as it has been) after and because of the Iraq Campaign. A few years and he would have had nukes and delivery systems (bought from the North Koreans perhaps).
Now Saddam was so reckless, so greedy for power and wealth, that he started two wars to steal other peoples’ oil even without having nuclear weapons. What do you suppose he, or his psychopathic spawn, would have done once they got nukes? Well that is one problem we shall never have to worry about. Instead of spewing mendacious rants about Bush you should be thanking him for eliminating at least one major international problem.
But the Iraq Campaign is bigger even that that, and to denounce it is to be against fighting the jihadists as well. It is the key to the elimination of the real “roots of terrorism” which do not lie in economic problems (an idea beloved of those who are too simple-minded to think outside the narrow cliches of vulgar Marxism). The roots are ideological, and lie in the dysfunctional Arab political culture, just as Germany’s problems for the world lay in its dysfunctional political culture that gave rise to the Nazis, and not in some temporary economic problems.
Jun 22, 2008 - 10:10 pm 24. Howard:Now that Obama has left the Christian Church of such infamy he will choose a new church. Now I wonder if the Trinity Church had served its purpose and so it was a suitable point at which to jetison it. After all it has convinced many of his christian credentials. But now, or rather after he’s elected he’ll need to choose a new church. Now I guess its perfectly reasonable for him to revert back to his father’s faith, after all he is a true multiculturalist. This will make him loved by the Left and the Muslim World. God help America. Its gonna need it I think.
Jun 23, 2008 - 5:24 pm 25. The Absurd Report » Obama’s Muslim Fans Need Some Straight Talk by Youssef M. Ibrahim:[...] Read more from Pajamas Media Social Networking: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]
Jun 25, 2008 - 1:36 am 26. L.C:RACISM IS ALIVE AND WELL ….THE COUNTRY IS GOING INTO A FUNK…AND THE CURRENT PRESIDENT BUSH IS IN CONTROL…SOME PEOPLE ARE ATTACKING A MAN(BARACK OBAMA) THAT IN TRUTH…THEY ARE NOT TAKING THE TIME TO GET TO KNOW…AND THEN TURN AROUND AND SPEAK ON THE MAN AS IF THEY KNOW…WHICH GIVES OTHER’S THE OPINION THAT IS NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD…DO NOT LET THE MEDIA, SOME POLITICIAN’S,AND RACIST FEWS SHAPE YOUR OPINION…DO YOUR HOME WORK
Jun 25, 2008 - 5:22 pm 27. sooli:Whenever I read the phrase “existential challenge to Western civilization”, I stop reading.
Jun 26, 2008 - 6:06 pm 28. SouthwestGal:Obama hasn’t visited with the troops. Is that going to be included in his ‘middle east’ visit? I think he’s afraid to go there while he will certainly be welcomed as one of their own in Tehran.
Jun 29, 2008 - 12:05 pm 29. Obama:[...] the Muslim faith of his father. There are no ex-Muslims in Sharia law, only dead ones. Pajamas Media » Obama’s Muslim Fans Need Some Straight Talk All of it is enough to half-jokingly wonder, when President Obama meets President Ahmadinejad of [...]
Jul 3, 2008 - 3:46 am