One danger of such charisma, however, is that it can evoke unrealistic hopes of what a candidate could actually accomplish in office regardless of his own personal abilities. Case in point is the oft-made claim that an Obama presidency would be welcomed by the Muslim world.
This idea often goes hand in hand with the altogether more plausible argument that Mr. Obama’s election would raise America’s esteem in Africa ”” indeed, he already arouses much enthusiasm in his father’s native Kenya and to a degree elsewhere on the continent.
But it is a mistake to conflate his African identity with his Muslim heritage. Senator Obama is half African by birth and Africans can understandably identify with him. In Islam, however, there is no such thing as a half-Muslim. Like all monotheistic religions, Islam is an exclusive faith.
As the son of the Muslim father, Senator Obama was born a Muslim under Muslim law as it is universally understood. It makes no difference that, as Senator Obama has written, his father said he renounced his religion. Likewise, under Muslim law based on the Koran his mother’s Christian background is irrelevant.
Of course, as most Americans understand it, Senator Obama is not a Muslim. He chose to become a Christian, and indeed has written convincingly to explain how he arrived at his choice and how important his Christian faith is to him.
His conversion, however, was a crime in Muslim eyes; it is “irtidad” or “ridda,” usually translated from the Arabic as “apostasy,” but with connotations of rebellion and treason. Indeed, it is the worst of all crimes that a Muslim can commit, worse than murder (which the victim’s family may choose to forgive).
Interestingly enough, I had some thoughts along the lines of this writer. And, my thoughts even went so far as to be slightly afraid of what persons who terrorize the folks who choose Christainity over being a Muslim.
I think it would be very wise, should he be elected, to pray God’s protection on this man. The world is very dangerous, and he may need more protection than perhaps man can provide.
Gloria in SC
Scary stuff, but the writer seems to understand the “logic” of Islamic law.
I will certainly pray for his protection during the campaign and also if he is elected. I want him defeated, not murdered.
These conclusions sound extreme to any rational reader. The problem is that “sensible” and “rational” do not describe Islamist extremists.
Its an interesting view, but Muslims I know think that Obama might represent a Christianity that isn’t afraid of Islam. This would be welcome to Moderate Muslims, who are under siege from Radicals who insist that the Christian West will always be at war with Muslims. Obama would put a lie to that, and demonstrate to the world, that the US has the ability to elect a leader over its own history.
Admittedly, its not Obama that will win this election. It’s George Bush who made the Obama presidency possible, who has decimated the Republican Brand. If we had had a competent Republican Administration for 8 years, Obama would never have happened.
I dunno, Matt. The scenario presented by Luttwak sounds very similar to what my Egyptian friend thought the Islamist reaction would be. I’ve forwarded the column to him and await his response. Again, we’re not talking about moderate American or Turkish Muslims; we’re talking about the extremists.
The real question Luttwak raises persists. Does a Muslim government, even one that officially denies Obama’s being an apostate, have a problem with interfering with Muslims who DO view him as an apostate? I.e., will the Saudi Mukhabarat vigorously schwack AQ affiliates who try to schwack Obama?
Under what Muslim law or theology was Obama ever a Muslim to begin with? Is there ANY school of Muslim thought (even the most extreme) that claims that he is or ever was a Muslim? This sounds like a major strawman to me.
Catholic Mom, the article states that Obama’s father was Muslim and that makes Obama Muslim under Islamic law. So the question is whether that is a correct statement of fact.
I know that’s what the author of the article stated but multiple letters to the NY Times today said that that was totally incorrect (i.e., that there is no such Muslim law.) Does anyone know the facts? What is the definition of “Muslim” under Muslim law?
My Egyptian friend, who still hasn’t answered my email about this, told me a story about a woman he knows, a Copt. She fell in love with a dashing Muslim Egyptian Air Force pilot and married him against her family’s advice. He died when she was pregnant. After the baby was born his family demanded that she turn the child over to them. The child of a Muslim father is automatically Muslim and will be issued an identification card saying so, and Egyptian law will enforce this, because a Muslim child cannot be raised in a Christian household.
I’ve always wondered why African Americans are so fascinated by Islam as the vast majority of African slaves were sold into slavery by Arab Muslim slave traders.
The answer can only be ignorance or denial, Baruch. The history is well-documented by Hugh Thomas in The Slave Trade. But it is a paradox that has frustred me for years.
#13 Baruch,
The fact that a substantial percentage (estimates range around 10%) of the slaves brought to American from Africa were Muslim (and some of these slaves continued to practice Islam while in America) might have something to do with it.
It seems unlikely that is the source, #15. The rise of the Nation of Islam in the U.S. and other more orthodox Muslim conversions came concurrent with the civil rights movement and the black power movement. American black fascination with Islam seems to be a romantic movement away from “white” culture towards a putative “African” culture, while ignoring the facts about North African Muslim mistreatment of sub-Saharan black populations, Muslim or otherwise.