Do you guys really want me to dig into ripping this one apart too? Because its all false.
This article is written based on 2 other articles which both had key points that were misinterpreted or flat-out wrong.
A big part of it is cultural. To Americans, being a Muslim is more of a choice of faith. To the Asian and Arab world, being a Muslim is more all-encompassing. Think of it as we think of being Jewish. Being Jewish is both a lineage and a faith. The same holds true for being a Muslim in other parts of the world.
So, when someone in Indonesia says that Obama is a Muslim, in their mind, he is. Because his birth father was a Muslim, Obama is a Muslim. Nevermind that Barack never practiced the faith. Simply by virtue of being born from a Muslim father, Obama is a Muslim in their view. Technically they are correct.
But for the purposes of the 'ZOMG OBAMA IS A MUSLIM' outrage, Barack is not a Muslim. He has never practiced the faith. His Muslim father took off when he was an infant. His step-father was a non-practicing Muslim whom Barack only knew for a short time. For the vast majority of his life, he was raised by his CATHOLIC, white grandparents in Hawaii. And he has never been a Muslim and never prayed in a mosque. I take him at his word and I will continue to do so until there is a factual, non-fringe source.
The media is taking advantage of our lack of understanding on this matter and it is important that we look at these things objectively.
|