The latest in the frenzy to obfuscate Obama's connection to Islam, a new member of Obama's Muslim family weighs in. Like most who attempt to shape or change a story, she reveals more than she hides.
In this coming Sunday's New York Times magazine, the weekly Q & A by Deborah Solomon features Barack Obama's half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng. The two have the same mother and different fathers (her dad is Indonesian).
She talks about their late mother, who was an anthropologist, and about campaigning for her older brother for a couple of months, and reveals that she has a bumper sticker that reads, "1-20-09. End of an error." But the questions about religious background may stir the most interest.
Soetoro-Ng describes her mother as being an agnostic, who gave the kids "all the good books," and mentions the Bible, and Hindu and Buddhist scripture. Solomon jumps on that, wondering why she didn't mention the Koran, since Indonesia is the most populous Muslim nation. Soetoro-Ng replies, "I should have mentioned the Koran. Mom didn't really emphasize the Koran, but we read little parts of it. We did listen to morning prayers in Indonesia."
Deliberately omitting the Koran. Not good. The mother brought every religious book into the house? The Talmud too?
Solomon then wonders if she was "worried" about even mentioning Islam, given the false accusations against her brother. She answers, "I'm not worried. I don't want to deny Islam....At the same time, it has been erroneously attached to my brother. The man has been a Christian for 20 years." (Editor and Publisher)
And previous to that Obama was what? I pointed these inconsistencies out in my OpEd piece in the Israel National News (1/09/08): Obama, The Muslim Thing and Why it Matters
Every Muslim who left Islam is very definitive about leaving and why. They are quite vocal - Wafa Sultan, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Walid Shoebat, Elijah Abraham, etc. If he left Islam, Obama must have very definite thoughts about it. He has to, he practiced Islam. That is not benign; it's big. And even if, as inferred by big media, it was not big to him, then he can still appreciate how important it is knowing what he knows about Islam and apostasy.
Obama would have had to make a decision to reject Islam. When did he make that decision? How? Why the silence? Why the reluctance to talk about it?
Apostasy is punishable by death in Islam. Have there been calls for Obama's death? If not, why not? Islam gives no free passes.
Obama's posture on this is hard to define or understand, because it is a critical issue
Add this to Obama's older brother, Abongo "Roy" Obama who is a Luo activist and a militant Muslim who argues that the black man must "liberate himself from the poisoning influences of European culture." He urges his younger brother to embrace his African heritage. (More here.)
hat tip Director Blue
