Islam and Obama

I supported Senator McCain and Governor Palin to the end - but see the treatment and anger directed at Arab Americans as wrong and nothing more than a product of fear from a Bush Administration that did nothing for its social and fiscal conservative bases except give us rhetoric. Maybe if Senator Obama is truly an extreme liberal, perhaps the Republican party will return to its government reform, small government, debt minimizing roots, and actually lead our nation in positive moral values (I'm a Christian, but why not welcome others to our party?).

You forget, sir, that Muslim-Americans are still Americans. At the end of the day, they do think for themselves, or they wouldn't have come here. Very few who practice Islam in this nation are terrorists or radicals. All religions and races belong here, whether or not you agree with them. And yes, idiotic poster before me, it is just like a "Lutheran American" or a "Catholic American". Just like that. You're stupid.

Obviously this story was written by a Muslim. Who else would write: "But the ploy to connect Obama to a demonized Islam..." Demonized Islam? What does that mean? Perhaps a violent Islam or better yet intolerant Islam would be more truthful. Yes, that must be it.....

Someone asked why shovelbum has that name. I have a possible logical explanation. What comes out of a b*m and what is he always shoveling on this site?

demirinannesi, I appreciate your post and questions. I am on your side, and hope that Muslims can be viewed in a different way.

Before 9/11 and the prominence of the Wahhabi sect???s notice in the West, I had the good fortune to experience extensively in North Africa the warmth, welcome and the generosity that orthodox Islam imbued uniformly to its believers. It was much more complete and sincere than any sect of Christianity I have ever seen.

A problem is ignorance. Many Muslims appear and dress differently. Society is wary of those who appear to reject this culture. You need not change your dress, but you must show what it does and does not represent. Mosques are seen as breeding grounds of hate and terrorism, because some are.

Many Americans have only seen the extremists in the news and their expressions and manifestations of hate. How are Americans to be educated and who should educate them?

Many Americans would accept your faith if they understood that what they have seen is an aberration and is not representative. They need and want to be shown otherwise. I have tried to explain, but I do not have things to point to that others can see.

Referring to extremists or hate in the name of Christianity is ineffective, because so many Americans already reject them and know from their own experiences that such hate and extremes (as noisy as they are) are only exceptions and not representative.

I do not see how these perceptions can be changed until so many Muslims are so numerous and consistent and visible that the vast majority of Muslims are understood to be that majority.

Telling folks who are already receptive is insufficient to influence and persuade those who do not have that exposure.

Since the problem is a religious sect with aberrant views and goals, the mainstream religious leaders must be seen to reject and denounce Wahhabism. Visibly demand that Wahhabis stop trying to hijack your religion, and declare that Islam is the religion that it is. Continuously declare how hate and murder are harram, publicly.

Until this is observed repeatedly and uniformly, fears due to lack of information and understanding cannot be expected to change.

Be organized and repetitive. Demand that your religious leaders fairly and visibly represent your faith as it is. Go on Charlie Rose. Many other reporters and documentary makers will gladly present this view. Post signs outside your mosques declaring these things. Welcome visitors. Show yourselves to be what you are. You must realize that the absence of such declarations and actions are and will be perceived and used as evidence that the fears are well founded.

We all would be better off if misperceptions were rectified. But if you and your religious leaders are not willing to do these things, then you cannot expect anyone else to do it for you.

I am THRILLED to know that American Muslims voted for Obama overwhelming at 95%. That is terrific to know since I wondered how they felt as it appeared most of the news I read during the campaign rarely mentioned Muslims let alone how they felt. I am also glad to read here that although I had read about Obama's staffers keeping Muslims out of a particular photo shot, that no news agency bothered to follow up by reporting that Obama called these American Muslims to apologize for his staff's behavior. That was terrific!

I also want to say, thank you to all American Muslims for putting our man in the Oval Office as I believe he will try to help us all as much as he possibly can. Thank you for believing in him as much as I do and giving this extremely intelligent man a chance to do so much for us and our country!

Yes, it is so true that we should not judge all peopIe of any group to be wrong or bad. There are always people ready to judge without having any or even half of the facts. I am a much older Hispanic-heritage female, and I can't tell you thank you enough! Good luck to all of you and your families.

So many Americans seem to make the mistake of equating any Muslim with extremism. It shows ignorance,bigotry and small mindedness. Not every Christian is an Abortion Clinic bombing,Doctor killing mad-man, or pedophile, by that same token neither is every Muslim a terrorist sympathizer. There are extremists in every religion, it's the extremism that is so dangerous and vile,not the religion. I honestly believe that religious exteremism is perhaps the most dangerous thinmg facing mankind today. If only the leaders of all religions would preach love and tolerance instead of hate and division.

It is more of a shame that I have words to describe, that for so many Americans, the word Muslim has become a slur, and even worse, a cause for fear. As one who was raised in the racist, religion prejudiced area of rural, 1960???s West Tennessee, where even being Jewish was considered a 'sin', I was very proud of former Secretary of State Colin Powell's remarks. He redeemed himself in my eyes on that day. I remember being a child raised in a church of the Southern Baptist Convention. Our pastor was a good and honest man, but fear and superstition swept that group into such a reactionary and intolerant stance that I left it many years ago, along with almost any rational, tolerant, and thinking person.

The recent election inspires in me more pride in the United States of America than any day I can recall in my 52 years. It is far more important than landing a man on the moon, and as a student of science, and one having a deep belief that the future of Mankind requires learning and illumination, I understand how important it is that this country???s leader embrace science, rather than fear it. By all means give us a president who is more intelligent, and more learned than I am.

Fear has been the real ???bogy man??? in our nation in recent years. People who are afraid react without thinking. It is the tool by which every dictator, from Hitler to Stalin, has reared their hideous head to control a population. Our collective dismissal of fear as grounds for electing a President is an indication to all that we, as a nation, do learn and grow.

I have great sympathy for our citizens of the Muslim faith, and have known many who were better citizens than many of the ???bible thumping moral majority??? will ever care to be. They have to be. Each day, they feel the need to prove it. They have done so to their honor. Those of the Muslim faith have a great challenge over the world. Only they can truly check the poison of hatred that has clothed itself falsely in the robe of Islam, and if you watch closely, this has been happening and will gain speed.

Rather than fear and condemn these citizens, rather shall we support them as fellow Americans and as fellow travelers in their bid for the American Dream. Fear and ignorance are powerful and dangerous opponents, not to be dismissed. To defeat them we must be united. As a united people, we will defeat them, as regularly as they appear, as history shows they do from time to time.

Election is over,so Obama has been elected the president of states.we have seen lots of motivated speeches in his campaign,we all know that obama is a good communicator........but that will be interesting ,when he will start making policies and what will he do for Afghanistan,the perceptions of muslims much depend on this situation in Afghanistan,because words war is being over now,they want to see speech implementation by Mr President.

Except my Muslim neighbor...proudly displaying a Mc-P sign on his lawn (it was gone by 7 am Wed, tho!)