Obama’s “Muslim Problem”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
07/06/2008
By Kamran Memon
Some American Muslims are upset with Sen. Barack Obama. He meets with various religious communities, but he has declined to meet with major Muslim organizations. He visits many houses of worship, but he has avoided mosques.
Obama appears to be minimizing his contacts with American Muslims in an effort to undercut right-wing political opponents who claim he’s an untrustworthy closet Muslim who supports al-Qaida and hates America.
Being Muslim would be the kiss of death for a presidential candidate in post-9/11 America. A poll by the Pew Research Center showed that almost half of Americans would hesitate to vote for such a candidate. The Pew poll also found that 10 percent of registered voters believe the false rumor that Obama is Muslim.
Some American Muslims think Obama should take a strong stand against anti-Muslim sentiment in America, even if it hurts him politically. But few American Muslims seem to be willing to help Obama solve his “Muslim problem.” They don’t acknowledge that the American Muslim community has the power to improve the public standing of Islam between now and Election Day, which would help take the heat off Obama. Instead, they want Obama to do all the work. Read the rest of this entry »
