Zero tolerance for Muslim participation in politics?

Yes the idea that he should be punished for serving on a board for a few months because someone else on that board had fishy ties seems very depressing. What concerned me more was that if you look at the wall street journal article, in the last paragraph it says that the Fund was supported by conservative Saudi Muslims peddling fundamentalist Islam. As a non muslim, I would hope that progressive muslims would check out the organizations they're joining to see if they're actually supporting progressive islam or not. But maybe this group did in other ways. Dont know

Shahed Amanullah, you said:

"I cannot imagine another qualified Muslim daring to follow in his footsteps, only to be subjected to second/third/fourth-degree of separation accusations..."

Are you really saying that because one person designated as a spokesman for Muslim issues failed "the vetting process" that no one else would accept a job offer from Barack Obama? Frankly this sounds like a variation on "We're going to pick up our toys and go home."

Rod Dreher makes some relevant points on "Crunchy Cons." Far too many political organizations representing Muslims in the U.S. appear to have questionable ties.

To use an example I used on Dreher's site, Senator Barbara Boxer had to rescind a human relations award her staff gave to a Muslim leader of a local CAIR chapter after it was discovered that the man had ties to terrorist organizations.

ISNA, considered a very mainstream Muslim organization, has been said to have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. I personally can attest that ISNA quotes Sayyid Qutb in its journal. Some people might regard him as a radical.

Now this may be comparable to Irish-Americans who gave money that was laundered through front groups to support the Irish Republican Army. But, it seems to me that people have a right to ask for explanations when a "civic" organization claims moderation while supporting some very uncivil organizations and causes.

In reponse to Alicia, the problem isn't that people's "right to ask for explanations". The problem is that a far-flung question is the equivalent of judge, jury, and executioner.

The fact that many people still believe Obama is a muslim, despite the whole highly publicized Reverend Wright controversy is a prime example. Just because some newsperson of questionable repute decided to bump their ratings by asking "Is Obama a Muslim?", the mere fact that the question was asked was enough to "convict" him of being muslim for some voters.

Increasingly, this "conviction by questioning" does more harm to minorities than others. Often, these caarefully posed questions are nothing more than thinly vieled accusations.

Willa,

You are right, and it also saddens me that the way to villainise a person in this country is to call them a Muslim, as if that is the worst thing in the world that anyone can possibly be. As an Arab-American and Muslim, it is truly disheartening to see this hate and intolerance. I know that many Muslims in this country are waiting for a chance to take part and become more active, but the fear of being labeled a terrorist, extremist is too great.

I agree that Obama, and other politicans, have made the political environment impossible for American Muslims to participate in. It's hard to prove that you are a patriot to your country if you're never given an opritunity to prove it. Basically a double standard does exsist in American society right now against Muslims participating in politics.

Thanks, Aamir.

About the Obama-is-a-Muslim thing: One of my housemates, a socialist from El Salvador who is not religious, also believes that Obama is actually a Muslim, and is hiding who he is.

Obama's father was a Muslim, but that doesn't make Obama a Muslim, unless you believe that all men are naturally Muslim (LOL). Seriously, there is a little matter of choice and free will, and I believe Barack Obama is what he says he is, a "progressive Christian."

Nancy.....you say you're distressed to see intolerance towards Muslims...were you distressed when the World Trade Center was blown up? You say you see the American soldier as someone who is, "holding a gun on a civilian". Don't you have things a little backwards, Nancy? If it were'nt for the American soldier you could'nt write something like this. You seem to be saying that the attack on the WTC was America's fault. Or was it an inside job, Nancy? You say that American politicians need to, "justify their callous wars in two Islamic nations". You seem to be blaming America for the 'war on terror'. Is liberating five million people and bringing democracy to an oppressed region 'callous'? You should be thanking this administration for going on the offensive toward this form of extremism.
Deborah: no one is holding Obama responsible for a "guest speakers" words. But would'nt you question the judjement of, say, Romney, if he attended KKK rallys for 20 years and referred to the Grand Wizzard as his friend and advisor?

Nancy, perhaps Asbahi's resignation wasn't so much the result of "hate-mongering" as it was the personal decision of a lawyer employed by a prestigious law firm to avoid negative publicity. See the following quote from the Wall Stree Journal article on the resignation:

"A corporate lawyer at the firm of Schiff Hardin LLP, Mr. Asbahi tendered his resignation after he and the Obama campaign received emailed inquiries about his background from The Wall Street Journal. He did not respond to the email or a message left at his law office; the campaign released a letter in which Mr. Asbahi said he did not want to be a distraction."

What's the Obama camp going to do for an encore to further inflame any remaining relationship he has with American Muslims? He's got to stop listening to Zionist propagandists if he is to have any credibility and trust within the Muslim community. Until he shows Muslims the respect we deserve, we will continue to shut this Zionist pandering fool out as we continue to support Nader.

Guilt by association is alive and well in America. However, we expect political leaders to be emotionally strong enough to weather false fire-storms like this. Anyone who strives to be a leader must be brave enough to stand up to false accusations. Sen. Obama has demonstrated that he is emotionally strong enough to face false accusations. His staff must also be strong enough. As, potentially, the leader of the free world, anything less is not good enough.

To Jim:

Mr. Obama has not demonstrated strength but the spinelessness of a jellyfish for caving into Zionist pressures. In the meantime, he tries to shamelessly sweep his childhood ties to the Muslim world under the rug while he eliminates any associations and engagements with American Muslims in his campaign appearances. This is part of his vascillating, flaky behavior to play it safe and follow the latest trend to be "politically correct" with his ambitions.

Instead of having won a courageously fought campaign to victory, Mr. Obama will wake up disappointed come the morning of Wednesday, Novemnber 5th following Election Tuesday. He will discover that he and his advisors had badly miscalculated. He had placed his bet on pandering to the Jewish voters while dissing the Muslim and Arab voting blocks in key states that he depended upon for his victory. They will have either stayed at home or voted for Nader like myself out of protest to his nauseating pro-Zionism pandering.

Mr. Obama and the Democrats will only be able to blame themselves, not Nader, for their own weak and indefensible character. It is they who have followed like sheep the well-trodden path of corruption leading to Washington along the AIPAC-herded trail. Unfortunately there will be no true change in Washington as long as politicians like Obama allow AIPAC to call the shots for them. Obama is still following the same cowardly path that many cowards before him have taken. This is not leadership but acquiescence to the status quo of greed and power.

This is very interesting (and misinformed, un-intellectual, and unintelligible) diatribe and drivel by almost any standard. What MUST be understood regardless of one's commitment to their Islamic roots and faith, be that moderate yet devoted, or fanatical and obsessed is that Islam is a 1428 year old faith that grew out of Judaism and Christianity, as well as having drawn on certain elements of paganism. For the under-informed (or misinformed), which obviously includes most-if not all-of the Christian West the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was befriended by and led spiritually by Christian and Jewish priests, scholars, and missionaries. It is from their teachings and musings that the prophet came to develop his central themes, which later became known as Islam, or the Muslim faith. There are many great things that this wise nomad and Sheppard put forth to his misguided “flock” of tribesmen wandering the vast deserts of what is modern day Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and to lesser degrees Syria and Jordan. However, to have dubbed this wise Nomad a prophet may have been no less than 1428 years premature. Islam in total is a very mean spirited, and often (historically) brutal faith, dating back to the days while even Muhammad was alive; and it is chock full of controversy. A simple (and quick) reference is the story directly from the Quran (Koran) where a group of his followers (actually a gang of thugs) came upon some pilgrims making their way to the Holy Land in observance of a pilgrimage only to be halted their men and boys robbed and killed, the women and young girls raped and kidnapped and wagons set ablaze. When the band of hooligans returned to Muhammad reveling in all their glory and bootie the wise old man took deference. He admonished them telling them that what they did was most unacceptable to their god Allah, but when the warriors offered up monies (gold and silver coin as well as treasure) to Muhammad he was set on his heels. He suggested that he must go in to the desert to pray and seek guidance from the angel Jibriel (Gabriel). Upon his return he offered a compromise as suggested from Allah by way of Jibriel. The compromise was that they could not keep all the Booties for themselves, but must instead give 1/5th of the takings to Muhammad in the name of Allah. Yah right!?! Allah, or Muhammad? You be the judge. Regardless, Islam translates from its etymological origin within Aramaic (then to Sanskrit Arabic) to mean “Submit”! Here the Quran provides more guidance: that all the peoples of earth (Allah’s world) must submit. Well you ask how they must do this. In Islamic terms all people must: a) convert (submit) to being/becoming Muslims; b) pay the (or a) Jizra (tax, or poll tax for the right to practice another faith or religion; oh by the way this is left up to interpretation to and of the Islamic Clerics of the moment), or c) have their heads chopped off at the hands of an Executioner by the means of the sword. The sword? Yes, the sword, the very symbol of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and of most Muslim nations especially those of the Middle East. So when we want to talk about “ugliness”, or “racism”, or any of the other “isms” maybe it would do folks great counsel to actually, solidly, and completely know what it is that they are talking about. After having spent the last three of five years in the Middle East (Iraq and Saudi Arabia), and working very closely with high ranking leaders in the military, government, business, and religion I can assure you that only a few are well steeped in and versed in their own religion. These are very fine, upstanding community leaders and exceptional human beings; ladies and gentlemen I’d actually feel safe and comfortable to call my friends. However, Islam is what is and what it has always been for nearly 1428 years now. And, with all of its oppressive beliefs and practices that seem to only be getting more fanatical Islam is destined and ordained to continue its ways of “submission” until it has become successful globally. What mail is to be opened and answered is do you (and I) wish to succumb and submit to this brutal, oppressive, myopic faith. This is not a debate of ethics; this is a debate of moral choice, of religious beliefs and of faith-based electives. So be very careful not to parse words, or become confused over the core principle issues. In the final analysis man is an economic animal having only Needs and Wants; but if a religion (or faith) more fully promises to deliver on man’s Needs (which he MUST have for survival) then that will be the way man goes. And just as man goes will humanity and this world go.

To Micheal P.,

You should get a life and stop telling Islamaphobic fairytales about Islam and its Prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.). You're showing either your ignorance or your deceptive and immature nature. What are your sources for your disinformation campaign anyway? (Dead silence follows) I thought so- you made all of this garbage up thinking it was a joke! The jokes on you buddy.

Hello!! This is suppose to a "CHRISTIAN" web-sit!! As long as you believe in GOD, TRUST in GOD, and LOVE HIM above all else, it'll all work out!! I'm just lost my mother, been through a HURRICANE, my daughter has diagnosed with chrons diease!! MY son with BI-POLAR, and my husband!! Need I go ON!! BE THANKFUL for what you have and who, you have. The right man will get into office.... It's all in HIS hands!!!!!Isn't IT?????? Yes go vote ... then go home and PRAY!!!!you made the RIGHT choice!!! GOD LOVES all of us!! HE made US!! EVERY color,race,creed,nation,country, ect.. TRUST!!!!!

this is really sad.stop the hate. what some of the people on this site are saying is crazy. peace and love