Time Magazine was shocked to discover that 24% of Americans think Obama is a Muslim and less than half, 47%, believe he is a Christian. Of course Time immediately tries to explain how all these people are wrong:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2011799,00.html
But the real problem for Obama and for Time Magazine is that they failed to appreciate the simple truth that values of Islam are diametrically opposed to traditional American values. One can obviously be a Muslim and believe in American values, but Islam and Sharia law, as practiced in much of the Muslim world, is not compatible with our values. Most Americans understand that instinctively. Obviously Obama does not. The following is from his Ramadan Proclamation:
These rituals remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings. Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for great diversity and racial equality.
The problem is that to Muslims, and apparently President Obama, words like justice, progress, tolerance and dignity of human beings mean very different things in the Muslim world than in America.
Justice
In the Muslim world, justice is Sharia law. This is the same law that was used to justify stoning a young couple to death for alleged adultery. Right now in Saudi Arabia they are deciding whether or not to permanently paralyze someone, by severing his spine, as part of his punishment. There is no comparisonbetweenthe Muslim definition of justice and our definition of justice.
Progress
I don’t pretend to know what Obama meant by Islam advancing progress. If you look at the winners of a Nobel prize, in any category, you won’t find very many Muslims. But, I would give Obama a pass on this, because progress is measured in the eyes of the beholder.
Tolerance
I don’t know how anyone can use the word tolerance in connection with a religion that does not believe in tolerance. Muslims certainly don’t tolerate other religions. They don’t even tolerate gay people and they don’t tolerate personal behavior that is inconsistent with Sharia law. Failing to grow a proper Muslim beard in Afghanistan could get you killed. Infidels (anyone who is not Muslim) are not even allowed to visit holy cities like Mecca. It appears to me that tolerance, in the Muslim world, means that everyone else must tolerate Islam. It is the exact opposite of what we mean by tolerance.
Dignity of All Human Beings
It is hard to believe that Islam is advancing the dignity of all human beings. That certainly does not apply to women
Diversity and Racial Equality
If President Obama honestly believes that Islam is a faith known for diversity and racial equality, he does not understand what diversity and racial equality means. Sharia law is not exactly known for celebrating diversity. How can we possibly describe a religion which calls for the extermination of Jews a religion known for racial equality? Please!
If Obama really believes that the values of Islam are compatible with our values, he either doesn’t understand Islam, or he doesn’t understand American values. I believe the American people have had it with this type of politically correct moral relativism. They are tired of having Christians constantly put down as narrow minded bigots, while ignoring the complete lack of tolerance by Muslims. We can and should tolerate people who choose to be Muslim. But our values are not the values of Islam and tolerance does not mean throwing away our core values in a vain attempt to avoid offending those who are often offended by our very existence.
George Bush said Muslim was a religion of peace. That obviously is far from true. What he should have said is that most Muslims are peaceful people. But Barack Obama has gone one step farther. He has said that our values and the values of Islam are the same. That is why so many people think he is a Muslim. It is also why so many question whether or not he is a Christian. The real problem for Obama is that we do understand him. We just don’t like what we see.
TDM