Denigration of Islam ....and Barack Obama

Watchblog Islamophobie links to a TV interview with German hate-blogger Stefan Herre, whose blog Politically Incorrect is a flash point for anti-Muslim sentiment in Germany.  In the interview, Herre says "Islam is not a religion, rather it is an ideology of violence". The reporter also quotes Herre as stating that Senator Barack Obama is a "secret Muslim".  In blog post on Politically Incorrect Herre writes that Barack Obama lied about visiting a mosque and that he is a "racist".  The comments that follow are filled with hate against Muslims and Barack Obama.

Herre's big hero is President George W. Bush. Is he aware that President Bush also - to his great credit - visited a mosque?  Will Herre have to remove the American flag from his blog in one year, when President Obama takes office?

In a great op/ed piece in today's Boston Globe, former Roman Catholic priest James Carroll had this to say about Barack Obama and Islam:

In last week's debate, moderator Brian Williams put to Barack Obama a question about Internet rumors that claim he is a Muslim. The tone of the question suggested that Obama was being accused of something heinous. He replied with a simple affirmation that he is a Christian. He did not then ask, "And what would be wrong if I were a Muslim?" Had he done so, it seems clear, he would have cost himself votes in the present climate.

The denigration of Islam has unfortunately become a fixture in what passes today for political discourse in America.

n recent years, the public realm has been invaded by a certain kind of narrow Christian enthusiasm, made up partly of triumphalistic self-aggrandizement (exclusive salvation), and partly of the impulse to denigrate other religions, especially Islam.

Today America celebrates Martin Luther King Day.  It was completely appropriate for Senator Obama to deliver a speech in Dr. King's church in Atlanta where he stressed unity.  It is a magnificent speech.  You can read it here and watch the video here. Here is a brief excerpt:

"Unity is the great need of the hour - the great need of this hour. Not because it sounds pleasant or because it makes us feel good, but because it's the only way we can overcome the essential deficit that exists in this country.

I'm not talking about a budget deficit. I'm not talking about a trade deficit. I'm not talking about a deficit of good ideas or new plans.

I'm talking about a moral deficit. I'm talking about an empathy deficit. I'm taking about an inability to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we are our brother's keeper; we are our sister's keeper; that, in the words of Dr. King, we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny."

Comments

[Hattie]

My husband got a posting from a group he belongs to about Obama, the secret Muslim. He wrote back and told them not to bother him with their offensive lies.
Glenn Greenwald at Salon.com has a good and thorough analyis of the Obama is a Muslim meme.

[Scott Kern]

If only every day was MLK day--that would make Obama's job a lot easier.

It's a great speech.