Obsession with Obama?
After a long and hard fought primary and election, Barack Obama emerged victorious. The islamosphere is abuzz.
Let us begin with the positive notes. Margari Aziza Hill is happy that Obama won. And she says that the good things have only begun-
This victory has more to do with an internal change in American society, foreign policy issues. But it has everything to do with the place Black Americans have in American society. And for Black American Muslims, this also profoundly changes the defined roles we have in American society. The most famous and recognizable Black man is an intellectual and Head of State (considering the last presidency, I think it is important to point out both). The reality is, that the public image of Black Americans, and let us not forget Africans on the continent and in Diaspora, defines our role in the American Muslim community. How so? Our public image shapes the ways in which our fellow co-religionists see us. Barack Obama’s presidency inverts a number of stereotypes that many in the Muslim community in the US and abroad have about Black Americans. In much of Muslim world outside of sub-Saharan Africa, people associate Blackness with slavery and inferiority. I recognize that this might not change the fact that when I go to the masjid in America, some immigrant Muslims will assume I am uneducated, broke, and not as valuable of an asset to the Ummah as a white convert.
No one is saying that everything is going to turn for the better just because of the election, but it certainly does change perceptions and the attitudes of many people in the corridors of power. Times are changing and it is time to get with it.
Then we have the dissent. The Man of Few Words has some disturbing observations-
Let me explain. Obama, is an opportunist who will gleefully trade in his values and beliefs in order to get ahead. Let’s look at the litany of Obama’s sins.
1. Went back on his promise of accepting public funds for his campaign thus outraising McCain with scandalous amounts of money that, contrary to the naive amongst his adoring worshippers, was not made up primarily of small donors, but rather funded significantly by many large corporations.
2. Went back on his word and voted for FISA granting the telecommunications companies immunity for cooperating with the criminal Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping.
3. He voted for the re-authorization of the Patriot Act, there go our civil liberties.
George Friedman of Muslim Cowboys is nuanced.
He will begin as one of the most powerful presidents in a long while. Truly extraordinary were the celebrations held around the world upon Obama’s victory. They affirm the global expectations Obama has raised – and reveal that the United States must be more important to Europeans than the latter like to admit. (We can’t imagine late-night vigils in the United States over a French election.)
Obama is an extraordinary rhetorician, and as Aristotle pointed out, rhetoric is one of the foundations of political power. Rhetoric has raised him to the presidency, along with the tremendous unpopularity of his predecessor and a financial crisis that took a tied campaign and gave Obama a lead he carefully nurtured to victory. So, as with all politicians, his victory was a matter of rhetoric and, according to Machiavelli, luck.
I hope this does prove to be a good thing for the Black people (I don’t like “African American” because there is nothing wrong with being black) and the rest of the world. He’s not going to fight racism in it’s face. But he being president will make the Black people more ambitious. The early signs about foreign policy, however, are not good. Biden and Emanuel is now joined by Sonal Shah, a former office bearer of VHP-A which is an extremist Indian group espousing “Hindutva”, and is responsible for many communal riots in India, and is recently being investigated for being involved in terrorist strikes in India (to be passed of “Islamic” terror.)
And I hope that the differences amongst us about Obama does not lead to divides. Differences are bliss. Divides are not.
(Image: Vincent J. Brown)
4 comments
It’s interesting to note that you’ve mentioned three people he’s appointed
Biden – Christian (in the loose sense of it maybe, i don’t know)
Emanuel – Jewish
Sonal – Hindu (extremist at that)
Has he appointed Muslims to any influential positions?
Don’t expect too much Islam Blog. When you see Obama, consider him like Colin Powell or Condi.Rice, and expect also same action.
I like this comment (from http://www.blackagendareport.com ):
Personally I guess its more to do with choosing the lesser of two evils.
Mr. Obama may not exactly be sympathetic towards Islam, but I believe he is at least better than that war-mongering, pathetically racist Mc Cain.
Mc Cain’s campaign had been totally abt continuing unjustified invasions of other countries and calling names at his competition (the “black” and “muslim” tags towards Obama).
After 8 stupid years, I’m glad the American public has finally woken up.
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