Most Muslims do not regard Obama as sharing our faith

Submitted by Zerina (United Kingdom), Sep 5, 2008 at 15:32

Islam is a religion, a set of beliefs, it is not a race. Islam is not passed down like a gene from father to son. Even if a child is raised by his father in the Islamic tradition he must still make his own decision to accept Islam once he old enough. You must believe sincerly or you are not a Muslim. Its really as simple as that. All Muslims know this, or should do. The importance of the shahada is key for us.

Just having an Arabic name and going to school for a few years in a mainly Muslim country does not make one a Muslim in the eyes of the Islamic world.

If Obama had stayed with his father and lived in a Muslim land then he may well have considered himself as a Muslim as he grew up but the fact is that he didn't. He is a Christian, that's how virtually everyone in the Muslim world sees him.

I've yet to come across any Muslims who think Obama is a Muslim or was a Muslim in the past. Of course you have extremists who may see him as an apostate but they are mad, frankly. I've been in Syria and Lebanon recently and people noted that Obama's dad was a Muslim but nobody regarded him as one.

Zerina

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