Should American Muslims be voting for Obama or killing him?

jdock99 · #1 05-01-2007, 03:22 PM

I admit I know I do not know a lot about Islam, especially about the subtleties over definition of certain edicts, which seems to be the central debate over whether Islamic extremism is justified in the Koran or not.

However, one thing I have always believed I understood about Islam is that the crime for converting from it to another religion is death, and there is no wiggle room on this one.

Is this a correct notion or not? And if it is, does this make Obama political enemy #1 for American muslims, or does he get a slide on this one?

iron81 · #2 05-01-2007, 03:24 PM

Obama was never muslim. Where did you hear that he was?

TomCollins · #3 05-01-2007, 03:27 PM

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Obama was never muslim. Where did you hear that he was?

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OMG His Middle name is Hussein!!! He also trained with Bin Laden in the 80s. Come on iron, get with it.

Borodog · #4 05-01-2007, 03:32 PM

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He also trained with Bin Laden in the 80s.

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I think they were roomies in college. I believe they still send each other Christmas cards.

latefordinner · #5 05-01-2007, 03:34 PM

Wrong on every assertion you made in your OP. n1!

jdock99 · #6 05-01-2007, 03:48 PM

According to his Wikipedia page he converted to Christianity. From what I am not sure. His parents may have not practiced any religion, but considering they gave him the middle name "Hussein" which is obviusly a Muslim name (I am not sure of the etiology of Barack) I think it would be safe to assume he was born Muslim, just as someone with the name David Cohen would be labelled Jewish even if his parents and he never practised.

Getting that out of the way, does this mean the crime for converting from Islam is not death? I admit I do not know Arabic and it is illegal to print the Koran in another language so I have never had the pleasure of reading this illustrious text. Therefore I have to rely on the words of others to elucidate this for me, so if this assumption is incorrect I would appreciate any enlightenment.

BCPVP · #7 05-01-2007, 03:54 PM

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I admit I do not know Arabic and it is illegal to print the Koran in another language so I have never had the pleasure of reading this illustrious text.

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0.18 seconds worth of Googling

iron81 · #8 05-01-2007, 04:02 PM

According to Snopes Obama denies he was Muslim and no evidence has surfaced that he was Muslim. Obama's biological father was Muslim, but he left when Obama was 2 years old. I don't know whether Islam has a tradition similar to baptism for a religion to stake their claim, but clearly Obama couldn't have gotten much of a Islamic education from his father.

I couldn't find the Wiki reference you mentioned, but Obama did convert to the United Church of Christ in the 80's. Perhaps that is what you read.

theweatherman · #9 05-01-2007, 04:38 PM

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but considering they gave him the middle name "Hussein" which is obviusly a Muslim name (I am not sure of the etiology of Barack) I think it would be safe to assume he was born Muslim

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Hussein is an Arab name. Not all Arabs are Muslims.

You should read more.

latefordinner · #10 05-01-2007, 05:15 PM

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him the middle name "Hussein" which is obviusly a Muslim name

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not anymore than "Jones" is a Christian name

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(I am not sure of the etiology of Barack)

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African origin, from Hebrew "Baruch" meaning "Blessed" (ZOMG does that mean Barack is really an African Jew?)

[/ QUOTE ]I think it would be safe to assume he was born Muslim

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Raised non religious. Went to both Catholic and Muslim schools. Father was rasied Muslim but identified as agnostic/atheistic by the time Obama was born. Currently considers himself Christian, attends and gives to a Christian church and regularly speaks at Christian events about his religion (as if anyone that considered themselves of another faith could run for potus!).

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does this mean the crime for converting from Islam is not death?

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AFAIK the charge of "apostasy" equating to "converting from Islam" resulting in a death sentence is rougly equivalent to saying that Christians believe an adulterous women should be killed. That is, there is possibly some scriptural basis for it, but the vast majority of practitioners do not believe so. In particular, many verses in the Quran support religious freedom:

1) 'If it had been the will of your Lord that all the people of the world should be believers, all the people of the earth would have believed! Would you then compel mankind against their will to believe?' (10:99)
2) '(O Prophet) proclaim: 'This is the Truth from your Lord. Now let him who will, believe in it, and him who will, deny it.'' (18:29)
3) 'If they turn away from thee (O Muhammad) they should know that We have not sent you to be their keeper. Your only duty is to convey My message.' (42:48)
4) 'Let there be no compulsion in religion.' (2:256)

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I admit I do not know Arabic and it is illegal to print the Koran in another language so I have never had the pleasure of reading this illustrious text.

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Really, i have a couple copies at home in English and studied it in an intro to theology class in college. Coulda fooled me.