Why Obama and Kenya are being dragged in the mud of US racism
By ANTONY KARANJA
http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Why%20Obama%20and%20Kenya%20are%20being%20dragged%20in%20the%20mud%20of%20US%20racism%20/-/440808/1010912/-/item/0/-/2psdiz/-/index.html
Posted Tuesday, September 14 2010 at 17:29
Since November 2008, almost every Republican, and especially those in the Tea Party, the fringe wing of the oldest political party in the US, knows that a country called Kenya exists.
All of a sudden the right wing is so knowledgeable about Kenya’s politics and geography than ever before. All this courtesy of US President Barack Obama.
The American right wing has relentlessly tried to push this misinformation to its followers and the shocking thing is, it is sticking.
In a country where the public will believe a lie to be true when it’s repeated over and over again despite obvious evidence to the contrary, the right has definitely exploited this weakness.
The freedom of expression has brought out the worst of these conspiracy theorists who somehow believe Obama fooled the entire world into believing he was born in Hawaii.
These Obama-haters will compete to display the most ignorant protest signs. In one of the Tea Party rallies, some of the attendees displayed protest signs reading: ‘‘A village somewhere in Kenya misses its idiot” and “Go back to Kenya”.
For a country that prides itself as the world’s largest democracy, these acts by a bunch of ill-informed people are regrettable. Mr Obama is not likely to get a break as long as he is president, and if comments by one Newt Gingrich last weekend are anything to go by, the worst is yet to come.
Gingrich, who wants to make a stab for the presidency in 2012, borrowed a line from the ‘‘Birthers’ ’’ playbook, and in doing so gave us an inkling of what will be coming.
He had this to say in an interview with the National Review Online: “What if [Obama] is so outside our comprehension, that only if you understand Kenyan anti-colonial behaviour, can you begin to piece together [his actions]?” Gingrich asks. “That is the most accurate, predictive model for his behaviour.”
The article further quotes Gingrich as saying:“This is a person who is fundamentally out of touch with how the world works, who happened to have played a wonderful con, as a result of which he is now president.”
Gingrich, a former House Speaker, made these amazing comments in apparent agreement with an article that appeared in Forbes by a conservative writer, Dinesh D’Souza.
In his feeble attempt to explain “Obama’s thinking”, D’Souza, who was born in India, goes to great pains to convince Americans that he knows who shaped.
“Clearly the anti-colonial ideology of Barack Obama Sr. goes a long way to explain the actions and policies of his son in the Oval Office. And we can be doubly sure about his father’s influence because those who know Obama well testify to it.
He goes on to say: “Incredibly, the U.S. is being ruled according to the dreams of a Luo tribesman of the 1950s. This philandering, inebriated African socialist, who raged against the world for denying him the realisation of his anti-colonial ambitions, is now setting the nation’s agenda through the reincarnation of his dreams in his son.
‘‘The son makes it happen, but he candidly admits he is only living out his father’s dream. The invisible father provides the inspiration, and the son dutifully gets the job done. America today is governed by a ghost.”
Clearly D’Souza’s intellectual laziness is evident as he does not bother to back up any of his charges. His piece is full of divisive rhetoric and he is definitely gunning to be quoted by conservatives in high positions.
Gingrich’s position on D’Souza’s piece is even more baffling considering that he is a former history lecturer who should have known D’Souza’s article was pure hot air.
But who is surprised really? Gingrich’s main intention is to push the narrative that the President is exotic, non-American, and not “one of us” as the November midterm elections approach. He is trying to appeal to voters’ fears.
He comes from the same party that instilled fear in senior citizens, lying to them that Obama is trying to kill them by way of passing health-care reforms.
It is unfortunate that now “Kenya” has become the buzz-word used to score political points. The conservatives would really love to replace the name “Kenya’’ with the word they want to use, “Black”, but for the sake of political correctness “Kenya” seems to be a good cover.
It is race-baiting at its best and Gingrich and D’Souza know it. In an effort to please their audience, these two men have displayed unapologetic racism and should be ashamed of themselves.
Mr Karanja is a blogger and also contributes articles to the Nation from Dallas USA.(tgkaranja@gmail.com)
Islamophobia, Franklin Graham, and Glen Beck's False Revival
http://www.yesumulungi.com/index.php/commentaries/432-islamophobia-franklin-graham-and-glen-becks-false-revivall.html
Kato Mivule | September 1, 2010
A new wave of unprofitable and pitiful debates have swept across America as of recent concerning the Christianity of President Obama and the building of an Islamic Center near the 9/11 site close to Ground Zero in New York City.
What is most disturbing is that some Evangelical Leaders have taken on an antagonistic mantle of bashing Muslims and labeling all Muslims as terrorists, only adding unnecessary flames to the illogical and irrational fear of Muslims among Christians in America.
To even make matters worse, an Evangelical Pastor, Terry Jones from Gainsville, Florida is planning a “ceremony” to burn Korans on September 11, 2010. According to the New York Times, Pastor Terry Jones claims that he has a right to burn the Koran since it is a book of lies. [1] The sad part is that Pastor Terry Jones has gotten a following, presumably Christians hoodwinked that their mortal enemies are Muslims.
Yet in New York another debate ranges on whether Muslims should go ahead and build an Islamic Cultural Center on private property a few blocks close to the 9/11 site – Ground Zero Site in New York City. Muslims have been using part of the building to hold their prayers daily, serving as a Mosque. The argument is that the Islamic Cultural Center is so close to the 9/11 site which is considered a sacred ground in remembrance to all who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. [2]
The point being implied is that all Muslims are responsible for the 9/11 attacks and therefore their Islamic Cultural Center would be an added insult. Many Christians have been caught up in the debate, with many strongly opposing the building of the Islamic Cultural Center that they refer to as a Mosque. The Catholic Archbishop of New York City has at least had the tenacity among Christian Leaders to call for calm and cessation of the anti Muslim rhetoric among Christians even though he hopes for the Islamic Cultural Center to be moved to another location. [3]
However, the anti-Muslim-Mosque phenomenon hitting the USA is not just centered in New York City, of recent Muslims have faced strong opposition from mainly Christians for plans to build a Mosque as far as Murfreesboro in Tennessee that the FBI is investigating an incidence of Muslim property damaged by fire at the Mosque site bearing marks of an arsonist. [4]
President Obama recently weighed in on the debate on building the Islamic Cultural Center near Ground Zero in New York. At first he supported the idea then backtracked like any other politician would do when the opposition to the Islamic Center grew.[7] [8]
However, more interesting is that another debate ensued, questioning Obama's Christianity. Many Americans do not believe that Obama is a Christian, many believe he is a Muslim because his father was a Muslim.
The Reverand Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham the renowned Evangelist was interviewed on ABC TV and had problems explaining if Obama was a Christian. [10] I was amazed at the way in which Franklin Graham was caught up in the Tea Party mantra by making claims that since Obama was born to a muslim father, he has the seed of a Muslim in him. This was not just a lost opportunity for Franklin Graham but a total misrepresentation of the Gospel and Jesus Christ. In making that claim that Obama has the seed of a “Muslim in him” The Reverand Franklin Graham only added flames to the fire and implicitly joined those who have placed a label of a Muslim on President Obama.
But the claim by Franklin Graham against Obama's faith is much deeper, it is one that has to do with a Christianity that some in the Evangelical community in the USA have taken on – Dominionism. In other words, the State is seen as a tool to be used by Jesus Christ to bring about or enforce Christian rule not only in the USA but around the World. Therefore unless Obama submits to such type of Christianity, he is not a Christian, and worse, he is a Muslim, the 'sole' enemies of Dominionist Christians in America – at least Muslims are seen as an impediment to the goals of Dominionist Christians.
The problem is that Franklin Graham among other Dominionist Christian leaders in America, have rejected any calls for the separation of Church and State but rather are joining hands with Tea Party activists, White Supremacists, Racists, Bigots and all Haters who can at least agree to 'use' God and a Political version of Christianity to achieve Political Goals.
God to these groups has become a political tool. If any dissents with their view of the world, they are then labeled a Muslim, or a Christian with a Liberation Theology. In other words the term Muslim and Liberation Theology are deemed slurs and derogatory to anyone who dissents or disagrees with the Christian Dominionist world view.
This kind if unchristian and unbiblical attitude was most exhibited at a rally organized by a Conservative Talk Show Host, Glen Beck in Washington DC in which Glen Beck who has become a darling to many Evangelicals in the USA. Glen Beck at his rally in DC called for a Revival in America and claimed that America was returning to God. [11]
However, it must be noted that the God that Glen Beck and other Political - Dominionist Christians refer to is not the New Testament God, they are not referring to Jesus Christ of the New Testament but rather a Political Jesus, a Jesus who is at war with Muslims, the poor, and the most weak of society. Glen Beck is referring to a Revival of Political Christianity, a type of Christianity that sees the State as a tool to be used by Jesus Christ to enforce a Theocracy in the world and establish Christian Laws and Ordinances, a type of Christianity that would legalize Christian Moral Laws and abolish Homosexuality, Abortion and perhaps all sins in the world.
Yet the only trouble is that this type of revival that Glen Beck calls for is false and fake and totally in contradiction with New Testament Christianity. Jesus Christ never called for such a 'Political God Revival', neither did His Apostles or even Christians in the early church. When it came to social issues, Jesus Christ was explicitly clear in His message to care for the poor and weak in society, a thing that His Apostles emphasized later on. Of course neither did Jesus Christ mandate the State to do so but made it an obligation that Christians had to take on personally.
As if that was not enough Glen Beck resorted to claims that Obama was a Christian with “bad values”, values based in a Liberation Theology. [12] In other words, Liberation Theology is very dangerous since it advocates for the poor and was first spearhead by Catholic Priests in Latin America who spoke out against the excesses of Capitalism and stood for the poor whose resources were being plundered, many of the Priests were assassinated and killed for their stand. [13]
So, now the argument is if Obama is not a Muslim, he must be a Liberation Theologian. So, Glen Beck and other Dominionist Christians are revealed, their trouble is the poor and the welfare of capitalism. Any one who advocates for the poor is either a Muslim, if that does not stick, then they are of the “bad Christian Values” – values that advocate for the poor and weak in society – Liberation Theologians.
So, what is the point about the Muslim Mosque in New York, Tennessee, Obama being a Muslim, and Obama being a bad Christian with a Liberation Theology? Is there anything Christian about this rhetoric? Anything that we should follow as Christians? Anything compatible with New Testament Teachings? The answer is None!
As a matter of fact, any Christian who believes in New Testament Christianity should disassociate themselves from such ideologies fronted by Glen Beck and other Political Christians. The Revival that Glen Beck calls for is fake and false. It is not about America repenting from sins and returning to God, it is about Politics and the resurgent of the Christian Religious Right in America – a christian political group advocating for a Theocracy not only in America but around the world.
Secondly, about the Islamic Cultural Center in New York, America has freedom of religion and therefore Muslims should be left free to practice their religion in the USA just as Evangelical Christians would love to freely practice their faith anywhere. Some would argue that no Christians have built a Church near Mecca in Saudi Arabia, however, we Christians are called to lead by example. If we claim, to be a peace loving people, and folks who cherish freedom of religion, then we shall have to live in a world where our neighbor might be a Hindu or a Muslim with a their Temples near our Churches.
The issue of protesting against the Muslim Center in New York is not limited to New York but across America. Why are Christians engaged in protesting the Mosque in Murfreesboro Tennessee? The issue is not the locality of the Mosque but an anti-muslim and islamophobic attititue that many Christians in America have to deal with. [5] [6] Of recent, a flamboyant Evangelical Pastor, Bill Keller from Florida is planning on building a Church near the 9/11 site in New York, the Pastor sees this as a retaliation to the Islamic Cultural Center near the 9/11 site, sadly some Christians have bought into his hate mantra, only inflaming the islamophobic rhetoric among Christians in America. [14]
In the New Testament we see an instance of Paul the Apostle going to Ephesus and at Corinth, and did not at any one time call for the destruction of the Greek Temples or even Jewish Synagogues, rather we see Paul the apostle establish Churches and getting a good following. There was no organized protest against the Greek Temples or calls for legislation to ban the building of any Greek or Roman Temple. We do see that Paul simply present his Gospel and the need for people everywhere to repent, and Paul did get results, Christianity flourished as it was personal rather than institutionalized like the Glen Becks want us to believe today.
Thirdly, the idea of labeling all Muslims as Terrorists is totally evil and wicked and no Christians would like to be placed in the same category as the Crusaders who not only killed Muslims but even Jews who resided peacefully with their Muslim Occupiers in Jerusalem. No Christian would like to be associated with Christian terrorist groups in Northern Ireland, no Christian would like to be associated with the notorious Christian Rebel Group that ransacked Northern Uganda, the Lord's Resistance Army that claimed to push for the Ten Commandments. There are many folks who use religion to achieve political goals and the end result is always violence and sadly Christians have fallen to this predicament too. Shocking is that some Christians seem to want to repeat history, just like the crusaders, using Politics and the Sword to achieve political goals and enforce Christian Morality, and the end is always mayhem, destruction, and violence.
There is no need to get excited, let there be calm and peace, if you desire freedom to practice Christianity then others have the freedom to practice their religious faith. New Testament Christianity has never been nor will ever be a State Religion, those who wish so, are only chasing after the wind and wasting time and resources.
Kato Mivule
Notes
[1] New York Times, Far From Ground Zero, Obscure Pastor Is Ignored No Longer, August 25, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/us/26gainesville.html
[2] CNN, Imam behind controversial New York Islamic center speaks From Mohammed Jamjoom, August 23, 2010
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/22/new.york.imam.comments/index.html
[3] New York Times, Archbishop Offers Mediation for Islamic Center, August 18, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/nyregion/19dolan.html
[4] USA Today, Arson reported at Tennessee mosque construction site, August 29, 2010
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-08-29-arson28_ST_N.htm
[5] Global Research, The Muslim Mosque at Ground Zero and Freedom of Religion in America,
August 27, 2010
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=20788
[6] Time, Does America Have a Muslim Problem?, Aug. 19, 2010
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2011798,00.html
[7]Political, Obama defends ground zero mosque, August 15, 2010
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41060.html
[8]Fox News, Obama: I Never Changed Course on Mosque Remarks, August 30, 2010
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/30/obama-walked-mosque-remark/
[9]Washington Post, Why do more people think Obama is a Muslim?, August 26, 2010
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/08/why_do_more_people_think_obama.html
[10] ABC News, The Rev. Franklin Graham Says President Obama was 'Born a Muslim', Aug. 20, 2010
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/franklin-graham-president-obama-born-muslim-pew-poll/story?id=11446462
[11]Political, Glenn Beck calls for national revival, August 28, 2010
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41548.html
[12] Christian Science Monitor, Glenn Beck sticks 'liberation theology' label on Obama's Christianity,
August 25, 2010
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2010/0825/Glenn-Beck-sticks-liberation-theology-label-on-Obama-s-Christianity
[13] Wikipedia, Liberation Theology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_theology
[14]Salon, Bigot starts ground zero church: Where's the outrage?, Aug 30, 2010
http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/08/30/bigot_establishes_ground_zero_church
