Bahalow vows to protest in Wajir, Others demand an apology from Clinton

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

Kenyan town plans demo over Obama Somali photo

Reuters | Thursday, 28 February 2008

 

The picture, which appeared on a US website, showed the Illinois senator donning a traditional white headdress and robes during a 2006 trip to Wajir in northeastern Kenya.

 

Aides to Obama, whose late father was from Kenya, accused his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's campaign of "the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering" of the election season after the picture was published.

 

Obama has fought a whispering campaign by fringe elements that say erroneously that he is Muslim. Clinton's camp denied officially approving the photo's release.

 

Wajir residents plan to demonstrate in the town after Friday prayers to show their support for Obama, said Ahmed Sheikh Bahalow, an elder from ethnically Somali Wajir.

 

The controversy made headlines in Kenya where many people support the Democratic front-runner in the way the Irish idolised US President John F Kennedy in the 1960s - as one of their own who succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.

 

Bahalow, a retired teacher, said his community was offended by the insinuation Obama had done anything wrong on his visit.

 

"The Somali community and in particular those living in Kenya have never been that interested in American politics," Bahalow told Reuters in the central town of Isiolo. "But we are following it keenly now because we have been provoked."

 

Clinton needs to win next week in Ohio and Texas to keep her campaign alive after Obama's streak of 11 straight victories.

 

Once the odds-on favourite to win the Democratic nomination to run against a Republican candidate in November's poll, she has lost big leads in public opinion polls in the two states as Obama has gained momentum and made inroads among her supporters.

 

In an emailed statement, a St Paul, Minnesota-based lobby group, the Somali Justice Advocacy Centre, said it had demanded an apology from the Clinton campaign over the photo affair.

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4419145a12.html

[N.O.R.F]

Obama's letter

 

Source: The Middle East Times.

 

There has been a lot made in the recent weeks about the Muslim history of my family. Some of the things that have been said are true, others are false, so I am writing this letter to clear up the misunderstandings on this issue.

 

Yes, it is true that I have a name that is common amongst Kenyan Muslims where my father came from and that my middle name is Hussein. Barack is a name which means ‘blessing and Hussein is a masculine form of the word beauty. Since there is nothing inherently wrong with the concept of blessings from God and the beauty He creates I fail to see the problem with these names. Some will say wouldnt it be a problem to have a president with a name similar to the deposed and executed former dictator of Iraq? My answer to this is simply no; rather it is the strength and beauty of America that the son of an African man with a ‘funny sounding name, born under British Colonial Rule, can now be a serious candidate for the presidency of the United States.

 

My father was a Muslim and although I did not know him well the religion of my father and his family was always something I had an interest in. This interest became more intense when my mother married an Indonesian Muslim man and as a small child I lived in Indonesia and attended school alongside Muslim pupils. I saw their parents dutifully observing the daily prayers, the mothers covered in the Muslim hijab, the atmosphere of the school change during Ramadan, and the festiveness of the Eid celebrations.

 

The man my mother was married to was not particularly religious; but he would attend the mosque on occasion, and had copies of the Quran in different languages in the home, and books of the sayings and life of the Prophet Muhammad. From time to time he would quote Islamic phrases such as ‘no one truly believes until he wants for his brother what he wants for himself’oppression is worse than slaughter‚ and ‘all humans are equal the only difference comes from our deeds.

 

Growing up in Hawaii with my mother and her grandparents Islam largely escaped my mind. My mother installed in me the values of humanism and I did not grow-up in a home were religion was taught.

 

It was later while I attended college at Columbia University and Harvard Law that I became reacquainted with Muslims as both schools had large Muslims student populations. Some of them were my friends and many came from countries that our nation now has hostile relations with. The background I had from my early childhood in Indonesia helped me get to know them and learn from them and to me Muslims are not to be looked upon as something strange. In my experiences up until college a Muslim was no less exotic to me than a Mormon, a Jew, or a Jehovahs Witness.

 

After college I settled in my adopted hometown of Chicago and lived on the South Side and worked as a community organizer. Chicago has one of the largest Muslim populations in America (estimated to be around 300,000) and Muslims make-up some of the most productive citizens in the area. I met countless numbers of Muslims in my job as an organizer and later on in my early political career. I ate in their homes, played with their kids, and looked at them as friends and peers and sought their advice.

 

Therefore, when the tragic terrorist attacks of 9-11 occurred I was deeply saddened with the rest of America , and I wanted justice for the victims of this horrific attack, but I did not blame all Muslims or the religion of Islam. From my experience I knew the good character of most Muslims and the value that they bring to America. Many, who did not personally know Muslims, indicted the entire religion for the bad actions of a few; my experience taught me that this was something foolish and unwise.

 

Later I had the chance to visit the homeland of my father and meet Muslim relatives of my including my grandmother. I found that these were people who wanted the same things out of life as people right here in America and worked hard, strive to make a better way for their children, and prayed to God to grant them success.

 

This is what I will bring to the office of the Presidency of the United States. I will deal with Muslims from a position of familiarity and respect and at this time in the history of our nation that is something sorely needed.

 

http://makkah.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/letter-from-obama-on-his-muslim-heritage/

[Geel_jire]

^ a true politician, after 8 years of the dyslexic *****, who has provided enough comic material to keep people laughing for the next decade.

 

In an emailed statement, a St Paul, Minnesota-based lobby group, the Somali Justice Advocacy Centre, said it had demanded an apology from the Clinton campaign over the photo affair.

an apology for what ??? , the world has gone crazy

[Fabregas]

Bal isaga maxa ka galay?

[N.O.R.F]

An apology for intimating the clothing your forefathers wore are clothes of terrorists/fanatics.

[Geel_jire]

^ that is not what i meant.

 

but to most Americans you are already a terrorist/fanatic apologies won't change that.

 

The extent some people go to get publicity, he certainly does not represent all maryooley's

 

that is the crazy part

[hodman]

I agree with Geeljire. When someone already has an ignorant opinion about u there is no need to try to change that and the demand for apology is just hilarious.