Obama’s Peace With Islam

Below are some quotes from the President’s speech in Cairo. You can find the transcript here. Let’s dig into this!

And I’m also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country

Obviously he doesn’t send the goodwill of all Americans but we won’t pick that fight.

sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.

Is that because these countries couldn’t keep up with the change? Because they have a different style of government than the West? Hmm.

So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity.  And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end.

Very good. Liking this – I’m assuming the President will define how we can cooperate.

There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground.

Good good. Keep going, maybe you’ll convince them/us by the time this speech is over…

I also know that Islam has always been a part of America’s story.

Wait; what? Islam has always been a part of America’s story? I’m not seeing that in historical data.

when the first Muslim American was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath to defend our Constitution using the same Holy Koran that one of our Founding Fathers — Thomas Jefferson — kept in his personal library.

And there was a lot of media hype and hysteria over that event as well.

partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn’t.

There’s going to be a partnership between a country and a religion? Whoa whoa whoa. This is not sounding good to my ears.

America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire.

Well…arguments could be made that it is.

nearly 7 million American Muslims in our country today who, by the way, enjoy incomes and educational levels that are higher than the American average.

Never misses a beat to bash your own country-men and women do you Mr President. Aren’t American Muslims part of that American average? You’re trying to score points in a very underhanded way. And it’s sickening.

all of us share common aspirations — to live in peace and security; to get an education and to work with dignity; to love our families, our communities, and our God.  These things we share.

I’m not sure if you mean that religions have the same god. This would be incorrect. But I like the basic idea you’re laying here.

When innocents in Bosnia and Darfur are slaughtered, that is a stain on our collective conscience.

A stain? Just a stain? Why aren’t the countries of the world coming together to “bleach out” this so-called stain? If you were serious about it, you would send forces in to end the violence.

any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail.

Does that include Presidents and their wives taking expensive trips at the cost of the American people?

The first issue that we have to confront is violent extremism in all of its forms.

There’s the starting gun; and we’re off.

We will … relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security — because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject:  the killing of innocent men, women, and children.  And it is my first duty as President to protect the American people.

Reading that makes you proud to be an American doesn’t it? Maybe just a little bit?

Al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people on that day.  The victims were innocent men, women and children from America and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody.  And yet al Qaeda chose to ruthlessly murder these people, claimed credit for the attack, and even now states their determination to kill on a massive scale.  They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand their reach.  These are not opinions to be debated; these are facts to be dealt with.

Throw down that gauntlet Mr President. You’re a rock star!

We would gladly bring every single one of our troops home if we could be confident that there were not violent extremists in Afghanistan and now Pakistan determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can.

Oh that this would happen in my lifetime – every American troop on American soil.

That’s why we plan to invest $1.5 billion each year over the next five years to partner with Pakistanis to build schools and hospitals, roads and businesses, and hundreds of millions to help those who’ve been displaced.  That’s why we are providing more than $2.8 billion to help Afghans develop their economy and deliver services that people depend on.

That’s a good chunk of change for The United States to shoulder. This money is coming from only the U.S.?

I have made it clear to the Iraqi people that we pursue no bases

Don’t we have one of the largest permanent bases in Iraq?

I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.

But will that order be obeyed? That, my dear President, is the question.

The second major source of tension that we need to discuss is the situation between Israelis, Palestinians and the Arab world.

Can you feel the silence after this comment was made?

and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied.

Take that Mr Iranian President.

The only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security.

Good luck with that.

To play a role in fulfilling Palestinian aspirations, to unify the Palestinian people, Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, recognize Israel’s right to exist.

Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel’s right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine’s.

Can this be done? Will President Obama bring peace to the Middle East?

The third source of tension is our shared interest in the rights and responsibilities of nations on nuclear weapons.

Is this the last source of tension?

I strongly reaffirmed America’s commitment to seek a world in which no nations hold nuclear weapons.

Go ahead and seek all you want. That world will never exist.

The fourth issue that I will address is democracy.

Maybe one more after this.

The fifth issue that we must address together is religious freedom.

it is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit

But don’t interpret that into allowing Muslims to kill others. (Some would say that’s practicing their religion)

the sixth issue that I want to address is women’s rights.

Big one.

And there was more to be said, but I’ll cut this post off here.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this President is an excellent orator. I’m happy to have him as President.

President’s Weekly Address: Easter

On April 11th, President Obama gave his weekly address. He spoke on the global ramifications of this economic crisis. Let’s dig in:

After talking about Passover and Easter, President Obama gave us,

This idea – that we are all bound up, as Martin Luther King once said, in “a single garment of destiny”– is a lesson of all the world’s great religions.

Now does he say the word, “great” in that there are terrific religions in the world? Or that there are large world religions? You’ve got to be on your toes with this President. His words drip with meaning.

The President then described how we are in the exact time to heed those words of MLK. He said we have

An unsustainable dependence on foreign oil and other sources of energy that pollute our air and water and threaten our planet.

But we won’t get into the fact that The President of The United States bowed to the man responsible for our nursing at the foreign oil breast.

That is why I met with leaders of the G-20 nations to ensure that the world’s largest economies take strong and unified action in the face of the global economic crisis. Together, we’ve taken steps to stimulate growth, restore the flow of credit, open markets, and dramatically reform our financial regulatory system to prevent such crises from occurring again – steps that will lead to job creation at home.

However, from the news media (who often adorn President Obama with praise) leads us to believe that the European nations have hardly lifted a finger to help…these steps – do they even exist outside of these prepared remarks?

Make no mistake: we live in a dangerous world, and we must be strong and vigilant in the face of these threats.

Like sniping three Somali pirates the other night in the successful rescue operation of the American captain.

He concludes with:

let’s find strength in our shared resolve and purpose in our common aspirations. And if we can do that, then not only will we fulfill the sacred meaning of these holy days

**NEWS FLASH**

According to President Obama: Finding strength in resolve and purpose in common aspirations is the sacred meaning of Passover and Easter.

Yeah…not so much.

No More God Stuff

An atheist is trying to remove all religious references from the inauguration. He has tried in the past and, I believe, he will continue to sue for the removals until he wins.

Michael Newdow does not want to hear a prayer for the President, nor does he want to hear the President utter the phrase, “So help me God” when the oath is taken.

This is a long shot at continuing in the courts at this point in history. But if it were to win, what do you think President-elect Obama would do?

I would hope that he would defy the court order and ask for Rick Warren to continue with his invocation prayer and take the oath by saying, “so help me God.” But there are some anxious thoughts going through my mind that he might not. I have some fantasy in which Obama would forgo the religious references in the name of tolerant equality.

This would be a great failure. My respect for Obama would free fall.

However, this is all a fantasy and Mr Newdow will continue his anti-religion campaign in another four or eight years.

Random Crazy Theory

Here’s some fodder for a boring weekend.

What if all the horrible wars were “all part of the plan”?

What if the Bush administration knew that an attack was coming to The United States and let it happen?

Why?

The President has always been a huge proponent of spreading peach and democracy around the world…Democracy being the key word. What if they wanted an excuse to go to the Middle East to set up democracies? And Iraq was their main objective. (Afghanistan just happened to be in the way)

Sounds inviting, right? A democracy in the middle of the radicals? Sure there’s Israel but they need more support, right?

But what if this government got the “okay-go ahead from President Bush’s biggest supporters, The Religious Right…Why, other than being pro-Israel, would this group want to set up a democracy in Iraq?

There’s this phenom called “Left Behind”; a book series about what some in the Christian faith consider to be the End Times. Part of their belief is that the city in Iraq must be rebuilt – Babylon. And if Iraq becomes this great tourist place, who wouldn’t want to rebuild that great city?

Of course, the Anti-Christ resides there and seeks to destroy the believers.

So could 9/11 and the war in Iraq all be leading up to the resurrection of Babylon and the Anti-Christ? Could evangelical Christians be at fault for the number of deaths around the globe – all because of their misguided belief?

Nonsense. Just being bored one day and thought it would be a fun exercise.

“Religion Is A Joke”

Thus saith Bill Maher. He is coming out with a documentary where he ridicules Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. If you’ve seen this man’s show, you know he’s a comedian and an extreme liberal. He spews hatred to conservative politicians in a “joking” manner. But his comments, while bringing laughter, are quite biting. I’ve seen his show a few times and, honestly, the audience seems to applaud every sentence. It’s really sickening. Maher says,

“When you’re talking about a man living to 900 years old, and drinking the blood of a 2,000-year-old god, and that Creation Museum where they put a saddle on the dinosaur because people rode dinosaurs. It’s just a pile of comedy that was waiting for someone to exploit.”

Now, I haven’t seen the film – and I would like to – but this sounds bizarre. I wonder who the 900 year old is and if the Creation Museum truly has a saddle on a dinosaur.

The man who created this documentary with Maher (Larry Charles) has this to say,

“If I believe that Jesus is God and you believe Mohammed is God, then no matter how tolerant we are, we are never going to meet,” Charles said. “All you have to do is push that one more step, then somebody’s like, ‘You’re in the way of people believing in Jesus,’ and ‘You’re in the way of people believing in Mohammed,’ and the only answer is to kill you.”

Correct me if I’m wrong, but Mohammed isn’t viewed as God right? Mohammed is God’s prophet in the Islamic faith, right? I’m pretty sure his views may be the same for many who “just don’t understand” (to quote Senator McCain) and want to stir up controversy.

It is true that religion has been the rallying cry for much destruction – but we need to look at what these religions truly teach and not what the crazy religious people teach.

*Quotes taken from this article.