Patrick Sookhdeo, whose writings Chuck discussed on Tuesday, makes an interesting point about why Barack Obama is so reluctant to acknowledge that he was born into a Muslim family, prayed at the local Mosque, attended Muslim schools as a child, participated in weekly religious classes to study the Koran, and was registered as a Muslim when he attended both Roman Catholic and public schools during his youth: The danger of violating Islamic apostasy laws.

Sookhdeo--himself a Muslim convert to Christianity--writes (type in "Obama" under "Keyword"):

In the last months, U.S. Senator and presidential hopeful Barak Obama has shunned public attention on his Muslim background, and repeatedly deflected questions about his family and childhood association with Islam....Meanwhile, reports about Obama's Muslim parentage and education have circulated in the news. ...Obama's spokespeople address the public's interest in more information about Obama's connection with Islam as if there was nothing to discuss, and no need of further exploration.   

After his press office first claimed that "Senator Obama has never been a Muslim [and] was not raised a Muslim," and calling contentions that he had been "malicious and irresponsible," Obama's spokespeople changed their tune in response to Sookdheo's reporting. They now claim that "Obama has never been a practicing Muslim," although as a child he had spent time in the neighborhood's Islamic center.

The question of whether Obama converted from Islam to Christianity is a serious one because, as Sookhdeo writes,

As Senator Obama perhaps knows, because of Islam's Apostasy Law leaving the Islamic faith is not a light matter. Aside from the obvious political calculations about how having a Muslim background might negatively impact a candidate's likelihood for success in the United States, could a concern about apostasy be one reason for Obama's persistent downplaying of his Muslim background? If Obama confirmed publicly that he was born and raised a Muslim--even as a very nominal one--but left the Islamic religion of both of his fathers and chose Christianity, it would surely be unpopular with Muslims.

Even worse,

Sharia forbids an adult male Muslim from leaving the religion upon penalty of death. The four major Sunni schools of Islamic law expressly prohibit Muslim women and children from doing so as well....Both the Maliki and Hanbali schools prescribe death for a child who leaves Islam and does not return at the age of maturity.

"While Obama now lives in the freedom of the United States," Sookhdeo says, "he is at the same time under the judgement of the apostasy law, a disturbing mandate of an unreformed system of sharia now being agitated for and/or implemented around the globe." If Obama "believes this judgement upon him and others is repugnant, will he speak out for religious freedom, and say that the Apostasy Law has no place within Islam or the modern world and must be changed?"   

Good question.

Interestingly, Obama shares his apostasy status with master terrorist and Grecian-formula enthusiast Osama bin Laden. Osama was declared an apostate by Spanish Islamic scholars.

Comments

[hiutopor]

Hello

Very interesting information! Thanks!

G'night

[Patricia]

All the candidates want to seem like they have faith, what kind of faith is questionable. Is Hillary's faith in God or in herself? She doesn't raise her eyes when asked. Is that because she can't tell you she has faith in God and look you straight in the eye. I don't believe she could have faith in God and support killing unborn babies. As for Obama, is he really a Christian? Only the father in heaven knows for sure.

[lovemydesignergenes]

And here's an ASSASSINATION scenario. What if he ran as VP with Hillary Clinton as Pres.? Without a clear PUBLIC renunciation of his Islamic ties, some Islamic extremist (who sees how the media and some college students are so ENAMORED with this Islamic raised man) might decide to assassinate Hillary Clinton to leave him as President.
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Thus, Obama should take the risk on his shoulders.
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I also hope you Centurions are ALSO out there typing in great cogent posts on other sites as well as The Point. I'm sure you're all busy with your families and day jobs. Thanks for your great work.

Like popular sites for students...for the My Space people, for scientists, for atheists,---etc.