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Debunking Obama Apostate Smear


The NYTimes op-ed pages, through CSIS's Edward Luttwack, promoted a new type of Obama Islam smear: that because Obama was once a Muslim he is going to get killed by Muslims for being an apostate. I have a thorough refutation of this at Huffington Post. Just one part:

First of all, under orthodox Islamic law, the punishment for apostasy can only be carried out by the state. Luttwack, with his facile understanding of Sharia, clearly doesn't understand this. The clerics Luttwack is talking about can't just stroll up to Obama and stick him in the sand. They have to go through the established procedural norms of Islamic criminal law which is inherently tied to the functioning of a state apparatus. This means that a country like Saudi Arabia or Iran or Pakistan would have to indict Obama on apostasy charges in their courts. Obviously this is not going to happen, because none of these countries have jurisdiction over Obama. Not only is it asinine for any of these countries to make such an indictment, it doesn't make sense under international law -- which, in case Mr. Luttwack has forgotten, is what the world is suppose to abide by. Luttwack's affirmation of Islamic law over and above international law should raise concerns, not only about his expertise, but also his allegiances.


Ali Eteraz May 12, 2008 - 2:54pm
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re

The Muslim smear against Obama has been one of the most ugly, ubiquitous, and ridiculous accusations thrown at him.

Emails by the millions flood in-boxes claiming Obama is a Muslim. Shadowy Groups® are tireless in their campaign. Beginning several months ago now, I have refuted them time and again when my relatives (down south) send me them to peruse.

You know the kind, 'To:' fields filled with fifty+ addresses, five headers starting the body of the message whose actual text is indented several times from over and indiscriminate use of the forward button.

If you do not ever forward anything else, please forward this to all your contacts...this is very scary to think of what lies ahead of us here in our own United States...better heed this and pray about it and share it. Who is Barack Obama?

How typical that now we see the NYT attempting to validate every one of those idiotic missives with a piece of their own. Jeesus, these wingnuts are relentless, organized, and connected ...

ww May 12, 2008 - 3:33pm
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link to discussion in another thread:-)

http://agonist.org/ian_welsh/20080509/the_obama_squeeze#comment-156865 and replies in that subthread.

I know- if it's put as a comment here, the people who don't read comments here treat them as chopped liver:-)- but certainly the NYT readers linked to at the comment are not ignoring the issue, not at all....

I think that at least so far the NYTcomments on the Op-Ed have a better understanding of the multiple purposes of that NYT article and the Times' curious position in publishing it as an op-ed, than the replies posted to your article at the Huffington Post, alas.

But at least HuffPo has your post.
Kos and TPM seem busy gloating about Bob Fosella;-)


1."George Washington did not cross the Delaware for Capitalism," -Shmuley Boteach.
2.The Dems haven't punished the GOP enough, so you're going to reward the Republicans?

nymole May 12, 2008 - 5:53pm
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I thought it sounded familiar! :) eom

ww May 12, 2008 - 5:58pm
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I took the easy way out, so my own fault it got ignored.:-)

eom


1."George Washington did not cross the Delaware for Capitalism," -Shmuley Boteach.
2.The Dems haven't punished the GOP enough, so you're going to reward the Republicans?

nymole May 12, 2008 - 6:00pm
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Islamophobia

Man, there's some pretty serious Islamophobia going on over at HuffPo.

monkey knife fight May 12, 2008 - 7:00pm
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their comment sections have been out of control

for quite a while- ask Ian.

Too bad, because the original op-ed is worth deconstructing. Again, the NYT comment threads on the original article are much better reading.

It's a pity, you get something posted as an article on Huffpo and the comments are like an aol forum.

Just my humble opinion, of course:-)

I don't think anyone on the site is watching the comments.

I am hoping Juan Cole has a comment tomorrow on the NYT op-ed but it looks like he's all wrapped up in his Salon post on ALJAZ.


1."George Washington did not cross the Delaware for Capitalism," -Shmuley Boteach.
2.The Dems haven't punished the GOP enough, so you're going to reward the Republicans?

nymole May 12, 2008 - 10:36pm
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So,

no fatwa for Obama then ..... not now, not ever. I'm glad that's settled.


"While not a Playboy reader, she invites a male acquaintance in for a quiet discussion of Chagall, Nietzsche, jazz, sex." - not a Hugh Hefner quote

adrena May 12, 2008 - 11:06pm
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at least TPM Cafe has a parallel thread

The Hate Campaign Against Obama
on some of the outrageous lies being sent out to Jewish Democratic voters


1."George Washington did not cross the Delaware for Capitalism," -Shmuley Boteach.
2.The Dems haven't punished the GOP enough, so you're going to reward the Republicans?

nymole May 12, 2008 - 11:17pm
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Dealing with Smears

When fighting against smears, repeating the smear seems like the last thing that you'd want to do since people will not remember the contradiction. You'd be better off saying things like "McCain is not an apostate. HRC is not an apostate."

NateTG May 13, 2008 - 8:40am
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Effective strategy

This is an effective strategy, one designed to allow people to use race-based reasons to vote against Obama without triggering remorse for doing so for racist reasons.

It's like the restaurant owner who says "I'm not going to hire that Black man because my customers won't like it -- but I'm not racist myself".

NoPolitician May 13, 2008 - 10:30am
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