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Standard prefacing: From an American perspective Obama is or is not whatever he wants to claim. That is usually respected. The discussion is about the Islamic/muslim perspective.
publicola:That statement is a lie. Obama DID NOT go to a "koranic school," -- "according to his book" (which I have read, evidently unlike you) or otherwise.
My mistake. He did not go to a koranic school. He went to a regular school. If I recall correctly, it was even a catholic school. Now, Indonesia being an Islamic country, the school teaches koranic classes but only to students registered as muslims. In these classes, Obama learned to recite the adhan (shahada plus) in excellent Arabic as the Times reporter heard him. So as a student, he was declared muslim somewhere. "Obama was never a muslim" is incorrect. It should read, at least, "Obama was declared a muslim for a brief period of time while he studied in Indonesia".
publicola nacazo: "So there are Islamic jusrists that would consider "If you divorce a Christian woman and ignore your child from her to the point that the child grows up to be a Christian", the child is still a muslim."Yes. And your point here is what, exactly?
The point is that an obscure ancient Islamic jurist is being quoted and we did not hear a quote from major Islamic jurists of the present. What's the opinion of Saudi Arabia's mufti? How about Ali Sistani in Iraq? The great mufti of Egypt? They all would declare Obama a muslim but maybe I'm wrong. Can you get their Islamic opinions which are respected in the muslim world?
publicolanacazo: "Ibn-Qasim's opinion not withstanding, I would hate to be a Hawaiian with a muslim father in Saudi Arabia claiming "I'm not a muslim, I'm a christian". Good luck with that one if you don't have the protection of the Secret Service"And again your point here is what, exactly?
You are aware that Obama has Secret Service protection, and that if elected he'll have Secret Service protection for the rest of his life, right?
The point may be a personal one. Knowing the sufferings of muslim apostates in the muslim world, I regret that Obama is squandering what would be a perfect occasion to come in their defense. He doesn't have to worry if he's an apostate. He's a Harvard-educated milionaire with protection from the Secret Service. Apostates don't have those luxuries in their own countries. Even if he were just working in Saudi Arabia and he were just a regular person having a muslim father, he would be prevented from declaring himself a christian, budhist, atheist or whatever.
