Letters to the Editor

Letters posted here are associated with the following article:
Obama should be proud to be named Hussein
The attacks on Barack Obama's middle name have begun, but the likely Democratic nominee joins a long line of famous Americans with Semitic names, from Benjamin Franklin to Omar Bradley.
By Juan Cole [2008-02-28]
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  • Al-Qa'ida Supporters Speak: Mr. Obama isn't a Muslim

    Leave it to Al-Qa'ida supporters to straighten out the issue of Mr. Obama's religion - and remind us that he is an American politician.

    MSNBC ran the following article on 02/28/08:

    http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/02/28/08/713681.aspx

    -- redcat
    [Read redcat's other letters]
    Saturday, March 1, 2008 02:27 PM

  • Mr. Barak Hussein Obama

    I have news for those who believe Mr. Barak Hussein Obama was never a Muslim. One of the meanings of the word Islam is 'Submission' and they who submit to the will of Allah are called Muslim. As such all creation from the Universe to the flora and fauna are 'Muslim'. As stated in The Last Testament all children born in this world to all humans are Muslim and innocent. It is only after they reach the age of maturity that there indoctrination into another religion makes them as non-Muslim. As such Mr. Barak Obama was also born a Muslim and later converted to Christianity.

    -- silversurfer
    [Read silversurfer's other letters]
    Saturday, March 1, 2008 03:36 PM

  • Barak means "lightning" in Hebrew.

    Baruch means blessed in Hebrew.

    -- campaignman
    [Read campaignman's other letters]
    Saturday, March 1, 2008 04:04 PM

  • spectacular

    this is the finest piece I have ever read on the linguistic geneology of names and words that are commonly used in our culture and which derived from semitic culture.

    -- dorikeller
    [Read dorikeller's other letters]
    Saturday, March 1, 2008 04:27 PM

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