Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Is Fox News Smearing Obama Over Muslim Faith Question?

Supporters of Sen. Barack Obama are seeing red after Fox News' Brit Hume, relying upon an Israeli news report, cited a comment made by Obama's half brother to suggest Obama was raised as a Muslim. The comments attributed to Malik Obama in a Jersualem Post story, which are causing this latest stir, are as follows:


"Barack Obama's half brother Malik said Thursday that if elected his brother will be a good president for the Jewish people, despite his Muslim background. In an interview with Army Radio he expressed a special salutation from the Obamas of Kenya."

The Obama brothers' father, a senior economist for the Kenyan government who studied at Harvard University, died in car crash in 1982. He left six sons and a daughter. All of his children - except Malik -- live in Britain or the United States. Malik and Barack met in 1985 in the US.

"He was best man at my wedding and I was best man at his," said Malik in a 2004 interview with an AP reporter. Their paternal grandfather, Onyango Hussein Obama, was one of the first Muslim converts in Nyangoma-Kogelo, Malik said."

The Obama campaign emphatically denies Obama was ever a Muslim. "To be clear, Senator Obama has never been a Muslim, was not raised a Muslim, and is a committed Christian who attends the United Church of Christ in Chicago," declares his campaign website. Of course, we now know he no longer is a member of that church after the controversy surrounding Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

The liberal Think Progress blog lashed out at Fox News' Brit Hume, accusing him of making false and misleading statements about Malik's comments. The blog concedes Obama has a "Muslim background", but it thinks Malik's comments should not be interpreted to mean that Obama himself ever practiced the Muslim faith. The Israeli news report shows Malik holding a photo of himself with Sen. Obama, allegedly taken in 1985, which purports to show the men in Muslim dress.

Recall that the first indication that this would become an issue in this presidential campaign was when e-mails began surfacing in Iowa late last year, which were being sent out by Clinton volunteers. The e-mails suggested that Obama was Muslim and was part of a grand design by Muslims to destroy America within. What do you think? Is Brit Hume's comment on the interview with Obama's half brother false and misleading?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes.

www.foxattacks.com

Anonymous said...

It's interesting that the Israel Insider report that you referenced quotes a Jerusalem Post report as its source. The linked Jerusalem Post article no longer exists. A search of jpost.com for malik obama only returns an unrelated article.

Using Google, it appears that the JPost ran an article with the headline, "Malik Obama says his brother will be good president for the Jews", however that story has apparently been removed, and the cache of the page shows nothing.

It's also odd how his half brother would be in a position to know anything about how Barack Obama was raised given that they apparently didn't meet until Barack was 24.

Gary R. Welsh said...

If the Jerusalem Post's site operates like the Star's, the live links drop off after a few days and you have to pay to search the archives. From what I've read about his mother, it is unlikely she would have cut him off from his family living in Kenya. I'm sure they corresponded by letter, if not in person.

Anonymous said...

If the Jerusalem Post's site operates like the Star's, the live links drop off after a few days and you have to pay to search the archives. From what I've read about his mother, it is unlikely she would have cut him off from his family living in Kenya. I'm sure they corresponded by letter, if not in person.

JPost displays archives results with regular results. This story was not there. It's not in LexisNexis, either.

indyernie said...

Now I understand the Obama/ Carson connection. Birds of a feather...

artfuggins said...

and what is the Obama/Carson connection????? One is a Christian and one is a Muslim so that can't be it....are you referring to the fact that they are Democrats....or that they are both African Americans ....or that they are both devoted family men.....or that they both are very popular....IndyErnie, fill me in..

Mann Law, P.C. said...

Who cares what religion he claims. It is all for political gain. He clearly doesn't have religious conviction it is all about political gain. I wish candidates would say religion in the US should not be a consideration and if they make it one maybe we shouldn't vote for them.

Mark said...

"JPost displays archives results with regular results. This story was not there. It's not in LexisNexis, either."

That's correct - but that article did exist, I actually found it linked elsewhere last week and read it. What are the implications behind a news story that existed not being found in LexisNexis? I don't use it that much, so I don't know.

Brit Hume quoted something reported in a reputable news sourse. I don't think that's false and misleading, no matter what you think of Fox. Every left-wing blog on earth didn't seem to have trouble repeating the glorified rumors about McCain having an affair from the New York Times...

indyernie said...

Sorry Art/Wilson but brothers know brothers. I choose to believe the brother. Both are Muslim, Both have connection to Muslin terrorist.

Devoted family men? That's yet to be seen. Both have connections to criminal corruption in the cities they call home. Let’s not forget that the Limo allegations cast doubts on Obama being a family man, and as for Carson how about his ties to Honeycutt and the strip club sex favors scandal? Remember Grandma’s intervention? I do.

Both may be popular but not in the same way. Obama has the charisma but that alone is seldom enough to elect a President. Carson has a local established name. But face the facts, Grandma had as many enemies as she did confederates. Andre is already making a political enemies of his own. If both Obama and Carson were light bulbs they would both be ten watters.

Again, Birds of a feather flock together.

Both are democrats and African American, that is the only true statements you have made.