Does Obama need deodarant?

Is it me or does something smell fishy. Is this being a little too transparent … (Ahmadinejad is pretty transparent too) … but seriously I am really hoping that it means nothing … because if he really has that much sympathy to the Muslim cause he may just go down in History as the “Suicide President”. And that is not in any small way a laughing matter or will it be a pretty sight.

The Daily Beast - January 27 2009

Somewhere, Rush Limbaugh is going apoplectic: Barack Obama granted his first official presidential interview last night to an Arabic-language station. Obama told the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya that “Now, my job is to communicate the fact that the United States has a stake in the well-being of the Muslim world, that the language we use has to be a language of respect. I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries.” He went on to criticize phrases like “war on terror.” “The language we use matters,” he said. “We cannot paint with a broad brush a faith as a consequence of the violence that is done in that faith’s name.”

Read it at Financial Times

What are you trying to characterize as “the Muslim cause”? None of the Muslims I know are aware that they have one.

The Muslim cause - That anyone who is an unbeliever should be cleared away for the second coming of Mohammed? I believe it’s in the Koran.

How many hundreds of devout and real, not Westernized Muslims by name only do you know and how well do you know them? Here’s one measure … all properly devout Muslims go to the Mosque a standard 5 times a day from early dawn to dusk to do their prayers … without fail.

How many months and years now has Barack Obama been talking to the American people on almost a daily basis? He delivers a weekly video address from the Oval Office. He speaks to the press almost daily. You’re hearing everything you’re going to hear from his administration at this point.

So, is it the fact that he’s speaking to an Arabic station that bothers you, or just that he’s speaking to them first (as your underlining would indicate)? If it were his third, or seventh, interview, would you be any less troubled by it?

Considering where our greatest foreign policy challenges reside, I can’t think of a better place for him to start.

Hope he’s as good as he talks and is as good as you might think he is. Then we are all winners. The fact that he gave that interview first once he had taken official office and the things he said, about having Muslim relatives and having lived in Muslim countries I really do hope it’s just diplomatic rhetoric and there is no punch behind it like those things somehow meant something to him and implying he was sympathetic and blind to that Muslim Ideological Pandemic that’s been causing all the trouble around the world. It smelled a little fishy.

Why was it such a good place to start? Because nearly all terrorists are Muslim?

If you are not American why are you spending so much energy worried about Obama? Bored?

Maybe to learn English?

snicker
.

**Hope he’s as good as he talks and is as good as you might think he is. Then we are all winners. **

I hope for the same. But more than hope, I’m relieved to see an American president - this president, in particular - attempt to engage the Arab world at this crucial time in history. The mission is no different for this president than those before; only the strategy and tactics have changed.

The fact that he gave that interview first once he had taken official office and the things he said, about having Muslim relatives and having lived in Muslim countries I really do hope it’s just diplomatic rhetoric and there is no punch behind it like those things somehow meant something to him and…

Why should these things not mean something to him? And how is it harmful if they do?

…implying he was sympathetic and blind to that Muslim Ideological Pandemic that’s been causing all the trouble around the world.

Why the false premise? He must be sympathetic and blind (a glaring contradiction in itself) to the problem of radical islamic extremism, because he has muslim relatives and lived in muslim countries? I didn’t hear anything in the interview, or in any other comments on the subject, that would lend credence to that interpretation.

On the rhetoric about him by Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden:
"They seem nervous…I think that when you look at the rhetoric that they’ve been using against me before I even took office…what that tells me is that their ideas are bankrupt. There’s no actions that they’ve taken that say a child in the Muslim world is getting a better education because of them, or has better health care because of them. In my inauguration speech, I spoke about: You will be judged on what you’ve built, not what you’ve destroyed. And what they’ve been doing is destroying things.

"And over time, I think the Muslim world has recognized that that path is leading no place, except more death and destruction. Now, my job is to communicate the fact that the United States has a stake in the well-being of the Muslim world, that the language we use has to be a language of respect. I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries…the largest one, Indonesia. And so what I want to communicate is the fact that in all my travels throughout the Muslim world, what I’ve come to understand is that regardless of your faith – and America is a country of Muslims, Jews, Christians, non-believers – regardless of your faith, people all have certain common hopes and common dreams.

“And my job is to communicate to the American people that the Muslim world is filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives. My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy. We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect. But if you look at the track record, as you say, America was not born as a colonial power, and that the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, there’s no reason why we can’t restore that. And that I think is going to be an important task.”

On the language President Bush used – “war on terror,” Islamic fascism – and how he frames it in a different way, specifically against one group called al Qaeda and their collaborators:
“The language we use matters. And what we need to understand is, is that there are extremist organizations – whether Muslim or any other faith in the past – that will use faith as a justification for violence. We cannot paint with a broad brush a faith as a consequence of the violence that is done in that faith’s name. And so you will I think see our administration be very clear in distinguishing between organizations like al Qaeda – that espouse violence, espouse terror and act on it – and people who may disagree with my administration and certain actions, or may have a particular viewpoint in terms of how their countries should develop. We can have legitimate disagreements but still be respectful. I cannot respect terrorist organizations that would kill innocent civilians and we will hunt them down. But to the broader Muslim world what we are going to be offering is a hand of friendship.”

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/01/more-on-preside.html

“The Muslim cause - That anyone who is an unbeliever should be cleared away for the second coming of Mohammed? I believe it’s in the Koran.”
There is no hint whatsoever about second coming of Mohammad in Koran or even in Islam as a whole for that matter, you don’t know what you are talking about.

“How many hundreds of devout and real, not Westernized Muslims by name only do you know and how well do you know them? Here’s one measure … all properly devout Muslims go to the Mosque a standard 5 times a day from early dawn to dusk to do their prayers … without fail.”
By that definition I, a muslim born atheist, have yet to mee a single real muslim. These people are not praying:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=j5pQbJUp6U0

I hoped someone who actually knows something about the faith would join in. Thanks.

Debating with admiral Roo is beyond my debate skill, English profeciency and time limitation; plus there is not much to be gained from it. Paging “fade” for that matter (where is he btw?)
To be fair, I should admit I have interest in some of the pointers (about Muslim incidents in south east Asia) he occasionally puts forth, mainly to use them when debating Muslims in other forums :smiley:

Perhaps you are one of those Americans who thinks the sun only revolves around the USA. But Obama being elected affects the whole world … economically, politically and millitarily. Us outside the USA also do take an interest in world affairs which for sure the USA plays a big part. In fact in my line of work I stay up all night tracking the US markets because it direstly affects all the investments we do. Since you don’t know what you should already know if you had some common sense, I’ve graciously and magnanamously explained it to your ignorant ass. Do you get it now?

The mission is no different for this president than those before; only the strategy and tactics have changed.

Time will tell whether his strategy really is any good. Right now any say so is just that.

Why the false premise? He must be sympathetic and blind (a glaring contradiction in itself) to the problem of radical islamic extremism, because he has muslim relatives and lived in muslim countries? I didn’t hear anything in the interview, or in any other comments on the subject, that would lend credence to that interpretation.

What false premise? Whether there is any implication in that statement is again yet to be seen. The fact that you say there is none doesn’t necessarily make it so. No need to quote Obamas speech to me. He is an extremely glib sales person and that is his biggest assett in getting him to where he is. But talk is talk. Let’s now see what he can deliver.

Again for everyone’s interest I really do wish and hope he can deliver at least half of what he has lead you Americans to believe he can. He has a big advantage right now because of his huge popularity and that alone should drive positive things to happen, especially in the financial markets.

I’m pretty sure I’m the one that has been saying the world does NOT revolve around us. Let go of your anger long enough to read what I have been writing.

Interesting how I’ve been able to have a rational conversation about this with everyone but you.

Name calling and insulting people who disagree with you completely undermines your credibility. You can talk all you want, nothing you say means anything when you litter it with insults and demeaning language. Grow up a bit. Try talking like a rational adult and engage in a real debate, not a contest to see what a jerk you can be.

People like you are poisonous.

It’s in the Koran alright. I know that for a fact myself. Your denying it doesn’t make it dissapear. I’ll do a check on the exact reference and verse etc. But it was in fact already quoted here in the Lavender Room a couple of years back by a bloke named Big Kahuna word verbatim translated together with some other pretty insightful Koran versus. A well read bloke that Big Kahuna.

You’re a Muslim born atheist? Good for you, I hope you don’t flip the same way I have seen some do. The best Muslims are the Pork eating ones.

Yeah break dance and other American copy cat culture the Muslims do like to emulate. I could never understand how the same Muslim individuals so like to copy the American lifestyle on one hand and even adopt American slang English and be so happy about 9/11 and lending their support to the terrorists on the other. It’s like those terrorists are justified in their sacred acts for the injustices brought on to brother Muslims and all this said whilst wearing their Levis and listening to American Rock music and doing their break dance. It’s fuging mind boggling.

There really is no logic in religious fanaticism, especially Islam. Like the Paki who goes to the Mosque does his religious prayers then comes home and slaughters his two pre-pubescent young daughters by chopping them to bits. Why? All because he was afraid they would grow up to be like their cousin who had eloped out of love to get married instead of following the traditional arranged marriage. And the really good part was he wasn’t even charged by authorities because it was deemed that he was merely upholding the family honor. This was not the dark ages but just a couple of years ago. Such senseless Honor killings in Pakistan continues to this day.

So this is basically what the Muslim Pandemic Religious Ideology is all about. To return all Muslims to this true way of life and belief and to wash clean the corruption of the West. … Is it not?

Here’s something from a non Muslim Arab -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_OGhj43GAE

Thanks for the compliments.

The reason I use jerk off language is because I have no respect for people like you who haven’t a clue as to what you are talking about but still mouth off with gusto putting the rest of us in danger because of your liberalist activist loud mouthed approach. The day you get a clue in your thick skull, put away that holier than thou attitude http://forum.ebaumsworld.com/images/smilies/preachon.gif when you really know shit and actually read and respond with substance to the many uncontested and actual facts I have kindly put in front of you to help in your education is the day I’ll grow up. Mouthing the way you do is of no use bull, no matter how diplomatic you claim to be.

If I were to be honest and diplomatic like you and treat you nice, I would just say that it’s not about winning the argument here. There is something a whole lot bigger at stake and it can’t be be controlled if people like you stubborny refuse to see it for what it is in the first place. If the threat really gets to the stage of full blown action, very many en masse like we’ve never seen before will needlessly suffer the ultimate demise and it would have happened because people like you collectively have opened the door for these Muslim Terrorists. In the meantime many independent attacks around the world continue and people like you continue to justify it by minimizing the blame to a few evil minority when in fact it is a widespread ideological pandemic.

“It’s in the Koran alright. I know that for a fact myself. Your denying it doesn’t make it dissapear. I’ll do a check on the exact reference and verse etc. But it was in fact already quoted here in the Lavender Room a couple of years back by a bloke named Big Kahuna word verbatim translated together with some other pretty insightful Koran versus. A well read bloke that Big Kahuna.”

It is NOT, and this clearly illustrates how unsupported your “facts” are. Your claim about such notion being a fundamental Muslim cause means you do not have enough knowledge about the religion (good or bad). I challenge you to use the search feature of this forum and find the “reference” you are citing. I am able to correct you on this particular creed that you have a vague idea about, but it’s probably better to leave your homework to yourself, maybe you also learn something else in between while searching.

*“*You’re a Muslim born atheist? Good for you, I hope you don’t flip the same way I have seen some do. The best Muslims are the Pork eating ones.”

Haha, thanks for good wishes for me. But this thread is not about me, I just offered myself as a counter-example to your thesis. And I am not alone, I know many more atheists, non-believers who were born Muslim. Your idea that there are some irremovable circuits implanted in the head of those who are born Muslim which when turned on, summon them all for the Muslim cause is an entertaining sci-fi plot however!

*“*Yeah break dance and other American copy cat culture the Muslims do like to emulate. I could never understand how the same Muslim individuals so like to copy the American lifestyle on one hand and even adopt American slang English”

Any reason for your conspicuously condescending tone? It is ironic that you denounce their adoption of “American lifestyle”, in spite of the wide broadcast of the west culture. Is the right to so called “emulate” the west and using English slang exclusive to Christians??

“and be so happy about 9/11”

That is just nonsense accusation without any ground. In spite of dismal relationships between the governments, Iran’s incumbent president was one of the first to condemn the attacks: http://nyc.indymedia.org/or/2007/09/91089.html
Many Iranians, attended the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, which represents USA in the country, and signed condolence memos to express their sympathies with the victims. My references are from Iran, because that is where I was born and where I lived at the time. I am sure there have been similar responses from other Muslim countries.

“and lending their support to the terrorists on the other. It’s like those terrorists are justified in their sacred acts for the injustices brought on to brother Muslims and all this said whilst wearing their Levis and listening to American Rock music and doing their break dance. It’s fuging mind boggling.”

Those people are not terrorists, and have not lent their support to any terror group. They are young kids having fun at a park. It boggles your mind, because it falsifies your theories.

*"*There really is no logic in religious fanaticism, especially Islam. Like the Paki who goes to the Mosque does his religious prayers then comes home and slaughters his two pre-pubescent young daughters by chopping them to bits. Why? All because he was afraid they would grow up to be like their cousin who had eloped out of love to get married instead of following the traditional arranged marriage. And the really good part was he wasn’t even charged by authorities because it was deemed that he was merely upholding the family honor. This was not the dark ages but just a couple of years ago. Such senseless Honor killings in Pakistan continues to this day. "

Yes, I agree, some Muslims have caused ugly incidents. Islam is also a religion, as such the ideology itself suffers more or less from the same things that other religions do. What I disagree with is that, these incidents are not as pervasive or as acclaimed in the Muslim world as you suggest. They sure have to own up to it and fight it. There are modern Muslims out there as well and there are also many different branches of Islam which have not much in common with one another. Brushing them all with the same paint is a mistake. There are many Muslim scholars who are trying to change the violent face of Islam, by pronouncing the softer and more spiritual prats of the religion. They are trying to convince the World that “Islam is about peace” . Outside of the theology class, I see no reason to doubt if their attempt is bona fide.

*“*So this is basically what the Muslim Pandemic Religious Ideology is all about. To return all Muslims to this true way of life and belief and to wash clean the corruption of the West. … Is it not? "
MPRI? I am not aware of such an ideology. You are claiming that it exists as a belief, therefore the onus of providing evidence for it is upon you. A few scattered youtube videos BTW do not count as evidence.
Yes, Muslims as a whole are not as progressive as the west. In part, their religion can be blamed. But the notion that they are all the same is preposterous.
*”*Here’s something from a non Muslim Arab -"
Oh the same video again??

What a nasty comment. I thought that one of the primary reasons that everyone is all excited about Obama is that he is going to restore our stature in the world.

Are only those who agree with him allowed to comment on his policies?

And…I thought everyone was allowed to post in the Lavendar Room. You post a lot and no one comments on that, I guess because they agree with your political views.

I think this is an insightful post. Obama is attempting to change the rhetoric when dealing with the Muslim world hopefully by reaching out to more moderate Muslims who have been marginalized by the militant Muslim agenda. I do not know if it is going to work. Having said that I do not doubt for a second that his movements in this direction are in any way at odds with his attempts to keep America safe. Political movements are not always at odds with security movements.

Having said that he is walking a very, very fine line and for all our sakes I hope he doesn’t stumble.