Get honest about Islam
President Obama's 10-day Asia trip includes visits to India and Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country.
The president chose not to visit the Sikh Golden Temple in Amritsar during his time in India because it required a head covering that his advisers feared would fuel speculation about his faith. A Pew study showed that nearly 20% of Americans believe falsely that the president is a Muslim.
The more Obama reaches out to Muslims, the more his critics are likely to slander him, implying that he is not a Christian.
An example is his April 2009 speech in Turkey, in which he said, "We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation, we consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values." The president's critics have seized on that statement, insisting that he rejects the Christian foundations of America.
Is Obama stuck between a rock and a hard place? If you were the president, how would you handle this dilemma?
The United States is at war with Iranian-backed Shiite insurgents in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Our ally Israel fights Hezbollah, a Shiite terrorist organization, and Hamas, a Sunni terrorist organization. Globally, we are at war with al Qaeda, a group with its own version of Islam.
Tuesday night, President Obama - speaking in Indonesia - said that the United States, "is not, and never will be, at war with Islam." This is fundamentally incorrect. In 1993, Muslims bombed the World Trade Center. In 1998, Muslims bombed US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. In 2000, Muslims bombed the USS Cole. On 9/11, Muslims bombed the World Trade Center again. Radical Islamic groups declared war on America a long time ago and, after a number of attacks, we responded.
The president said "that no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust," but "the United States is committed to human progress." That sounds nice but means nothing. Only Muslims can solve Islam's worldwide dilemma. When there is a terrorist attack, people assume it was Muslims who planned it and carried it out. Most of the time, people's assumptions are correct. True, all Muslims are not terrorists. Yet, in recent history, it is fair to state that most anti-American terrorists are Muslims.
Muslims tell us that terrorists are perverting the Islamic faith when they carryout atrocities in the name of Allah. Many of the same Muslims refuse to condemn Hezbollah and Hamas. It is easy to condemn terrorism generally when no groups fit your definition.
American leaders should stop acting as apologists for Islam; it is a waste of time. For example, a Muslim leader in Indonesia said of President Obama, "We don't see the differences between Obama and (former U.S. President George W.) Bush. They both oppress Muslims. They both have blood on their hands." As a predominately Christian country, we cannot rid Islam of radical ideology. Our accommodation of Islamic ideology has proved to be futile. It is time to fix the blame on Muslim leaders around the world.
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Please note that in discussing political issues, candidates positions and political party statements, Jordan Sekulow is offering analysis in his individual capacity as lawyer and commentator. He is not speaking on behalf of the American Center for Law & Justice. The ACLJ does not endorse or oppose candidates for public office. Nothing contained in this article should be construed as the position of the ACLJ.