Obama On Islam In America

A snippet of his speech that deserves to be singled out for special scorn.

Obama said that Ramadan is a reminder that Islam has always been part of America.

"The first Muslim ambassador to the United States, from Tunisia, was hosted by President Jefferson, who arranged a sunset dinner for his guest because it was Ramadan — making it the first known iftar at the White House, more than 200 years ago."

How very disingenuous. We have here a fact presented not merely out of context, but so deceitfully as to be a laughable fraud.

First of all, the term 'a part of America' needs some thoughtful defining. I think we can mostly agree that the implication is that the mere act of feting the Tunisian envoy during his diplomatic mission to the US is some sort of general inclusion of Islam into the American experience at that early date.

How? Merely through his temporary presence in our country? Even though we were in conflict with his state at the time?

This isn't the first time Obama has spouted this same warped poppycock.
From his Cairo speech in 2009:

“Islam has always been a part of America’s story. The first nation to recognize my country was Morocco. In signing the Treaty of Tripoli in 1796, our second President John Adams wrote, “The United States has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims.”

.............................

And when the first Muslim-American was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath to defend our Constitution using the same Holy Koran that one of our Founding Fathers – Thomas Jefferson – kept in his personal library.”

"Islam has always been a part of America’s story."

Indeed!
That would be the same Treaty of Tripoli that was essentially a protection racket against the United States, requiring that tribute be paid to avoid being the victim of piracy.

That would be the same John Adams who reluctantly figured that bribing the pirates of Barbary was cheaper than military engagement (out of an understanding that the political will and money for creating the necessary naval force was out of reach for the time being).

And that would be the same Thomas Jefferson who, with his great knowledge and understanding of the Koran, reversed our course and decided that military engagement against the various Muslim states engaged in piracy was the only sensible way to proceed.
And then bombarded their coastline, invaded them, and persuaded them to find a new hobby.

This particular piece of history cannot be rewritten to suit current PC needs. The reasons for the envoy's visit cannot be recast into some pap about multicultural understanding.

And this earliest merging of Islam into 'the American story'- where we invade and punish them for their banditry- is not the sort of event someone with half a brain uses as a bragging point about American inclusiveness.

The best that can be said about our regard for Islam at the time is this: The United States' concern was for the economic and physical safety of the United States' interests and people and there was no religious conflict in effect (“The United States has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims.”).

That's it. We don't have a problem with you because of what you believe, but because of what you do.

It's pretty much the same deal now, frankly.

posted by Laura. at 04:01 PM

| Access Comments