Hey, remember the good old days when Obama was a Muslim and went to school in a madrassa? It had to seriously bum out the Republicans when that fell apart. Well, for about five minutes, and then they switched to the Obama's-pastor-is-an-angry-black-man narrative. Well, now Edward Luttwak has come up with an innovative new spin on why Obama's non-Muslimness is a bad thing:
As the son of the Muslim father, Senator Obama was born a Muslim under Muslim law as it is universally understood. It makes no difference that... his father said he renounced his religion....
(...)
His conversion, however, was a crime in Muslim eyes; it is “irtidad” or “ridda,” usually translated from the Arabic as “apostasy,” but with connotations of rebellion and treason. Indeed, it is the worst of all crimes that a Muslim can commit, worse than murder (which the victim’s family may choose to forgive).
With few exceptions, the jurists of all Sunni and Shiite schools prescribe execution for all adults who leave the faith not under duress; the recommended punishment is beheading at the hands of a cleric, although in recent years there have been both stonings and hangings....
(...)
Because no government is likely to allow the prosecution of a President Obama... another provision of Muslim law is perhaps more relevant: it prohibits punishment for any Muslim who kills any apostate, and effectively prohibits interference with such a killing.
Wow. So Luttwak is actually suggesting that if we elect Obama, we'll have to worry about Muslims taking potshots at him because they have some kind of sharia obligation and immunity? Not that we should base our votes on that or anything - we just need to think about whether we want our next president to be assassinated by Muslim extremists. Maybe Obama should pick a running mate who would be an effective deterrent - um, is there any legal reason that Joe Lieberman couldn't be on both tickets?
Seriously, in addition to being total and complete wankery, Luttwak's argument is also total and complete crap:
...Islam is not a race. Just because a child has a Muslim father — which, again, Obama didn’t — doesn’t mean anything unless the child is being raised as a Muslim. At the time of birth, Muslims engage in a symbolic act — of saying the Call to Prayer in the child’s ear — that renders a child Muslim.
If Obama’s father was agnostic/atheist, then he wouldn’t have done such a thing. No call to prayer in the ear, not raised as a Muslim, born to an atheist father, and then abandoned to a Christian mother both by father and his family, equals not Muslim....
I'm not entirely sure what agenda Luttwak is peddling, or if he's just trying to stir shit up. He's an odd duck: An ex-cold-warrior who is now more neocom than neocon (check out some of his other NYT pieces), so he's something of an apostate himself. He also appears to be a member of the Muslims-are-insane-barbarians crowd (perhaps they replaced the Soviets as his Designated Object Of Paranoid Loathing), so it's possible he was aiming at Islam rather than Obama. But that doesn't make the piece any less appalling, or the Times any less despicable for printing such trash as if it were serious commentary.
(h/t Moderate Voice for the great debunking quote and Julia for the Luttwak profile)
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Jus cogens!
Eli!!!
eli!
Aloha, Eli! I love your title!
Eli!
Hi Suz!
Hi guys! Thanks, CTut!
shorter Luttwak: “in peanuts adult voice” WHAAAWHAAAWAWHAAAWAWA
where can i get some of this muslimade? perhaps that’s the flavor the koolaid is this week…
More like, “Those Muslims are *crazy*, man. They’ll just, like, *kill* you, for no good reason!”
Next week: More on why Obama really, truly not being any kind of Muslim at all makes him a Muslim!
since i hear medicinal branding is all the rage now-ah-days try dietary fiber!
sounds like a case for ISOMOGONE!
Metamuslim?
roflmao, yup!
I can really Digg what Eli said…
I can’t even figure out his point. He’s saying that hordes of crazy Muslims are going to want to kill Obama. Is he trying to convince people that this is a good reason to vote AGAINST Obama or a good reason to vote FOR him? Can someone explain it in plain English? Does anyone here speak Wingnut?
Pesonally, I thought that Luttwak had been laid to rest years ago.
God knows his reputation had. Some words of wisdom from 1999:
Premature Peacemaking
Isn’t this sweetness… A R+10 district…
When the American People go into the voting booths in November to exercise their sacred franchise, they will look at the ballot and see two choices:
*Barack Obama, Democrat
*John McThusalamuslim, Republican
I put my faith in the American People.
Definitely against. I had to cut a lot of it for space, but he’s saying that in addition to being permanently imperiled, the Muslim world will be horrified and repelled by our president’s apostasy, and it will therefore be impossible for him to engage constructively with them.
These people don’t bother with the facts or logic. That is why you are confused.
That is a VERY large turnout - nice and sweet
50-State Strategy, bitches!!!
Er, um, I mean… This can only be good for Republicans.
dugg and thanks for getting the digg submitted neuro
And, this guy has such a lovely bunch of friends among the Advisory Board of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/ind.....sory_Board
LOL!
Um, that Obama would be permanently imperiled, of course.
…as opposed to, say, dropping bombs on them, which McThusala is itching to do?
Niiice. Funny, the one that he’s affiliated with at the end of the NYT piece is a lot more bipartisan…
Does this have anything to do with the Jews killing Jeebus?
Everyone knows that’s the only diplomacy they respect.
The initial voting only had 64,000 voters in total, over 100,000 turned out for the runoff… People want to be heard…!
Give it time…
Edward Luttwhackjob?
-G
Well, at least we know the Muslims didn’t do it…they had not been invented yet!
I did consider “Luttwacko” as a possible title. Or “Luttwanker”…
It is code. muslim is code for angry black man who may want your girlfriend. muslim is code for I am afraid and I don’t know what to do with this fear. muslim! scary.
idiots.
They had a time machine, dude. Everyone knows that.
Now that is funny.
Sweet. Very well done. I just got out of the car (where I listen to the knuckle draggers) and was hearing how it is impossible for Obama to be elected because of his name and color.
…invented, eh? ;-)
how much for your daughter?
The neocons had a time machine too.
Also projection.
My daughter is gay.
I thought that was “deconstruction”
I ddn’t mean for me!
More good news for the Netroots tonight…
http://dailykos.com/storyonly/.....546/515067
Scott Kleeb beat the DLC-type dude that tried to buy the Dem nomination in Nebraska.
I was going to day she was free but that just got too weird.
al Luttwuaqqo
Hell no. Where would the neocons be without Islam?
707
I liked Teddy’s pertinent question after it was called for Childers, “Will Cole still have a job in the morning…?” 8-)
Edward Buttpack?
well, we don’t want to say they evolved, that would upset the fundies, you know…
They tried to shed Islam for immigrants from south of the border but not enough low infos picked up on it.
If Islam didn’t exist, the neocons would have to invent it from scratch. Which, for the most part, is what they do anyway.
Heh. It’s not even November yet, and he’s already lost 3 seats. In red districts, no less.
Bill Moyers referred to this song on Jon Stewart:
http://www.arlo.net/resources/.....ream.shtml
They were intelligently designed, to provide the neocons with the boogeyman necessary for their existence.
its part of their fear! fear!! fear!!! strategy
From The Hill: Wasting their money!
especially since other Wingnuts are saying don’t vote for him because Hamas and the islamofascists would _welcome_ a prez Obama. Presumably because they think he’d be soft on terra.
It’s all crap.
BTW, I discussed this “apostasy” thing with my Egyptian fiancee back when the Afghans wanted to behead the man who left to work in Europe and converted to Xtianity. Yes, leaving Islam, and especially converting to another religion is a serious thing. However, in non-extremist Islamic countries, like Egypt, the “death” is figurative: your (former) family and friends declare that you are dead to them and act accordingly, as in complete ostracism.
Man, these neocon, theocon, neocom nincompoops are something else. Not only do they embrace an extreme of Christianity that most of us don’t recognize as such, they choose the analogous extreme brand of Islam to use as a straw man.
Bleah.
FunnyDiva
Hi, Eli, thanks for the post. Evenin’ Pups…
lmao :)
The fundies are scarier than any Muslim could ever be.
Awesome. That makes the loss even sweeter.Oh no, now the Republicans will be unstoppable.
Well, ya never know they could always shuffle the deck chairs around… on the Titanic…! ;-)
They would have invented — Democrats, progressive one at that.
Dark Side Dick Cheney campaigned yesterday.
Perhaps the Democrats can sign Cheney on as a special to bring in late in elections to wrap up the victories for the Democrats.
-G
well there is alway China… oh wait!
I don’t get it, CTuttle…
Titanic, Hindenberg, Andrea Dora, Bismark, etc…, take your pick.
Thing is, even *if* it were something that applied for non-extremists, Obama *still* isn’t an apostate, because he was never a Muslim.
So it’s doubly bullshit, because it doesn’t apply to Obama, *and* because the people who would take it seriously enough to try to kill an American president… would be trying to do that anyway.
Well shit. I thought I was supposed to worry about the white supremicists and Obama. Now Muslims might do him in also?!?
Of course, the most credible threat is from the same circles that took down the Kennedys. Much more dangerous.
So much fear, so little time…
Tom Cole is the head of the RNCC…
Yes, I’m surprised that didn’t work out - I thought Cheney was really popular.
Today Ron and I had a visit from a young man who used to live down the street from us. He is going to college in Portland on a full scholarship with the army. He announced that Obama wanted to take his oath of office for the senate on the Koran. I thought Ron was going to pop a vein. As he left I handed him “The Shock Doctrine” and said he didn’t have to return it, to just pass it along to his friends when he is done. I smiled my little granny smile and said goodbye.
Which is why I’d love to see Obama choose a really liberal running mate. What a dilemma for any would-be assassin!
Who will probably be spending more time with his family very soon. :)
Oh…my…I’m a
PukeRepubican…I don’t like that McCain…he’s a librul…Obamamamamama is a Mooslim, and Hillary is the antichristette…I’m goin’ to have to vote for Bob Barr…He was the guy on the Price is Right, so I’m feelin’ confident that he will lead us to our just future.I thought the guy on the Price is Right is gay. He can’t be el presidente.
Awesome. That makes the loss even sweeter.Oh noes, now we can has teh Republcnz bein’ teh unstop-ble!
OK, there. Well _I_ thought some LOLcat was called for, anyway.
FunnyD
back in 20 minz
This is one of those bullshit smears that’s been floating around via e-mail for as long as Obama’s been running. Along with the madrassa story, and the won’t-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance/put-his-hand-over-his-heart-for-the-national-anthem story.
The only grain of truth to the Koran story is that… Keith Ellison did it. (Using *Thomas Jefferson’s* Koran, which was brilliant)
Speaking of which… From AZMatt’s link to the Hill…
I do like how you think.
Thanks. Has he ever lobbied for the junta in Burma?!
Run, Bob, Run!
Endorse, Ronpaul, endorse!
Iv’e had enough of liberals. How about some progress for a change!
Could it be: “Elect Hillary, or Muslims will ‘Rushdie’ our President Obama!”?
Hope he reads it. Such an excellent book.
I read it more as “Elect McCain, or…”, but otherwise I got the same vibe.
they can shake it up all they want but they’ve got nuthin’
As I’ve said here before, that’s what the Dark Lord did for my previously-repuglican cong. district in Nov. 2006
Ya know, I’ve been hearing a repetitive talking point the last couple of days…HRC is staying in the race because “something” might happen to Obama between now and the Convention….I’ve heard it at least 10 times in the last two days…plus, they came out with the noose story about the Secret Service..and then other stories about emails in the Secret Service that were racist.
Just saying, if one single hair on that man’s head is touched….the entire world will rise up. Just sayin’ Don’t even think about it!!!
it is ok to talk about the fear of something bad happening to a candidate but please refrain from using graphic, imaginative, violent possibilities when drafting your comments.
thank you
Heh, heh, heh…
Oh yeah…;>
Minority Leader Jean Schmidt huddled with her two top lieutenants Virgil Goode and Steve King for a messaging session in congress today.
-G
That is really, really creepy.
LOL!!
Tom Cole
is*was* the head of the RNCC…a little editorial license on my part
Was that to me about the noose story that appeared this week? If so, I refer everyone to the story about the scandal at the Secret Service.
Remind me to start chanting “Four more months!” in September…
It’s really, really true. Check out Rawstory and google.
Democrat TRAVIS W. CHILDERS,
U.S. CONGRESSMAN,
1st DISTRICT
Mississippi
Won!!!!!! Things are changing folks.
Feingold would be perfect…
And let us not forget the “family-appropriate” comedy stylings of the NH-GOP…
Clinton up by 41 points..
Tanjob Boehner is trying to run “party of change” mantras up the flagpole for the GOP.
American’s may be numbed and all, but they can’t swallow that line.
-G
Or Teddy Kennedy, or Dennis Kucinich, or maybe even Mike Gravel. Obama would have a human shield of Republicans around him wherever he went.
From NYT’s: Mississippi Democrat Wins House Seat in G.O.P. Stronghold
Only one repugnant House critter left in Mississippi…! ;-)
strike one! strike two! strike trheeeeee!!!11 your outta there!!!!1111
I don’t know whether “Jeff Gannon” would agree with that…
Rachel continuing to tear at Clinton’s heart- afraid that it may still be ticking.
Feingold is a moderate I could stand beside!
Yes. That’s basically why I’d like to see Howard Dean as VP. What an insurance policy for Obama.