Obama at the Compassion Forum
Imagine being a Muslim kid in Pakistan or Indonesia. Every time you hear an American politician talking about Islam, it is invariably in a sentence about violence or terrorism, a sentence which always seems to be part of a larger paragraph about war.
Now imagine your surprise if you turned on the television, and listened to Barack Obama being interviewed for the Compassion Forum (the brainchild of my friends at Faith in Public Life) which CNN carried internationally on Sunday night EST. Here’s what you might think to yourself: “Finally, an American politician who understands something about my religion, and wants to relate to me in a way that doesn’t necessarily include missiles.”
Obama (finally!) discussed his positive experience with Islam in Indonesia. He described it as a tolerant faith which lived comfortably with other religions, in a society where women had freedom and dignity. He concluded by saying that it was clear to him that Islam, like other religious traditions, had much to offer the modern world.
Obama went on to say that he disagreed with the Clash of Civilizations framework, and the Compassion Forum was an example of how people from all faiths could relate to each other, around the common table of shared values like compassion that could be turned into concrete action.
He said he thought the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives was a good idea, but that he didn’t like the way George Bush had carried it out – basically as a stage for one particular faith group to have its way.
Obama repeated the line he first stated in his great speech at Sojourners a couple of years ago – that America is a Christian nation, a Jewish nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, a Muslim nation, an atheist nation, etc. And out of all these types of religious experience, we have to somehow become one country.
Obama ended the speech on a grace-note – that his faith teaches him to act out of hope, not fear.
Hope is exactly the emotion I bet that Muslim kid on the other side of the world was feeling as he listened to this.
Here was my hope, as I sat in the second row of Messiah College, taking this in:
If we want to, once and for all, put the lie of the Clash of Civilizations framework to rest. If we want to honor the fact of religious diversity in America and the world. If we believe that all religions hold compassion in common and we want to channel that energy into concrete change, promoting cooperation along the way.
Then why not have an Office of Interfaith Initiatives in an Obama White House?
By
Eboo Patel
|
April 14, 2008; 7:41 AM ET
| Category:
The Faith Divide
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You see Sir, the problem is much deeper that what you seem to perceive. The thing that you are boasting about - The cultural pluralism in your Great Nation, Sir, but does it actually happen? I believe it does. Not because you make an effort to let people preach their religion freely. But because your psychology is such that you don't seem to interfere in anybody's affairs. Not only is there open freedom for religion but there is open freedom for obsenity, pornography, incest, prostitution, fornication, alchoholism etc. in your Great Nation, Sir, and you don't care about it. There are all types freedom in America. There is freedom to comit rape. According to your statistics, Sir, as many as 70,000 cases of rape are reported in America every year. That puts your Great Nation No. 1 in the rape list. Your women, your daughters and sisters are going to the dogs. You don't care about that. You have freedom to be a gay or a Lesbian and spread this sickness throughout. There is freedom to preach religions like Satanism and its evil practices. There is freedom to destroy nations. Anything goes in America.
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The biggest frustration to the Muslims is the hypocricy of the West. On one hand they claim to be loving, merciful, tolerant but in reality they are causing the maximum destruction throughout the world.
Posted by: Emran | April 22, 2008 2:42 AM
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Yes we are a country and world of many different religions.
Please let me quote James Madison:
"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of europe in blood for centuries"
I find it appalling that soo many people seem bent on putting their man into public office based on his or her religion. This is asking for trouble big time. As in an all out cultural war and I don't mean a war of words.
When each of all the religious groups that there are in the world has to shove it's version of religion down the throat of everyone who believes otherwise, then we get the divisevness that we are experiencing today. We're getting what we deserve.
Posted by: Sam Sharp | April 21, 2008 1:15 PM
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Sallam Mr. Patel:
I was so happy to see you on TV in the forum. I thought the question you posed to Senator Clinton was a good one. It portrays that we care about the different issues just like everyone else.
Your article is wonderful. I was pretty disappointed with the intolerant comments you received.
I think that the freedom in the religion and the first amendment allows all people to practice their faith.Ido not think like other suggested that America is a Christian nation. Please review the constituition and history very carefully. I agree with Senator Obama's comment about the diversity in this country and that is why I am supporting him.
We have done a lote for this country..we are the doctors and engineers of this country. And to all that say there is no intolerance in Islam has to read the history of the Ottoman Empire, or the Islamic civilization in Spain and Egypt, where jews, christians and muslims have lived in harmony and peace for centuries. Add to that all the science and philosophies that were transferred to the western world after the renaissance through numerous scholars like Ibn Rushd and others.
Science, knowledge, progressiveness has benn part of our tradition. I am glad that Senator Obama and people like him do not think that we are the monsters in the cave that we are portrayed to be in the media.
Good to see you Patel and keep up the good work!
Posted by: Truthseeker | April 17, 2008 4:12 PM
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September 11 attacks were not carried out by Muslims, they were carried out by the Jews. It was an Israeli policy and even George Bush knew about it.
Posted by: Emran | April 17, 2008 5:41 AM
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Its a myth that the American Foreign policy is going to change by Obama or Clincton or somebody else. Its false. America may be liberal in its internal affairs. In AMerica anything goes - Satanism, Gayism,Lesbianism ever ism goes in America. But as far as Foreign poilcy is concerned America is the Biggest slave. Its a slave in the hands of the Jews. The Jews are really genious. They can make America do what they like. In Israel, the Rabbis are dictating terms and are declaring an open genocide of the Muslims and no America has the power to prevent that.
Posted by: Emran | April 17, 2008 5:37 AM
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You see, its amazing that Islam is being targeted that often and that much throughout world. Its astonishing to see how people have been brainwashed against the Muslim world. Its true that the contemporary muslims world is in ruins. But the people responsible for that are the Non-Muslims themselves.
Throughout history the Muslims have been betrayed again and agin and again by the so-called Christians, the so-called jews, the so-called Hindus. Jewish Historian, one of the well known in the world, Ami Isseroff. I happened to read some of his literature. The Muslims were once the best in the business. The best in all aspects of life - may it be medicine, articrafts, science and technology, architecture and what not. Whatever Europe is today is because of the Muslims. This was the Golden Age for the Muslim world. This was the time when the Christians of the europe were doing their witch huntings - the backward nation they were. They call it the "Dark Ages". Just before Islam, The Jews were persecuted and kicked out from Israel by the Romans in the Name of Christianity and had spread a reign of tyrany there. LAter, we muslims kicked the Romans out and liberated the Jews out of their miseries, gave them equal status, allowed them to preach their religion, and even built synagogues for them. But most of them chose to live in Europe. LAter they were again incinerated and kicked out of Europe by the NAzis. And we Muslinms again allowed them to settle with us. We gave them shelter on our mercy and grace. But they betrayed us. They extended their territory and now you see what they have done and what they are doing. Everyday you see baby infants in Gaza being bombed to death. The dangerous mass genocide of Muslims is what their Rabbis are declaring now. And Christans. In the name of christianity, the crusaders killed innocent Muslims in millions. They stole all the scientific literature of the Muslims and geve them their names in the medieval era. Thus Muslims plunged into an eternal backwardness. And even now these so-called Christian nations like America, UK, France etc what they have been doing to the Muslim world. In the two World wars almost all the countries involved were Christians. Now the nations of the Muslim world Pakistan, PAlestine, Algeria, Somalia, Malsysia, Ethiopia, Chechnya, Kashmir, Iraq,Afghanistan etc. are all in darkness. We muslims ruled India for more than a thousand years and gave equal status to the Hindus. These so-called Hindus of India, in a state called Gujarat, more about 10,000 (ten thousand), muslims were sliced to pieces. Unborn fetuses were wrenched out of their mother's wombs. Women were raped and ripped apart in front of their parents. THese were all poor slum dwelling MUslims. The police was involved, judicial system was involved and even the misniters were involved in this genocide. This not my mental concoction. These are all the Indian reports that I am stating. This ias my country India. It stinks. The fact is that all throughout History what the Muslim worl did for the Non-Muslim world, they can never pay us for that. But they betrayed us again and again and again. Now, after all this u r critisizing the MUslims for what they are. Islam condems terrorism but you ask a Psychologist, He will tell you that considering the sufferings, what MUslims are doing they have every right to do. I would like somebody bold enough, having guts enough, to come on the stage and debate with me in front of the whole world and not hiding beind your computer screens. But the kind of pounding that Muslims have got is evident from the fact that three of my comments which I took the trouble of writing for washington post were not published at all because they were based on truth.
Emran Sheykh
Kashmir
Posted by: Emran | April 17, 2008 5:28 AM
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Kevin-
the commonality of compassion in all religions is an untenable premise to you?
mr patel did not state that the US is a christian nation- he pointed out the hypocrisy of a faith based initiative only available to those of the christian faith-
your statement-
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"This tolerance does not mean that we cannot be at issue with how people practice their religion."
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you are welcome to 'be at issue'- nut you cannot call it tolerance-
yes- it DOES mean we cannot be at issue with how people practice their religion-
what you have described is the opposite- INtolerance-
there are no precepts in islam that compel its adherents to break the law- or act in an immoral or societally uincceptable way-
the very MEANING of tolerance- demands that we allow people to worship freely, as they choose- without conditions or judgements imposed upon them-
it is counterintuitive to state that intolerance is an acceptable approach regarding religions in america-
for your edification on the concepts- i have pasted their definitions - from the AMERICAN HERITAGE dictionary
tol·er·ate /verb
1. to allow the existence, presence, practice, or act of without prohibition or hindrance; permit.
2. to endure without repugnance; put up with:
tolerant /adjective
1. showing respect for the rights or opinions or practices of others [ant: intolerant]
2. tolerant and forgiving under provocation; [syn: kind]
3. showing or characterized by broad-mindedness; "a broad political stance"; "generous and broad sympathies";[syn: broad]
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it is inaccurate to state that (quote)"the forefathers based their vision of america on judeo-christic principles-"(unquote)
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our forefathers were deists- they used the word 'creator'
i challenge you to find the word 'Jesus', or 'God', in our constitution.
your futher contention-
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"To the extent Islam or any religion conflicts with that, it is ultimately inconsitent with our system, and should be resisted. "
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the onus is completely on you to prove that islam is inconsistent with american ideals- (which are not the same as judeo-christian ideals)
islam is, at it's core- the religion of social justice-
it is the very essence of the religion-
it proposed equality for all 1400 years ago-
i contend it is MORE consistent with the american ideal of pluralist inclusiveness than judaism or christianity-
both exclusivist relgions- which is why our founding fathers made no mention of either in their doctrine of the constitution-
you are not 'enduring without repugnance-(tolerating) but with overt repugnance-
nor are you 'showing respect for the practices of others(being tolerant).
i make the assertion that your piece is very INtolerant, and illogical.
Posted by: VICTORIA | April 16, 2008 12:57 PM
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The entire premise of this article and the argument is untenable. Are we, the United States a Christian nation? No. Have we historically been a nation of Christians? Yes. What we undisputably are adn have always been is a Western nation. As such, we tolerate all religions giving rise to religious pluarism. This is undoubtedly a good thing.
This tolerance does not mean that we cannot be at issue with how people practice their religion. As a Western nation we are founded and guided by Judeo/Christian ideals and thought as contemplated by the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. To the extent Islam or any religion conflicts with that, it is ultimately inconsitent with our system, and should be resisted.
Tolerance and acceptance are not the same. I am tired of people advocating acceptance disguised as tolerance. Taking that line of reasoning to its logical conclusion, we would ultimately sacrifice Western thought altogether. In the process, we we would be sacrificing the very freedoms that made the debate possible in the first place.
Posted by: Kevin | April 15, 2008 6:26 PM
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To Tommi:
The KKK was small part of Christendom and there are SOME Christian countries where I would not want to live.
There are arguably two decent Muslim ones: Turkey and not-too-long-ago Lebanon. EVERY other majority-Muslim nation has become a backwards dictatorship.
Many Muslims immigrate or send their children to the Christian world to get an education. Christians only go to Muslim lands for oil-related employment. Almost no new knowledge comes out of the Muslim world.
Posted by: Doug | April 15, 2008 6:23 PM
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Addressing all of you non-muslims. Do you really know what the real religion is about? Have you ever really gotten to the understanding of what true Islam means? I am not talking about radicalism; for that matter there are plenty non muslim radicals withing the US. What about the KKK? In the name of being 'Christian'didn't they commit atrocities on a group of people who could not fight back? That is just one example. No, Obama is not talking about any radical versions of any of the mentioned religions, but the true faiths, which if followed can unite the world.
Posted by: Tommi | April 15, 2008 5:37 PM
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Most Muslim kids around the world dont watch CNN and could care less what Obama, Clinton or anyone else says. They are interested in what they do. Obama, if he wins, will have a chance like any new president to repair relations. what he does will determine whether he is successful, not who he is.
Posted by: Aziz | April 15, 2008 2:25 PM
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"Americans of all faith and no faith at all believe in compassion."
I appreciated those words from you at the compassion forum Mr. Patel.
Posted by: Skeptimal | April 15, 2008 1:07 PM
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Don't you think God thinks all of His creatures are important? I would like to propose an end to factory farming, an end to the acceptance that 5% of animals that go to slaughter are not properly stunned - yet the line goes on and these animals are skinned, boiled, and hacked up alive, and an end to animals used in experiments. What will God say to us about this?
Posted by: Catherine King | April 15, 2008 11:50 AM
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TO EBOO PATEL:
You wrote, "Obama repeated the line he first stated in his great speech at Sojourners a couple of years ago – that America is a Christian nation, a Jewish nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, a Muslim nation, an atheist nation, etc. And out of all these types of religious experience, we have to somehow become one country."
This statement is not true, America is a nation that has religious freedom, America is a nation that has separation of church and state.
America is a nation that has freedom of religion not a nation that has "freedom" from religion as some would try to impose.
Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.
Posted by: Thomas Baum | April 15, 2008 11:08 AM
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most of the people in the Arab/Muslim world are oppressed, suppressed and exploited. Their only hope is USA that would be powerful, bold and in some ways arrogant enough that these people be freed from the shackles of "slavery" imposed on the people by Arab/Muslim autocrats who have used the bogey of religion and palestine arab nationalism/arab racism as a means to manipulate the West to so nothing about liberty and democracy in our part of the world.
How does Obama help if he is not going to allow us to sell goods to USA 'cos we have no labour laws and then tells us to live peacefully with Saddam and his kind. If USA pulls out of Iraq and ditches us ordinary Arabs/Muslims, the US will never ever have any true friends or allies ever again in well over half of the world. We will have no choice but join the Jihad, one way or the other. Let's wait n see if the average American citizen is as stupid as Barry the Commie thinks they are.
Posted by: ismail | April 15, 2008 1:22 AM
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Hi Dear
Just a quick note to request that I’d like to receive an e-mail notification.
Many thanks and God Bless you all.
Sincerely yours Carlos
Posted by: Anonymous | April 14, 2008 10:52 PM
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First of all the Inter Faith platform is a great one- what divides faiths and what can unify them. I am a Hindu, a very pragmatic one at that, and believe that all religions stand on the shoulders of their respective TEACHERS, and that all religions are like tributaries that FINALLY merge with the OCEAN. Also a word about Hinduism- also known as SANATANA DHARMA in SANSRIT that translates into Eternal or Universal Righteousness.
Every religion to start with might have STARTED ON AN ALTRUISTIC PURPOSE/S. LET THIS MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE CONTINUE FOR THE GOOD OF THE HUMAN RACE.
Posted by: Rani M | April 14, 2008 9:29 PM
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Salaams Eboo,
So glad to see an American Muslim represented at last night's forum. So disappointed that you didn't use that moment to ask Sen. Clinton a tough question about her support for pluralism, religious tolerance and the role of moderate Muslims in the effort to marginalize extremist Islam.
Andrea Useem
Posted by: ReligionWriter | April 14, 2008 4:08 PM
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@MIKE: Except that you are perpetrating the same logical inconsistency that you claim Eboo suffers. (I contend that he is fully aware of the dangers of radical believers of *any* faith as that is the whole point of IFYC to begin with.)
You claim that people are ignoring radical extremists.
Really?
Are you kidding me? Turn on a television, read a newspaper, click a blog, and tell me that people are trying to ignore the extremists. No. Seriously. Open your eyes. What's really being ignored? Extremism? No. Pluralism? Yeah.
Posted by: RTD | April 14, 2008 2:44 PM
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Every kid on this side of the pond was wondering if Obama is talking about the same Islam whose followers carried out 9/11, Beslan school children massacre, London, Madrid, Mumbai train massacres, daily bombings in Iraq, Pak, Palestine...
And if he is talking about the same Islam that has more than 50 intolerant nations based on it including the most intolerant and violent land of the prophet- Saudi Arabia.
Posted by: Idolator | April 14, 2008 1:50 PM
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PRICEISRIGHT: Are you suggesting a moral equivalence between Radical Islam and Christianity and/or the West? Although I fully agree that all are sinners, if you can't distinguish between the nature of Radical Islamism and Western Civilization, then we have real issues. Don't we?
I know you're not suggesting that America deserved 9/11, but do you really suppose that our effort in Iraq is no different in moral terms than Radical Islam's war against the West? Do you suppose Usama bin Laden wants to rebuild the US after his attacks, and provide us with a free, representative government?
My point is, Radical Islam is inherently evil, and dangerous to true Islam. In today's global circumstances, that's a fact that cannot be overlooked by civilized people.
Posted by: Mike | April 14, 2008 1:37 PM
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Mike,
I read a great quote yesterday that's appropriate for your coment, 'when you point a finger, three fingers always point back at you'.
Everyone is complicit in the problems of the world today, if you only see the other side's faults and not your own nothing will be resolved. In Christianity we are all sinners....
Posted by: priceisright | April 14, 2008 12:57 PM
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Every religion has something to offer the world, as long as you allow common sense to over-ride its doctrines.
Which is why I've become a secularist, and made common sense my religion.
Posted by: Doug | April 14, 2008 12:05 PM
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Why not indeed!
Posted by: VICTORIA | April 14, 2008 12:00 PM
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Excellent piece, except it leaves out an important point: tens of thousands of so-called Muslims (including some within the US) want to violently destroy the United States (and the West) in the name of Islam. I agree that Islam has much to offer the modern world, but the ascendancy of radicals within the faith threatens that hope.
That's a point that cannot be ignored. Mr. Patel's piece seeks to do just that.
Posted by: Mike | April 14, 2008 11:44 AM
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