# The Emergence of President Obama's Muslim Roots **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 3, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628 "2009-06-03T21:12:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/41 "2009-06-04T13:39:08Z")
I would like to thank the OP for the opportunity to say how much I loathe Jake Tapper, the smarmiest white house reporter of all time. That ass could find a “scandal” in the annual easter egg hunt. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/42 "2009-06-04T13:54:01Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > It won’t be long before we see Obama fly Air Force One into a building. That “photo op” last month was just a test run! Personally, I find a name like “Rush” to be much more suspicious than a name like “Hussein.” “Rush” sounds…Canadian to me. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/43 "2009-06-04T14:09:47Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > The headline. “roots” implies much more of a connection than what Obama has. I don’t think “roots” is as loaded a term as your making it out to be. His fathers family and step-father’s family were Muslim and he spent some of his earlier years in a muslim country, so he has Muslim roots. It doesn’t mean he himself is muslim (indeed, using the word “roots” suggests the opposite), or that he’s currently connected in any intimate way to the muslim community now (again, it implies the opposite, since “roots” suggests something in the past). It seems the most obvious word for what the article writer is referring to. If it said he had roots in Kansas, I doubt anyone would raise an eyebrow, though the degree of connection is about the same. Honestly, I don’t understand what the OP is freaking out about. The article is talking about something Obama himself is (wisely, I think) trying to stress. The GOP already tried to make hay with this, and ended up looking like a bunch of paranoid nut-bags. And if it didn’t work during the election when people were paying attention and many hadn’t yet formed their own opinion about Barack, it’s not going to hurt him now. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/44 "2009-06-04T14:10:32Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Personally, I find a name like “Rush” to be much more suspicious than a name like “Hussein.” “Rush” sounds…Canadian to me. Oh, no, don’t try to slide responsibility onto _us_. He’s _your_ problem. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/45 "2009-06-04T14:18:16Z")
Hell, I have Muslims in my family and was born in a country with lots of Muslims around - I guess that means I’m a closet Muslim, too. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/46 "2009-06-04T16:27:15Z")
Has anyone turned in **Anaamika** yet? I could use the toaster oven. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/47 "2009-06-04T16:32:02Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > The right does tend to act as if their beliefs and desires are terribly fragile. Look at their paranoia over homosexuals “converting” their children. Or adults for that matter. Or their fear of exposure to leftism/secularism/the “wrong” religion. It’s like vampirism or lycanthropy. One bite or scratch is all it takes. ARRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/48 "2009-06-04T16:35:01Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Hey, what if he really was a muslim? Wouldn’t that, like, inoculate us against against more of them there terrierist attacks? Depends on the terrier, I should think. The Bostons - we’re probably safe. But those Scotties…gotta watch them! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Understander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3da27b/32.png) [@The\_Understander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Understander)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/49 "2009-06-04T16:43:32Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Oh, no, don’t try to slide responsibility onto _us_. He’s _your_ problem. So much for Operation Canadian Bacon… ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/50 "2009-06-04T17:47:09Z")
Try this experiment: Put President Obama inside a large folded piece of paper, squash him with a steamroller, then unfold it and ask people what they see. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/51 "2009-06-04T17:50:32Z")
Wouldn’t be meaningful, peoples reactions are skewed in a condition of raw shock. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/52 "2009-06-04T18:36:58Z")
> [@Katriona](#): > > Depends on the terrier, I should think. The Bostons - we’re probably safe. But those Scotties…gotta watch them! Jeepers, about time someone picked up on that. Meanwhile, the ads are asking me if I’d like to browse photos of potential muslim brides. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/53 "2009-06-04T20:52:07Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > How quickly we forget that his birth certificate is a _ **forgery** _. I remember getting an E-Mail about this years ago. > His _real_ birth certificate absolutely proves that he was born in Mecca I’ve heard that his mother was held as a slave there, and that young Barack got her freedom by some kind of racing device. And that his midichlorian level is off the charts. > [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > I am somewhat amused by those on the left who join forces with the extreme right who wish to either ignore or deny Obama’s self professed deep Christian faith. Then it’s a good thing you came in here. I’m somewhat amused by Ron White and Larry the Cable Guy but Engvall and Foxworthy not so much, and that Tosh guy is a no-talent hack. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/54 "2009-06-04T22:33:08Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It’s not like there’s anything I can do about it; being a Christian or lying about being one is effectively a requirement for being President. So he’s either a lunatic or a liar, neither of which makes me very happy. At least two Presidents did not believe in the divinity of Jesus (which to most people means they weren’t Christians): Taft and Jefferson. But you’re right that that kind of thing probably wouldn’t fly these days. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/55 "2009-06-04T22:36:03Z")
What’s the best product on the market for covering your Muslim roots? I have a friend who uses “Allah-B-Gone Rinse” but it only lasts for a few days. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/56 "2009-06-04T22:44:25Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Wouldn’t be meaningful, peoples reactions are skewed in a condition of raw shock. Sigh…another sad blot on your record. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/57 "2009-06-04T23:51:44Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > At least two Presidents did not believe in the divinity of Jesus (which to most people means they weren’t Christians): Taft and Jefferson. But you’re right that that kind of thing probably wouldn’t fly these days. And Lincoln. In fact, in his youth he wrote a book debunking Christianity, but a friend pointed out what publishing it would mean for his political ambitions, and he burned the manuscript. See [_What Lincoln Believed,_](http://www.amazon.com/What-Lincoln-Believed-Convictions-President/dp/0385507399) by Michael Lind. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/58 "2009-06-05T00:00:55Z")
I’ve only scanned the thread, but my question is…has ANYONE come in ranting about Obama being a closet Muslim? Are there even any 'dopers who are worked up about this (from the ‘ARRRRGGG! He’s a MMMUUUUSSSSSLLLLIIIIMMMM!’ side of the house)? Seriously, this has all the ear marks of someone starting a thread in GD asking for advocates from the Flat Earth Society… -XT ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/59 "2009-06-05T00:16:36Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > I’ve only scanned the thread, but my question is…has ANYONE come in ranting about Obama being a closet Muslim? Are there even any 'dopers who are worked up about this (from the ‘ARRRRGGG! He’s a MMMUUUUSSSSSLLLLIIIIMMMM!’ side of the house)? Well, come on. If someone from that segment of the Right shows up here, they are in hideous danger of speaking with someone who doesn’t agree with them ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628/60 "2009-06-05T00:18:55Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > I’ve only scanned the thread, but my question is…has ANYONE come in ranting about Obama being a closet Muslim? Are there even any 'dopers who are worked up about this (from the ‘ARRRRGGG! He’s a MMMUUUUSSSSSLLLLIIIIMMMM!’ side of the house)? > > Seriously, this has all the ear marks of someone starting a thread in GD asking for advocates from the Flat Earth Society… > > -XT Looking at the 9/11 truthers and the TWA 800 800-oids in the threads in GB I think that it is still very likely that we could get some “birthers” G Gordon Liddy is still one. > **[washington independent game](http://washingtonindependent.com/)** > > home made city upgrade game about boarding houses, telegraph offices, casinos, federal offices, printing presses, docks, land, carriage works, munitions, hotels. And, unfortunately, a good chunk of Americans still get their information from guys like that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-emergence-of-president-obamas-muslim-roots/498628.md?page=4)