President
Obama's Muslim half brother, Malik Obama, holds a photo of
the
president, himself, and an unidentified friend. Like many Americans,
large
numbers of Indonesians wonder if in fact, Mr. Obama is a Muslim.
The Jakarta Post, Indonesia
Why Should Indonesians Care if Obama is Muslim?!
"It's not completely incorrect for Indonesian Muslims
to greet him as a Muslim brother when he visits Indonesia. Indonesian
Christians can do the same. … Rather than being busy finding out what his
religion is, which today only Obama knows, it would be better for Muslims in
Indonesia to ask themselves what they can do to help him."
While religion is principally
a private matter, people quietly admit its effect on their thinking and
behavior. As part of a belief system loaded with emotional ties, the influence
and expression of religion in the public sphere cannot be hindered.
That's likely the reason for
the curiosity of Americans about the religious allegiance of Barack Obama -
a discussion that has continued long after his candidacy. He grew up with Muslims and
Christians in his family, so his formal, long-term relationship with a single
church and a statement on his official Web site that says, “President Obama has
never been Muslim, and is a committed Christian” hasn't been enough to convince
Americans that he's a Christian.
Which is why I wasn't
surprised when a March, 2010 survey conducted by Harris Interactive revealed
that more than half - precisely 57 percent - of Americans affiliated with the
Republican Party believe that Obama is Muslim.
People who defend the idea
that Obama is Muslim put forward a few points. Obama was the most recent of a
long line of Muslim males. His full name is Barack Hussein Obama, and using the
name of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson as his middle name proclaims, or at
least leads one to assume, that he was born a Muslim.
Obama’s father was a Muslim.
Obama’s grandfather was a Muslim. Obama’s stepfather was a Muslim. Sarah, who
Obama calls his grandmother, is Muslim. Obama’s stepbrothers and stepsisters
are Muslim. Obama’s sister Maya was quoted by The
New York Times as saying, “My
whole family was Muslim.” For a time, he was educated and lived as a Muslim in
Indonesia and was registered as Muslim when he studied in elementary school.
As there are nearly 7 million
American Muslims who enjoy income and educational levels higher than the global
average and more than 1,200 mosques on American territory, Obama defends
Muslims by saying: “Islam is part of America, holds within her the truth that regardless
of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations - to
live in peace and security; to get education and to work with dignity; to love
our families, our communities and our God.” In his inaugural speech in
Washington, DC, Obama even said, “… we are a nation of Christians and Muslims,
Jews and Hindus, and non-believers.”
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
Since Islam can be defined
narrowly or broadly, although he of course cannot be called Muslim in the
narrow sense, he can be called Muslim if we use the broader meaning of Islam:
as the religion of followers of all prophets recognized in the Quran since
Adam.
So it's not completely
incorrect for Indonesian Muslims to greet him as a Muslim brother when he
visits Indonesia in June. Indonesian Christians can do the same. What's on his
Web site - that he has never been Muslim - is correct in the sense that he
never voluntarily and officially registered himself as an adult as Muslim.
Likewise,
many Muslims believe that Michael Jackson was Muslim, although he never stated
this publicly. In commemorating 40 days of his death, a mosque in my hometown
of Tegal held a ritual (a tahlilan) to pray for him which was attended
by Adam Jackson, the Indonesian “clone” of Michael Jackson (photo, right).
Islam is more than just a
religion - it's a way of life. The more you do for your neighborhood, your
community, your people and your country, the more Muslim you are. Christians
are possibly more Islamic than Muslims who do nothing for others. Whoever enters
Heaven is not our business. That is for God or Allah to decide.
In addition, when someone
serves as a public leader or head of a state, what he or she does for people or
for humanity is more important than his own religion or belief. They are expected
to act justly for all. Al-Ghazali
as well as al-Mawardi,
two respected scholars in Islamic history, said that power might endure with
non-believers but cannot endure with corruption and tyranny.
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
Rather than being busy
finding out what his religion is, which today only Obama knows, it would be
better for Muslims in Indonesia to ask themselves what they can do to help him
prove that he is deserving of the Nobel Prize presented to him. Isn’t peace and
justice in this world a purpose that both Muslims and Christians share?
The arrival of Obama could be
a good opportunity for Indonesian Muslims to embrace the fact that Islam is a
peace-loving religion. His visit can be used to promote a closer relationship
between Indonesian and American Muslims by joining together to show the world
that Islam is not a religion of terror.
So Mr. President! Don’t be
scared if some of your brothers in Indonesia, such as the member of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia,
greet you with a protest rally. They don't really hate you - but rather love
you. They just hope that you, as the leader of the world's only superpower,
become the earth's peacemaker, particularly by exercising fair judgment and
treatment in tackling the conflict between Palestine and Israel.
The more useful you are to
your neighborhood, your community, your people and your country, the more
Islamic you are.
*The writer is a lecturer
of the postgraduate program at State Islamic University (UIN) Sunan Gunung
Djati, Bandung.
