Meet the Press
I’m also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the [Republican] party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, “Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.” Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?
- Former US Secretary of State. General Colin Powell – Meet the Press, 19 Oct 08
Earlier this year, some time during the Democratic Primary season, I received a hateful “smear email” about Barack Obama being Muslim and that an Obama administration would be sworn in with a Quran, thereby bringing about the end of a “Christian America”.
Undeniably, such claims are irrevocably false and the act of believing in and forwarding the content of such emails speaks volumes about one’s ability to make rational judgements.
But back then, this got me thinking about the question of – “what if a Muslim-American were to run for President? At its core, is America only for white Christian people, or is America really the diverse, multi-cultural society it claims to be?”
Just last Sunday (19 Oct 08), former US Secretary of State Colin Powell went on Meet the Press and made the statement quoted above – a powerful statement, one that truly questions the heart of America.
…because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son’s grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards–Purple Heart, Bronze Star–showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn’t have a Christian cross, it didn’t have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life…
Democrats, Republicans, Christians, Muslims, and countless other Americans of a multitude of race and religion have served and shed blood under the American flag. Is Muslim blood any less sacred than Christian blood, or is the life of a first-generation American any less precious than that of an fourth or fifth-generation American whose ancestors came to America onboard the Mayflower?
I would say that the answer is no. Anyone who has served their country with pride and dignity deserves to be a full-fledged citizen and given equal respect, irregardless of race, creed or religion.
No matter how the results turn out on the 5th of November, the 2008 US Presidential Elections has already written a new chapter in American history.
- Barack Obama has shown the world that African-Americans need not be characterized as descendants of slavery, but also as leaders of the free world.
- Similarly, Hillary Clinton has shown the world that it’s not inconceivable for a woman to work in the Oval Office, not just as a Secretary, but as Commander-In-Chief.
As a logical extension of the two examples above, nothing should stop a Muslim African-American girl of dreaming that one day, she might become President of the United States.
If I were an American, it would be clear who I’d be voting for on the 5th of November. Not just because of whose policies I think make more sense, nor simply because I do not believe in the conservatism of right-wing politics, but also because the time has come for America to take a step forward, and embrace the differences and similarities between its people.
The time has come – for Change That We Can Believe In.
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October 23rd, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Couldn’t agree with you more…America seems to be moving into a better age because of these people who dared to change and believe. It speaks volumes about America’s progress as a nation, though at times I wonder if it’s just that the racists aren’t as vocal as the others…
I’d vote for Obama too, if I had the chance. Heh.
October 28th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Yea, Obama promises true change for America instead of McCain’s policies whereby everything is just the same. As I was talking to my dad today, it’s such a marvel that a second generation immigrant could have a chance to bid for presidency. Well, I guess that’s what the American dream is about.
There’ll be a 30 min commercial on 30 Oct 8am (GMT +08.00). I’ll listen to what more he has to say. Looking at his proposed changes, I like his tax policy, education policy, health care policy and withdrawal from Iraq. Hope he can overcome the inertia and really get the changes moving unlike Ma Ying-jeou who probably isn’t doing a good enough job.
November 15th, 2008 at 10:06 am
eh… PM lee say we still not open enough for presidents of other races… hehe…
November 15th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Umm.. wait. who’s our president again?
I seem to recall it’s an indian bloke…. =x
On a more serious note, I would think that all the discussion about whether Singapore is ready for a non-chinese PM or is just an effort to capitalize on the bridging of the racial divide that comes with the election of an African-American as the President of the United States.
The cynical side of me thinks that in the local context, it’s just a means of selling more newspapers or diverting attention away from the doom and gloom of the financial crisis that we are facing as a global community.
Think about it. If Singapore isn’t ready for a non-chinese leader, then what are people like Jayakumar, Shanmugaratnam, Yaacob Ibrahim and Abdullah Tarmugi doing in Parliament?