Feature Story - July 2009
Reaction is Varied on President's Call For Dialogue on Religious Freedom
That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn't. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.
President Obama delivered a speech in Cairo last month directed toward the Muslim world, and which touched on religious freedom and expression.
In doing so, the President shared his religious upbringing.
"I'm a Christian, but my father came from a Kenyan family that includes generations of Muslims. As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia, and heard the call of the azaan (Muslim call to prayer) at the break of dawn and at the fall of dusk. As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith.
But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire.
Moreover, freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practice one's religion. That is why there is a mosque in every state of our union, and over 1,200 mosques within our borders. That's why the United States government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab (Islamic head covering) and to punish those who would deny it.
I believe that 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 an education and to work with dignity; to love our families, our communities, and our God. These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity."
The President continued, "Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance. We see it in the history of Andalusia and Cordoba during the Inquisition. I saw it firsthand as a child in Indonesia, where devout Christians worshiped freely in an overwhelmingly Muslim country. That is the spirit we need today. People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the mind and the heart and the soul. This tolerance is essential for religion to thrive, but it's being challenged in many different ways.
Among some Muslims, there's a disturbing tendency to measure one's own faith by the rejection of somebody else's faith. The richness of religious diversity must be upheld--whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt. And if we are being honest, fault lines must be closed among Muslims, as well, as the divisions between Sunni and Shia have led to tragic violence, particularly in Iraq.
Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together. We must always examine the ways in which we protect it. For instance, in the United States, rules on charitable giving have made it harder for Muslims to fulfill their religious obligation. That's why I'm committed to working with American Muslims to ensure that they can fulfill zakat (Islamic tithing).
Likewise, it is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit--for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear. We can't disguise hostility towards any religion behind the pretense of liberalism.
In fact, faith should bring us together. And that's why we're forging service projects in America to bring together Christians, Muslims, and Jews. That's why we welcome efforts like Saudi Arabian King Abdullah's interfaith dialogue and Turkey's leadership in the Alliance of Civilizations. Around the world, we can turn dialogue into interfaith service, so bridges between peoples lead to action--whether it is combating malaria in Africa, or providing relief after a natural disaster," the President said.
The President's speech was applauded by Interfaith Alliance President, Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy.
"President Obama is to be commended for reaching out to the Muslim world with a message that makes clear they are not the enemy. I was particularly pleased to hear the president speak about the centrality of the need for religious freedom both in the Muslim world and here at home.
It is also clear, the President understands that powerful words need to be backed up by meaningful action if we are to achieve real change. Working toward finding common ground seems to be a reasonable goal for all of us involved in the search for improved relationships with the Muslim world," Gaddy stated.
The National Council of Churches, in a statement, praised the President's address.
"The 35-member communions of the National Council of Churches, representing millions whose devotion to God is expressed through their faith in Jesus Christ, have long recognized the commonalities we share as children of Abraham with Muslims and Jews.
As President Obama said, God's vision is that the people of the world can live together in peace. Allow us to respond by declaring that we share his view, and we echo his sense of calling: ‘Now, that must be our work here on Earth,'" the NCC stated.
Likewise, Sandhya Bathija with Americans United for Separation of Church and State, was pleased by the President's remarks.
"Islam is part of America. Judaism is part of America. Christianity is part of America. And so are many, many other faith traditions, as well as those who follow no spiritual path at all.
It's what Americans United has been saying from the start, and we applaud President Obama for upholding religious freedom and diversity in his speech.
We're sure in the coming days, we're going to hear a lot of grunting from Religious Right groups over President Obama's speech in Cairo.
After all, his address, intended to improve relations between Islam and the West, celebrated religious diversity, reached out to Muslims and discussed how important it is to tolerate the beliefs of others. Not exactly what the Religious Right would want to hear," Bathija said.
Traditional Values Coalition Executive Director, Andrea Lafferty, took issue with some of the assertions made by the President in his speech.
In his address, the President said, there are 7 million Muslims in America. Lafferty cited figures from the Pew Research Center which said that there are 2.3 million Muslims living in the U.S.
"Even assuming, there are 7 million Muslims, it makes the U.S. only the 34th biggest Muslim country in the world. To claim that America is one of the largest Muslim countries in the world is an insult to our Judeo-Christian heritage. This is not, and hopefully never will be, a Muslim nation. If this ever happens, freedom will die. Islamic rule brings repression, bloodshed, death and endless war.
His statement claiming that Islam has a rich history of tolerance shows a shocking ignorance of history, and the fact that, throughout the Middle East, Christians, Jews and non-Muslims live in fear. Apparently, President Obama has not been briefed on the fact that, continually, Islamic nations top the list of human rights violators. Non-Muslims living in Islamic nations are subjected to repression and often death," Lafferty said.
American Center for Law & Justice Chief Counsel, Jay Sekulow, said the President "opened the door with a brief mention of religious freedom" in his address. "It's a good beginning, but President Obama must use this opportunity to take some real action–to engage this issue with those in the Middle East who have a notorious record for persecuting Christians and others who do not embrace Islam.
The ‘religious freedom' reference in the speech was fine. But if President Obama is truly committed to upholding what he calls, ‘the richness of religious diversity'–he must begin to put words into action. People of all faiths–including Christians being persecuted in the Middle East–deserve nothing less," Sekulow said.
Open Doors USA President, Dr. Carl Moeller, in his column for The Christian Post, said the President should be commended for mentioning religious freedom in his speech. However, Moeller added, the President failed to "elaborate" on the plight of Coptic Christians in Egypt that he specifically mentioned, in addition to the persecution of Christians and other minorities living in predominantly Muslim countries.
"Islamic nations must treat believers–giving them complete freedom of religion–like they want countries in the West to treat Muslims. We also need to support, advocate and pray for those who are suffering under sharia," (Islamic religious law) Moeller said.
Days after the President's speech, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent, bipartisan panel which advises the administration and Congress on religious freedom issues.
Panel member Nina Shea told Religion News Service that Clinton noted their concerns, but did not commit to taking public action on their proposed agenda.
Shea said, the commission insisted that the administration oppose a proposed United Nations resolution that would ban the defamation of religion. Pakistan and a number of other countries in the Middle East support the measure, which would bar public criticism of religions.
In addition, Shea said, they asked the administration to support the rights of Egyptian Muslims who convert to Christianity in Egypt, and raised concerns about blasphemy laws there, along with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
"We're looking for policy action from them...to use the bully pulpit since they haven't yet. I'm concerned there won't be any effort, or minimal effort. Public policy is languishing on these issues," Shea said.
[Home] [Introducing UNI] [News Coverage] [Features Page][Publications]
