Obama Is Still Not A Muslim - The Email That Won't Die

Despite the emails, Barack Obama is not a Muslim. He is a member of the United Church of Christ and pledges allegiance just like the rest of us. Despite the truth, there is an email circulating that just won’t die. It reads like a paranoid diatribe from a GOP operative, but according to the Obama campaign it does not appear to have been a deliberate political ploy.

The truth may be more dark than a political trick. Apparently this lie filled has its origin, according to a report in The Nation, in an August 2004 press release from an obscure conservative publicist. Another little-known conservative author – who had also speculated that John McCain was a KGB agent – regurgitated the charges in December of 2006, and from there they rapidly made their way into the widely circulated e-mails. The fact that they continue to circulate is the dark part. It shows a general xenophobia that is shared by many Americans. Though Obama is American, his name may seem strange to some people and so, based only on the sound of his name, they are willing to believe the lies.

Though the Obama campaign has actively refuted the false email, it still circulates. I was sent a copy by a friends sister who wanted to know if I thought it was real. What I sent her was a reply which I hope will circulate as well. The email I returned follows this blog, and it is my hope that she and her friends will circulate it as freely as the one filled with hatred and lies.

Feel free to copy it and send it to your friends and relatives. Maybe, just maybe we can diffuse the viral campaign that is spreading so much misinformation.

Dear Friend,

I read the email you sent me and felt compelled to reply. You see, that email was designed to spread lies about Barack Obama and does not have a shred of truth to it. Here is the real story and if you do a little research on the web you will find it is true.

Barack Obama is not a Muslim. He has attended Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street on the South Side of Chicago for over 20 years with his family. He is a Christian and a native born American citizen.

He pledges allegiance to our flag and leads that pledge often in Congress. His hand rested on his family bible when he was sworn in as a Senator from Illinois and he has no other allegiances than to our country.

He is being attacked with these lies because he is different. His skin is darker, his name is unusual and he represents a threat to the radical right-wing faction that has tried to control Washington. The attacks are bigotry, plain and simple and as such are not worthy of your consideration.

I know you to be an honest and sincere American, and you believe in the principals that made our country great. Barack Obama shares that with you, and as a fellow American he deserves to be treated with equality and fairness. Whether you vote for him or not, I know you would not want to be responsible for spreading hatred and lies. So I ask you to share this email with your friends and family in an effort to set the record straight and stop the insidious effects of the disinformation campaign.

Sincerely,

Hardy Haberman