Obama Cultivates Ambiguous Relationship with Muslims

The relationship that Barack Obama maintains with the Muslim community in the U.S. constitutes a new challenge for the candidate: how to manage a campaign attracting the largest number of voters without alienating a particular community, just as necessary win the general election in November? Despite the unity that Obama intends to portray, Muslims feel a little excluded.

When Mr. Obama entered the race more than a year ago, the first feedback from the Muslim community was very strong, as the senator was perceived as the figurehead of civil and religious freedom. In a post 9/11 world, where American suspicion towards Islam is significant and where President George W. Bush did nothing to calm spirits, this community holds many hopes for the Democratic candidate, a symbol of “change.” But one year later, enthusiasm has given way to disillusion.

It is difficult to quantify the Muslim community in the United States. According to the Census Bureau, it consists of between 2.35 and 6 million people, which could be a sizeable number of potential voters, especially in certain “swing states,” these key states where nothing isn’t played.

Even though Muslim leaders understand the “risk” of Mr. Obama’s displaying excessive proximity to the Muslim community, many question the barrier that the candidate placed between them. But here are the facts: according to a study by the Pew Center, one out of six Americans think that Barack Obama is Muslim. Also, considering the suspicion of Americans towards the Muslim community, the candidate knows that this assimilation could harm him. Such a scary concept, his detractors are not ashamed to spread rumors about the Democratic candidate, like hi s supposed Muslim confession. This is a rumor that the candidate has yet to put an end to.

Although Mr. Obama has visited churches and synagogues, he has not yet set foot in a mosque since the beginning of his campaign, reports the New York Times. In addition, facing rumors of a possible Muslim allegiance, Mr. Obama has hotly insisted on his belonging to the Christian community, which offended some.

“Muslims are frustrated”

Although to Keith Ellison, the first Muslim to be elected to the House of Representatives in 2006, proposed to lend a hand to Barack Obama with his campaign in Iowa, the candidate’s team let the Minneapolis politician know that his help was not needed. For Mr. Ellison, interviewed by the New York Times, Mr. Obama did not want to give fodder to a new controversy. “This is a campaign of hope, a campaign for change; Muslims are frustrated by not being included in the process,” he explains.

The latest polemic arose last week, when he had to apologize after two veiled women were refused permission to sit behind the podium at a speech in Detroit. “Our campaign aims to bring people together. The actions of these organizers is unacceptable and does not reflect on my political orientation during my electoral campaign,” Mr. Obama hastened to emphasize in a statement.

However for many Muslims, this incident reflects a greater malaise and puts in question this message of unity claimed by Mr. Obama. For Mr. Ellison, “a lot of us are waiting for him to say that there’s nothing wrong with being a Muslim.”