Muslim Voters' Waning Support for Obama?
Recent Events Put Damper on Support Obama Had in Primaries from Muslim Americans
The Obama campaign earlier this month launched a new Web site dedicated to knocking down false rumors, especially those circulated on the Internet, called www.fightthesmears.com. The third 'smear' listed on the site's homepage is the one that claims Obama is a Muslim. The campaign explains on the site that the truth is: "Senator Obama has never been a Muslim, was not raised as a Muslim, and is a committed Christian."
"When the mudslinging began and campaigns were launched 'exposing' Obama as a Muslim, he had every reason to deny it," said Habhab.
But, she said, "I would have preferred Obama to have seized the opportunity to rhetorically ask, 'What is wrong with being a Muslim?' raise awareness of this phobia we are self-imposing, and promote the fact that regardless of religion, we are all Americans, which is what matters."
"Obama has attempted to distance himself, but what he really needs to say is, 'even if I were a Muslim, that'd be okay," Julia Shearson, executive director of the non-profit Islamic civil rights and advocacy group Council on Islam-American Relations (CAIR) in Ohio.
Brookings Institution senior fellow Shibley Telhami says, "Muslim Americans liked the fact his initial reaction to assertions he was Muslim was, 'I'm not a Muslim American but so what if I were Muslim?' They would love to see him repeat this, and they are frustrated that he hasn't repeated it. They are frustrated with the discourse."
Haddad agrees that Obama is stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to disproving claims he is Muslim. "What Muslims are objecting to is that his dissociation from Islam is confirming the American attitude that there is something wrong with Islam and that it has no place in American democracy."
"Muslims are often not viewed as fully American or are seen as the 'other people'," said Dawud Walid, executive director of CAIR Michigan.
Walid says Michigan has had mosques vandalized in recent years, and spray-painted with hate slurs such as "9/11 murderers go home," as well as death threats against Muslims American leaders, including at his office.
"Since 2001, candidates have been very sensitive.The hijab [incident] doesn't necessarily reflect any attitude on his party, but may be an honest recognition on the part of his staff [of prevalent opinions towards Muslims in America]," said John Voll, professor of Islamic history and associate director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University.
Changing Public Opinion
The percentage of Americans with an unfavorable opinion of Muslim Americans has edged upward, from 25 percent in 2005 to 29 percent in 2007, according to a September 2007 Pew Research Center report. The report also said that while the Muslim religion had gained increasing national visibility in recent years, 58 percent of Americans said they know little or nothing about the religion's practices — little changed since 2001.
A separate report from May 2007, also by the Pew Research Center, says 53 percent of Muslim Americans say it has become more difficult to be a Muslim in the United States since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
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